Restarting a lost life:
A while back, I was
asked to post a blog by my dear friend Isabelle, as she thought my story would
not only be of interest to many, but more importantly would help and even
inspire some people who could associate with my experience. So here I am,
with the very first page of this long journey back home...to me!
It was kind of a dream to ride down Baja
California on a motorcycle. We all have experienced though times in the course
of our lives, bumps and hurdles to master every journey. My biggest hump
(mountain) came with a life changing personal event; the death of a family
member. The loss was sudden and totally unexpected, and quickly turned into a
daily struggle for me. A lot of help and counseling was offered and all were of
good intention, but not for me. I had to figure things out on my own to
understand. As I needed time to think and refresh my thoughts, I decided
to ride my bicycle from Salt Lake City, Utah down to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
instead of by motorcycle. My hope was that by travelling this very long
distance..in a slower pace with all the physical efforts it demanded, I
would gain clarity, a new direction and a new outlook in which to take my life.
As I started to make
plans, my mental health started to improve. Guess I had forgotten how powerful setting goals and having
something to look forward to can quickly turn your life around. Those magic
words have always been a part of my life, but somehow got buried somewhere...in
grief. As the planning unfolded, they started to reappear and everything
else began to brighten up again.
With the mental trauma, I
had gotten disoriented and diverted from my path. With this trip, I
started to chisel a new one.
I am kind of a private
person by nature, but I chose to share my personal feelings and experiences on
my challenging journey, with the hope that perhaps someone reading this blog
will also be able to find new goals and things to look forward to... inspire to
create a new path for themselves.
Looking back, this was the
best decision for me. I chose not to use professional help or any
medication, and instead take on a physically and mentally demanded journey to
heal...and to figure out what I wanted my life to be like...from this
unexpected point on.
I would like the credit to
go to all my friends. It goes to show that friends & health
(physical & mental) are our greatest treasures and should be treated
accordingly.
Of course this was only
made possible by my former employer (Muller-Martini), who generously provided
me with leave of absence.
Until next time...
Tony Bike
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