Life on the road is exciting, each day is new and the time passes quick.  The past 10 months have been a whirlwind of great experiences, fantastic people and exceptional riding but today I was as tired as I been in some time.  After a short ride and a memorable reunion with my dog Jack I settled down with family content and satisfied about the journey… and thinking about when the next one might happen.

My head was heavy when I woke and I dreaded the drive I had for just that reason.  If it wasn’t for family waiting I might have stayed in bed and passed another day in the city but I got up, cursed Ryan for all the beer he forced me to drink and grabbed a shower.  I left well after nine and rode northeast towards my parents home in Antigonish where my best friend Jack was waiting for me.

I stopped in Truro along the way for a coffee and more McDonald’s WiFi.  The cookie cutter appearance and smells of the fast food chain was identical to all of the other countries I had visited with the exception of the seasonal special served inside.

McLobster!  Only in Atlantic Canada.

It would be another hour riding from there and when I got close to town I made a quick call to my father about where I was.  He asked me to hold back a bit so he could be at the house to meet me.  He wanted to see the dogs reaction and after he got to the house I pulled in.

313 days had past since I last saw my parents home and they took my most precious possession into there care and looked out for him.  It was this type of generosity and interest that my entire family gave me and made the trip possible.  With out them and the help of many friends it just wouldn’t have happened.

As usual some nieces and nephews trickled over from next door and and clambered up on the bike and peppered me with questions about the trip.   My parents welcomed me back with a big meal and a told me a few stories about their year and the antics of the dog.

Cyra having the last ride of the day

After a big meal things started to calm down and my niece Elyssa and I crawled down on the mat for some quality time with Jack.

Hanging out with Jack and Elyssa

The evening shot by after everyone found there way home and things at the house got quiet.  It was then I started to realize what the next few weeks have in store.

The coming days will wear away catching up, preparing to go back to work and sorting out life’s daily grind but tonight I put that on hold and fell back into a days end habit I had developed over my time on the road…

I dreamt about where the next ride would be.