Which Way?

Today I took my last ride of my trip to Minnesota.  Last night I was up late trying to decide where I wanted to go on my ride.  There were a few details that were needed to go into my decision - I knew the temps would be a little cooler than the last couple of days, and I wanted to get around 20 miles in.  Other than that I just wanted to go on a fun, solo ride.   

As I woke up in the morning, I finally had a plan in mind.  I would take a county road out of town that connected to the Soo Line Bike Trail and then take that to Bowlus or farther depending on my legs.  It would be a very easy and very flat trail that I have done before many times.  It wasn't always my favorite because of the lack of turns and hills, but it was secure.

But then as I got going and rolled closer and closer to the turn off for the trail, I started to really think about the other route I had wanted to try.  It was one that I had driven many times growing up but never with my bike, mostly because one of the key roads hadn't been paved until the last year or so.  This route would mean more time on back roads that didn't have too much traffic minus a few tractors or two.  But it would also mean some miles logged on a  couple of major county roads that were used more regularly.  Again, it was a route I knew, but it was one with some hills and turns unlike the Soo Line Trail. 

Soon I had to make a decision, the safe route or the one less traveled.  Quickly I saw my turn off for the Bike Trail pass by me, and I continued down the road to try my new route.  I knew the roads I would be traveling well, but I had never seen them from my handle bars.  I could feel the road roll beneath me and the wind push on me from the north.  I watched a flock of turkeys cross as I pedaled by and even saw a few deer cross a ways down the road from me.

Because I never had taken these roads at a speed slower than 50 mph, I never noticed the details.  The way the corn looked as the sun came up and then quickly swallowed by the incoming rain storm's proceeding clouds.  The way the road felt.  The dips and bumps that gave it its character.  The way the cool breeze smelled of much needed rain and relief from the heat.

As I settled into my peddle strokes and worked against a little bit of a head wind, I made my way around the route at a good clip, enjoying the view and sounds from the road. As I wrapped up my ride and headed back into my hometown, I road up to the football field to catch my breath.  As I stood by the school building that I had spent so many days and years at, it looked the same but yet different.  I started to notice some changes - painted "Class of 2017" rocks outside the science room door, a much greener football field, and new handicap parking spaces in the student lot.  It is always funny how things that all seem to stay the same still changes.  Mostly small changes so that your memories remain, but you also notice new memories that are being made.

The sacred acre at Royalton High School

I continued through town towards the house that will always be called home.  Along the way, I ran into a friend from town and was able to quickly catch up on the latest news and weddings from the summer.  This has always been my favorite part of being from a small town - you always find someone you know and learn something new to take home with you.  Then finally, as the rain really started to pour, I pushed myself back down the road and rolled into the same place I had started.   

It was the last couple of damp miles that I noticed a smile had started to grow on my face.  I had taken the trail that I wasn't quite too sure of; I took a chance not knowing what the outcome would be; I had traveled a familiar road but got to see it in a new and different light.  And I still ended up where I wanted to go.

Sometimes we truly meet that fork in the road.  We know we need to decide on which road to take.  Do we take the safe and well known choice, or do we roll the dice and go somewhere new.  They both will most likely get us to the same end point, but the view and the ride will be different from each other.  Some pluses and some minuses to both.  So which will you choose?

So many times in our life we have this happen.  We make choices even when we don't realize we are making them.  But how was the end result?  Was it what you wanted/hoped would happen or do you wish you could go back and choose a different route?  If you had to go back, would you change any of it?  There are so many roads for us to ride, and we strive to find the one that you believe will get you where you need to go and make you happy all at the same time.  And the constant challenge is to, no matter the route, truly enjoy the ride.