Moorsvile, NC -> Raleigh, NC

About two weeks ago I posted a photo from my trip on the Moto Guzzi subreddit and offered up the link to this blog to share my adventures with anyone else who may have been interested. I received the following message...

"I've ridden 10 different Guzzis since 1986, I guess that is an addiction LOL. Please include me in your blog subscription list, I would enjoy that. I am in Raleigh, NC so look me up if you get over here, not sure how you are making it to MD.

Be safe and if you haven't already, check out Wildguzzi.com they will help you out if you need it. Ride safely! John"

I sent John the link, thanked him for his goodwill, and promised that as I got closer to Raleigh that I would be in touch. As I got closer to Raleigh, I began to ask myself if it made sense to crash with a stranger from the internet. I began to ask myself questions like about who this person was and how I was supposed to decide if I could trust him? I followed it up with one more, "What would Julia do?" My friend Julia is a notorious adventurer. I once asked her if she wanted to drive with me from Seattle to Los Angeles in a fifty year old British car. She said yes. I told her it would not make it. She said yes. I told her I was not sure what we would do during a breakdown. She talked about hitchhiking and sleeping in garages. She is more adventurous than I. Julia would absolutely see a stranger from the internet in real life.

The Moto Guzzi subreddit is a small corner of the internet. Less than three thousand people have subscribed to keep an eye on what goes on there. I figured anyone who would bother coming here was probably just interested in motorcycles and not an axe murderer. Logically speaking, who would try to catch and murder someone when they know that the would-be victim is on such a swift motorbike? It just doesn't make sense.

After a further exchange I followed over text...

"Hi John! It’s Marcel from Reddit. 

If the offer is still on the table, I would appreciate a place to crash in Raleigh, in on the second, out on the third.

If not that, at least meeting up for a coffee would be nice."

Well I've had a great day and I'm not just saying that because John is reading this (hi!). I arrived and we sat and chatted about motorbikes (what else!). John has owned ten different Guzzis since coming into the brand in 1986. He and his then wife were plotting a journey similar to mine and they were shopping for bikes. Someone pointed them in the direction of the eagle brand and he's been hooked ever since. After swapping bike stories his girlfriend, Judy, came home and that was where a real small world moment occurred. Judy mentioned that she had a childhood friend in Westlake Village, California who moved to Tehachapi, and had a son who went to SBCC (one of my alma matters). In my head I thought that there can't be more than one of these. I asked for his last name and as it turns out my childhood freind's mom is her childhood friend's cousin. A small world indeed.

In Alphabetical Order: Bob, John, Judy, Author

We went out to a local seafood restaurant with Judy's father, Bob. They all live in a lovely neighborhood within walking distance of each other. Bob is ninety five years old! Wow! He lives a very active lifestyle and can bowl you under the table. When he got vaccinated, he chose his arm based on which would affect his bowling score least. I'm sure he still crushed it. After dinner Bob went home, Judy went to watch her grandchildren, and John and I went to the couch to enjoy another beer. We chatted more about all bikes, marriage, love, conspiracy, and retirement. After that he asked me a question I do not get to answer nearly often enough, "Would you like to hop in the hot tub for a bit?" We lounged and he talked about his work, he is a mechanical engineer specializing in ventilation systems for laboratories. He told me countless stories from work where he managed to tweak little things and save huge amounts of money. It was heart-warming to see someone get so happy and excited talking about what they do.

John, thank you for your kindness. Let me know if you are ever in California. I hope one day to repay it to you and another motorcycling stranger.

I managed to stumble my way back into bed we shooed his adorable cat out of it. Tomorrow is going to be wet. A real adventure.

Today's Distance: 148 miles

Total Distance: 3089 miles