Imagine if you will a self-contained world of a rolling adventurous graphic communicator…
Wait, I was all set to cue the Twilight Zone music, but even this story is a bit beyond that realm.
At the center of my PNW cycling adventure is Jody. My bike packing expert and the chief resident of the Pink Motel.
(Not to be confused with the book series by Carol Ryrie Brink; thank you, Ms Brink for letting us borrow your title for a bit)
In the decade I’ve known Jody I’ve learned she is the embodiment of independence. She is equal parts presentation expert, designer, adventurer and general badass. Jody defies her physical size with a quiet, serious demeanor. When I’m with her I am kept safe from any bad guys.
The Pink Motel, as she dubbed it, is her Airstream trailer. Her home and office away from her Texas tiny house. With a portable open-sided pergola tent set up beside the trailer, she can camp out on her folding double chair and work for as long as she needs to on her Mac laptop. Thanks to Elon Musk (Starlink) she has office-quality internet.
The other residents of the Motel include Shannon, Chewie and Stella. The last two are doodle dogs.
How is it that these two straight women and their faithful canines are out on the road? They both have a similar sense of adventure. And they are enough different that their social and organizational skills compliment one another.
I was lucky enough to intercept these four in LaConnor, WA, as they finished their trek up the west coast and made the turn east over the Cascades Highway.
They welcomed me and gave me a space for my tent. If she had been up for the trip, Sally would have been welcome too.
Morning coffee with Jody and Stella was a singular pleasure. Exploring Friday Harbor with Shannon was a joy.
I’ll never forget their hospitality, friendship and the feeling of inclusion. Having friends is a good thing. Having great friends is a gift.
Safe travels, ladies. See you down the road.
Relentless
