Final Day of Part 1: Country Roads, Take Me Home

It was time to say goodbye to our last accommodation of the trip. The house in Claude Texas was so full of history, and as promised we will share the story with you. The house was built in 1907 by Mr. Cavins, the owner of the general mercantile and lumber yard in the area. He was a trusted figure in the community, so much so that people even trusted him with their money. So in 1904, he started his own bank, the first unchartered bank. Later he went on to build the first national bank in Claude. He acted as president of this bank which would later grow and become Citizens Bank!

It was incredible staying in a home that is over 100 years old and owned by such an influential figure in the area. Ronit and I cooked ourselves up some breakfast in the common area kitchen as we readied ourselves to leave and were joined by the owner, Jana, as well as a family of 3 including a mother, daughter and grandmother. We had a lovely conversation over breakfast until we finally had to finish packing up the car and started our journey home.

It was a pretty uneventful trip. Driving down the 287 highway was straightforward with nothing much to see or take note of. The only exception was a large “Chemical Toilet” label which sparked my interest, but we decided to skip it. 😂

Rapken Clan Pit Stop

Our original plan was to drive straight home with no stops. We were completely beat. However, at exactly the right time, we got a call from Michael Rapken (one of my brothers from other mothers, Milton Glenn being the other of the two). Michael pleaded that we come by and say hello to the family as they were all in town together celebrating the graduation of two of his kids, Devon and Natalie. Since his impeccable timing meant we still could reroute and make it to Colleyville, we decided to make a stop to visit the Rapken Clan. We had a lovely reunion visiting with the entire family before getting back on the road.

It is a funny coincidence really, because on the first day of the trip, I had made a stop to visit Lauren, who is Michael’s daughter, and her husband Matt in Columbia, Missouri. Now, I was ending the last day of the trip with Lauren and Matt again, plus the rest of the clan! What are the odds, huh?

Country Roads, Take Me Home

Ok, so we weren’t really on country roads anymore. We were definitely back in Texas on the giant interstates and highways 5 lanes wide. But we were heading home. By 15:30 we pulled up at our house and were greeted by Michael Long who had been kind enough to house and pup sit for us while we were away.

It was a very warm welcome, from both Michael and especially from our two pups, Meeka and June. They were all over me, licking and jumping. I felt so warm and fuzzy the way that your 2 favorite doggos always manage to make you feel.

We saw that Michael had been busy with the house, fixing things and taking on multiple home improvement projects. That's what happens when the person you ask to look after your house also happens to be an extremely talented handyman, carpenter, mechanic, builder, plumber, the list goes on…

Michael, thanks from the bottom (and middle and top) of our hearts for all the love and attention you gave Meeka and June (and the house!!).

Reflections

The 6-hour drive home was quiet and I was deep in thought most of the drive. Several things crossed my mind as we covered the final stretch home and I considered how lucky I was to have gone on such an incredible journey and for the things in my life that have brought me to where I am today.

RONIT

I thought a lot about just how lucky I am to have Ronit by my side. As my wife, my life partner and for the last 7 days, my travel companion extraordinaire.

Spending 24 hours a day for 7 days in a row with another person, with no breaks, day or night, can often put a strain on or test a relationship's foundation. You can really gauge the strength of a connection between two people, even a husband and wife, based on their ability to continuously engage in a loving way for so many hours of exposure. I really feel like we passed this test with flying colors. 😍

These past 7 days have been the best days of my life, and having Ronit with me on this incredible experience really made it so.

Not only did we accomplish so many things in such a short amount of time, but we really just had such a huge amount of fun exploring and being in each other's company. It really made me appreciate Ronit even more than I already did (and trust me I would never take her for granted! Never ever!).

Ronit, I love you! I can objectively, subjectively, figuratively, literally, emotionally, logically, and personally say that you are the best!

FOREVER REMEMBERED

I was unsure about adding this final section to the blog or not since it's a sad note, but really it’s not. It's a note on love and friendship and life. A huge portion of my thoughts that followed me during the last 31 included a lot of reflection on how life isn’t always a fairy tale.

I was diagnosed with the wretched “C” word this year (Don’t worry, I’ve been treated and everything is A-OK now). However, it definitely made me rethink a lot of things in my life and changed my outlook on certain things. In a lot of ways, I have been lucky, even after such a diagnosis (or especially because of it). I had some close friends who were not so lucky. Not everyone gets a chance to do a month-long bucket list trip or get more time with their loved ones.

I guiltily realized that since they had passed away, I have not thought about or stopped to remember them as much as I feel I should have. I have selfishly, yet understandably, been busy with my own day-to-day life. With my business, my kids, my pets, and of course my own health, dreams and desires. Our minds are constantly so full of these daily thoughts that it is oftentimes hard to take a step back and remember the bigger picture and to appreciate how lucky you are.

Driving alone for more than 10,000 miles in the last month really freed up a lot of my mind so I had a chance to really “ponder” this kind of stuff. I was able to take that step back and see my life from overhead. To realize how precious it all is, how short it can be and remind myself that there is so much I still want to see and do. I don’t want to take my moments for granted because I’m living the day-to-day. I want to meet more people and see more beautiful scenes that bring me to tears. I want to appreciate a good laugh and a relaxing evening sipping vodka with my wife. I want to feel full of life.

I’m ending this blog with a few of the names of my close friends who I have felt close to me during the last 32 days even though they are no longer here. I want to remember them and remind myself to stop and revisit their memories more often. To honour them and celebrate their lives and the friendships we had.

I love you all and miss you dearly. I promise to think of you often, fondly, and in my memories you live on.

❤ John Brewer ❤

❤ Roy Robinson ❤

❤ Debby Israelstam ❤

❤ Shmil Yair ❤

❤ Mimi Gilbert ❤

Shlomo signing off for now. Love, Peace and Health to all.

Hidden Trails Expedition Part 2 – Coming soon to a blog near you.

P.s. After being a good sport about all those horrible dirt roads, Steele is finally getting the pampering he deserves. Don't worry, he is enjoying his spa day and looking forward to the easy Dallas paved roads ahead.

If you need a little reminder of just how far this guy took me, here's a map overview of the ground we covered during part 1 of the Hidden Trails Expedition.

See you on the next journey.