Little did I know, but this quote distills down the essence of my “About”:

“The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times. The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).

TerraPyrat is an evolution of the activities I have participated in my whole life. It also seems to be a developing alter-ego. From open ocean sailing at a young age to firefighting/rural EMS to competitive whitewater kayaking and raft-guiding and now solo long-distance motorcycle travel, I am drawn to the challenging path. The more unique and less traveled the better. Having seen tens of thousands of miles pass under my hull (Pyrat), I am now engaged in racking up even more distance exploring the nooks and crannies of the continent (Terra).

This blog is a “legacy project” as we no longer engage in the arcane but treasured tradition of making photo albums and it’s reassuring to know I have left a footprint in the sand of some infinitesimally small corner of the internet. For those who have persevered to read this far, each foray on the Blue Highways* and backroads is catalogued and described in some level of detail.

I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I am grateful for the opportunity to have something interesting to write about. As I was never much interested in short, local “commuter” runs, the trips all had some target or purpose, the most obvious being the restoration of an acceptable level of mental health.

It may also be obvious from the routes to note that I have frequently incorporated the Pyrat aspect whenever possible and have been drawn to travel what I have termed the ATI (Aqua-Terra Interface) ; the places where the aquatic/nautical world of my past washes against the firmament of my present. As in life, this continues to be a work-in-progress.

I have also included a Reading List of the books that have been foundational to my efforts, both now and in the past.

I hope you enjoy the reads, roads and recollections.

Pyrat