We are no longer on hiatus and are currently on the road again. We were called back to Minnesota at the end of May due to the loss of Ehren’s mother, Vicki. Vicki was tragically killed while riding her motorcycle home from work on May 24. Unfortunately we were not able to find out until May 25 when we called home to check in from a Baja hotel. Due to the kindness of three Ensenada locals, we were able to swiftly store the bikes and make a hasty return to Bemidji—arriving only 18 hours after finding out about our loss.
We returned to Baja two weeks later to retrieve the bikes and bring them back into the U.S. for longer-term storage over the coming months (mainly so they could be insured). Once back in Bemidji, we proceeded to help out on job sites with Ehren’s father, Steve (a general contractor), and begin to really grieve about what had happened. A couple of months into our hiatus we reached a point where we felt it was time to return. We hatched a plan to once again leave Bemidji to continue our travels south, choosing the Horizons Unlimited travelers meeting in Mariposa, California (September 21- 24, 2017) as our send off.
Ehren and his parents showshoeing on Christmas Day a few years back.
We would like to say thank you for your patience over the last couple months. It’s been a trying time for us emotionally. We can be thankful that we’ve had the chance to spend the time back in Bemidji with Ehren’s father and the many family friends that we hold dear. We are even more thankful that we were able to spend nine months in Bemidji with Vicki while we rebuilt our motorcycles and prepared for this journey. She was our biggest supporter (and biggest worrier—must be a mom thing).
Vicki taught Ehren how to ride a motorcycle when he was younger, along with the many life lessons that mothers pass down to their children. Growing up as an only child always seems like an easy notion. Fortunately for Ehren, his parents taught him valuable life lessons such as if you want something you work for it, and once you start something you don’t quit until it’s completed. She wouldn’t have allowed us to quit our trip for any reason, no matter what.
The four of us (Ehren’s dad took the photo) in Yosemite National Park during a motorcycle trip in October 2013. Other sights included Kings Canyon, Sequoia, and Death Valley National Parks.
Now that our minds are able to process at least a few other things daily—besides grief—we are back on the road in honor of her. Before her passing she avidly followed our progress through our website (through the Spot tracking map) as well as our Skype calls home. We carry some of her ashes with us so that she can continue to participate in our journey.
Vicki holding our kitties while visiting us in Nevada.
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