My Birthday Got Better After Starting Great

Last September I took the Amtrak Cascades train north through the beautiful coastal Pacific Northwest. It was my birthday and I treated myself to an awesome outing.

Curious about what a “Charmed Life” looks like? Read on…

I booked my trip a week in advance. So when the travel day came, my birthday, I packed my bike then rode to downtown Portland’s Union Station. There I checked in then found a nice spot in the lobby.

That’s when….

I rested my bike beside me at the end of a long passenger bench. Moments later, a lanky gentleman walked by pushing an older bike.

“Nice bike,” he said, looking at my Surly Straggler.

“Thanks,” I replied before noticing his bike, a Surly Long Haul Trucker. The same brand as mine, only a different model. I knew then a gift just walked by. So I pursued him then introduced myself.

“I’m Optimistic Chris,” he said with a smile. Then he regaled me with his story.

While he told me their story, he radiated positivity and also a sense of someone who achieved something great.

Which he had. He just finished a 4,000-mile, 93-day solo ride on his Surly from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon by way of all the wonderful attractions one would imagine.

How fun.

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