My wife, The Feeshko, has quite an imagination.  She seems to think there is some kind of parallel planet somewhere out there in which the only inhabitant is a happy-go-lucky, carefree, fun-seeking bicycle rider.  A planet where this bike rider takes nothing very seriously, where he invented his own religion, and where he has a cartoon alter-ego as a friend.  She calls this place "Greg World."

She usually seems to bring up "Greg World" when I'm reading a book or when I'm studying a map, or ANYTIME I don't immediately respond to her.  "I see you're off in Greg World again," she'll say.  She's funny that way.

Little does The Feeshko know that I'm TRULY out in Greg World when I'm traveling on my bike.  It's my time to explore, live a basic existence, forget all the worries and responsibilities, and have FUN.  Yeah, THAT'S Greg World.

Yet, the responsibilities are still out there and sometimes they grab you and pull you back to the REAL world.  That is especially true with family stuff, and it was the family stuff that ended this tour prematurely.  (I swear on the Tough Guy Bible that it had nothing to do with the shoulder injury.)

I think its only fair to provide some information as to why the trip ended so abruptly.  Very briefly, the real world issue I had to deal with involved the mental health of my son.  Throw in street drugs and, well, you get the picture.  The day after I got home to Minnesota I was back on a plane to Seattle, which is where he lives.  The immediate crisis is behind us, but my son has a lot of work to do.  That's all I want to say about that.  You know, family privacy and all.

[UPDATE from the author, ME:  I originally wrote this on Crazyguyonabike and I received a number of well-wishes from that community, as well as from some of my friends who are now fellow members of Cycleblaze.  I really appreciated the support.  Now I am happy to report that my son is doing well in rehabilitation.  He had one relapse, but now he has been drug-free for about six months.  It's a very difficult journey, but he's been working hard.  The Feeshko and I are very proud of him.]

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The stakes for my high-stakes bike tour turned out to be higher than expected.  It wasn't exactly a "sure bet."  I had to raise my wager to include a chest cold, a sinus issue, sunburn, cactus scratches, an annoying cartoon alter-ego, a lacerated shoulder, and an early exit.  But as they say, "the greater the risk, the greater the reward."

I got to experience the beauty and peacefulness of the desert in ways I never expected.  I explored.  I learned.  I wrote about it.  And most importantly, I had FUN.  Overall then, the result of my gamble is this:  I WAS A BIG WINNER!

It seems like every athlete or coach who has ever won multiple Super Bowls or World Cups or Olympic gold medals or high school state wrestling championships always say the same thing in post-game interviews.  "THIS one is the most satisfying one of all."  In the same way, I feel like this trip has been MY best bike tour of all.  Despite the sickness and the injuries, or maybe BECAUSE of them, I feel a higher sense of accomplishment and contentment.

On the other hand, perhaps it's just the fact that this was the most recent bike trip and the memories are still fresh.  After next year's tour, the glow of this one will likely be somewhat dimmer.