Why?

Most common question:   Why do I want to do this?

Also the hardest to answer.  I've given, and continue to give, it a lot of thought. 

The deepest reason I want to do this ride is the one I can't put into words.  However, there are other more concrete reasons.  I'm not riding for a "cause" but I do want it to be for something bigger than me. Still... I can't deny that a big part of it is the joy of "Road trip! Road trip!"  Woohoo!!

This is what I see as "why" right now. It might change as I think about it more.

MOTIVATIONS

1.  Road trip.

**The goal of road trip enthusiasts is to experience the culture, nature and history of the route, and to celebrate the open road. Road trippers often study roadology, the connection between of roads and culture. -Wikipedia, defining "road trip"

Wanderlust

Travelogue

2.  Exploring communities. What makes a good home, good neighbors? How do people take care of eachother? How do they live together in a town or area while letting "live-as-let-live"? What are the bonds that connect us over time?  I love the idea of carrying messages from one person to the next, or even from one community to the next, helping the connections between people... 

3.   Exploring "mule culture"?

4.   Internal journey.

It's the journey, not the destination.  Think "road trip!" by muleback; the joy of the open road stretching across America at 3 miles an hour. Part of the fun is all the people you meet along the way. The adventure is the hard challenges bound to come up, surprises, changes in plans and how all that is dealt with.

I might chronicle it by drawing or writing if I have the time & energy, don't know if that is realistic. 

I love back trail riding, much prefer it to wide easy paths or roads as far as riding goes. I'm comfortable with my own company and don't mind being alone for days or even weeks at a time. But that's not what this journey would be about. I'm interested in travelling the way people used to travel before the internal combustion engine. Equine as transportation. I'm not sure if "trail ride" was a concept back then. 

I am also interested in "mule culture"... mulie folks... all across the country... if there is such a thing as mule culture? a longears-person personality?  

And lastly this is an internal journey for me. And a challenge. Can I ride 500, 1,000, or more miles solo across the country?  I won't make it a challenge for Butch - it's not his choice. If he were to not be up to it, I'd take a different mule. But I think he can do it.