Journeys Begin in Memory: The First Miles, Travel, and Family

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Georgetown |Daily Miles: 6 |Tour Miles: 6

All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware. – Martin Buber

Today’s Pulse

It was a typical travel day to Washington, D.C., where I would begin my tour the next morning. Aside from a detour off I-70 due to a major accident, the day went smoothly—the rental car pickup in Pittsburgh, the drop-off at Washington National Airport, and the drive in between were all uneventful.

The only real frustration came after returning the rental car. I needed to reach the Mount Vernon Trail, which ran right behind the rental return area, but no one seemed to know how to get there. After some trial and error, I finally figured it out and continued on to my cousin’s house in Georgetown.

Before heading there, I took a short spin around the Lincoln Memorial and then connected to the Rock Creek Trail that led to her home. There always seems to be some small hiccup at the start of a tour. Fortunately, this time it was nothing more than finding my way from the rental car return to the trail.

Echoes of the Past

I trade try to spend some time with my cousin when I start one of these tours . Sometimes it can be challenging to reconnect with family, but today all the time was ours. We went back—far back—to my youth, when she was already eight years older and a step ahead in life.

The afternoon and evening were spent reminiscing about days gone by and reflecting on where we’ve both arrived in life. Later, we strolled along the beautiful, historic streets of Georgetown to one of her favorite restaurants for dinner. She lives right in the heart of Georgetown, next to Georgetown University.

As I’ve learned, family often grows more distant over time—that’s certainly been true for the two of us. Yet since I began doing these tours, our regular phone calls have brought us closer.

We never truly forget the past; it’s always with us. But when we come together, those separate memories weave into the shared story of our family. It was a comforting beginning to my tour after a long, tiring day on the road.

My Cousin Michal and Me

The Trail Taught Me

It was a day spent on two trails. The first was the practical one—traveling from Central Ohio to Washington, D.C., then making my way from the airport to the starting point of tomorrow’s ride to Pittsburgh. But the second trail, and by far the more meaningful one, was the journey through memories shared with my cousin. Sitting across from her at the restaurant brought back a flood of moments from my youth, especially memories of her and her family that were part of my early years.

Life Reflection

These were the times of my childhood, visiting my grandmother’s Hungarian neighborhood in Alliance, Ohio, where my dad ran the family’s neighborhood bar, Jokie’s Café. Memories like those never truly fade, but at this stage of life, it feels good to bring them back into focus and paint them a little more vividly.

Today’s Bit of Wisdom

A travel day to the start of a tour is usually one of the least memorable parts of the journey—something necessary to get through before the real adventure begins on the bike. But I’ve come to realize that this day can hold its own meaning if it connects you to family, your past, or a moment in life that reminds you where you’ve been and where you’re headed. The bicycle tour may officially begin tomorrow, but today it began in spirit—with memories that matter.