August 18 - Seeing the Beauty in New Mexico and Arizona Despite Another Trial

Today’s drive south and west through New Mexico and then Arizona was gorgeous. I was surrounded by cliffs, mesas, and plateaus with many striations of various colors. In the northern part of the state the colors tended towards brown, grey, white, and yellow. As I headed further south the geological formations also took on an orange and reddish hue. Throughout there were fields of green accented with yellow wildflowers. The biggest highlight for me today, though, was keeping a positive mental attitude despite encountering yet another problem with my bike.

I plotted my course southwest today to pass through the town of Albuquerque so that I could visit an Apple store there. The last several days my phone has been losing power, even when plugged in to the USB port on my bike. This is a serious issue for me as I use the phone to make hotel reservations, navigate on unfamiliar roads, and keep in touch with family and friends. I had taken the phone to an apple-approved store two days ago and discovered that the back of my phone was not correctly attached to my mother board.

After spending three hours in Albuquerque getting a new iPhone, I was hopeful that my charging woes were over. However, in the two hours it took me to get to my first subsequent gas stop my battery level dropped from 95% to 52%.

I have found a temporary fix – turning off WIFI and Bluetooth, darkening my screen, and putting my phone in power saving mode. Doing so allows me to maintain or slightly increase power. However, since I have both a new phone and a relatively new charging cord it appears the problem must be with the USB port on my bike. I did call the next dealership I am going to, and they don’t have a replacement USB port. So, it is unlikely I will be able to fix this issue any time soon.

I was tempted today to start feeling discouraged. After all, this is the sixth mechanical or operational problem with my bike in 11 days. I have already had 7 unscheduled repair stops during that time.

However, having overcome so much in the last couple years I have learned that I am a person of value and of strength. I have also learned that good often comes out of challenging circumstances. I am confident that I will eventually resolve this problem. I am also confident that one way or another I will manage in the meantime. While I sort all of this out, I am determined to continue to focus on the positives around me. As I was finishing my ride to Flagstaff today, I noticed that the setting sun was creating a beautiful purple and pink sunset and the cliffs to the right of me had a wonderful red hue. I am looking forward to more wonderful days on the road.