What is in a name?

Well, we are within two weeks of our return to South America. Or as we like to think of it, the return of summer! Now, this is not exactly the truth. Arn is currently in Ecuador enjoying two weeks of white water kayaking (in warm temps). The water levels are very low, so they are probably engaged in some form of a rain dance as I compose this. Clearly when Arn left Seattle, he failed to take the rain with him. Hopefully our friend, Dave, took it with him when he flew out today to meet Arn for next week's trip. As for me, I promised to sell all my white water paddling gear to avoid a return trip to Ecuador. So, I am enjoying a couple of weeks cycling in the desert outside of San Diego. I am in a place called Borrego Springs. The weather is stunning, the riding is sweet and there are no cars (okay, a few cars). I have met some great people to ride with and have spent most days riding with very nice company. Back to the South America "thing".

The name for this blog came to mind pretty quickly. The single word I thought of was "odyssey". Then, I thought, "well, does this word mean what you think it means?" Given my preference for numbers over words, I thought it was worth a few minutes on Google. Here is what I confirmed: "Odyssey" with a capital "O" refers to Homer's poem about the Greek hero, Odysseus. He fought in the 10 year Trojan War and it took him another 10 years to return home. Despite being an "ancient Greek" poem, it is actually considered very modern, in part, because the events are shown to depend as much on the choices made by women as on the actions of fighting men. In the English language, "odyssey" with a lower-case "o" means: 1) a long wandering and epic journey that is frequently eventful, or 2) an intellectual or spiritual quest.

So, two gringos are going to arrive in Santiago, Chile on January 22nd with two mountain bikes and few small duffel bags worth of gear. After a couple of days enjoying the warmth, sun, and food of Santiago, we will hop on a bus to Pucon, Chile (think the Whistler of Chile). In Pucon, we will put the bikes back together, get the gear organized, do a few test rides, and spend a few days enjoying the hospitality, good food and Pisco Sours. From here, well, who knows. Really, there is no plan --- this is where the "uncertain" word comes from. Okay, this and a blog called just "Odyssey" was not available.

Lastly, let me leave you with this. In the coming weeks as I attempt to blog, please keep this in mind. Should you see "Odyssey" with a capital "O", it might refer to a hero experiencing miles of suffering with the help of a woman's choices. If you see "odyssey" with a lower case "o", then you can feel sure it is two gringos on an epic, uncertain journey that may result in intellectual or spiritual insights.