b'Pat was a lucky man, because he had all three, plus the time,step off of the motorcycle and allow the bike to fall, instead money and wealth to connect the dots in between. He wasof themselves. The classes they took in California and with determined to buy a GS bike like McGregors, only to discoverBMW helped equip them with the training, insights and that the model seemed too tall. He took a training classequipment to handle a ride like this one.at BMW, learning and mastering technical skills and safety protocols from expert instructors. That class led him to buyTHE PLAN, THE START, THE TREEhis own GS in a different model, and take another class, in California, specifically for GS off-roading. Jeff and Pat were set to ride the TAT from the East Coast to the West. They downloaded the GPS trail and made a plan to Riding across the Continental Divide, he met a fellow retiree,start at Nags Head, NC, traversing the eastern part of the TAT Jeff Sachs, who had recently sold his own business and sharedwhile the weather was cool, accepting that certain factors several similarities with Pat. The two clicked, Pat found hiscouldnt be planned for. Just like hiking the Appalachian Trail, adventure-biking partner and was ready to plan their ride acrossit isnt that the average person cant do it. Its just that the the Trans America Trail (TAT), the first leg of his own around- average person wont, Pat says.the-world journey. After settling on a departure date, they packed their gear. THE PREPARATION Crossing the Appalachian Trail, they met hikers who asked if theyd earned their trail nicknames yet. It wasnt long before Before selling the business, Patmet with Rather & KittrellPat had his.to create a dynamic road map for his financial and life goals. They had smooth sailing for the first week. Then, they hit a They developed an evergreen planmajor speedbump. Or, rather, it hit them. Pat was cruising along a dusty dirt road near Sapphire, NC, at 25 miles per for achieving financial freedom.hour, with Jeff just a few miles behind, when a tree the size The flexible plan gave him aof a telephone pole came crashing down on his motorcycle. tremendous sense of securityLying on the ground, in front of the handlebars of his newly-through market changes and otherdestroyed motorcycle, Pat let out a grunt. A four-inch tree branch had caught him in the chest, acting as an airbag as he economic curveballsand thehit his head on the fallen tree.freedom to set out on adventures like this. Only a week into the trip, Pat had earned his nicknameMaple. Unfortunately, this meant the trip was on hold until Pat could purchase and outfit a new bike.While RK had acted as a personal advisor for his family, they couldnt protect him on his trip. For off-road cyclists, its allIn the riding community, they use an acronymATGATT about the technical challenge, riding with precision to navigateto remind themselves of the importance of safety and staying twists, turns and rough terrain. Real riders are often able toprotected: All the Gear, All the Time. Following the principle behind that acronym kept Pat alive and able to walk away. Although he hadnt anticipated that moment, he had planned for it.CHALLENGES AND CHERISHED MEMORIESAfter six weeks, Pat had a new bike, and Jeffs bike was outfitted with new suspension. They restarted their ride on June 21, traveling through Tennessee to Lake Pickwick. Gravel roads and farm trails in Mississippi and Arkansas took them to the Jeff and Pat at theVirginia state line. infamous Warloop Road, a challenging rocky trail for heavy bikes loaded with gear in the 100-degree heat.10'