Do I get lonely on the trip?  I wish I could tell you that everything is always sunshine and flowers, but sometimes it is a lonely endeavor.

Hours will go by with me in the driver’s seat.  It is rare that I have passengers. I have not, for example, ever picked up a hitchhiker.

Sometimes I play music, sometimes I sit in silence.  My mind is always churning through thoughts.  Some have ivory towers; I have an ivory leather seat.

That’s not to say that I’ve been by myself on my journey. The support from friends, family, acquaintances, and well-wishers has been incredible.  I get a thrill out of seeing people reading this blog or looking at my photos. I love getting messages, tweets, emails, and comments along the way.  And meeting people in real life?  That’s always fun!

I try to feed my social animal by spending time where people congregate.  It’s always fun to get swept up in the camaraderie of a hockey game.  Coffee shops are great, too: something like 80% of this blog was written in Starbucks across the continent.

Still, the reality is that I’ve spent nearly six months solo in places far from home. Being around people is not the same as being around people you know.

View from my chair at a Starbucks in Dillon, CO on December 7. Sam and the mountains are in the window. Most of this blog was written in environments very similar to this. (Well, minus the mountains.)

This gets at the larger problem of loneliness in post-college life.    While in school, it’s difficult to appreciate just how easy it is to make friends there compared to what it will be like after earning that sheepskin.  College is like a Petri dish for friendships: lots of people, lots of time together, lots of shared experiences.  Many, myself included, have found it more difficult to meet people and make new friends after college.

It isn’t impossible, of course, just more difficult.  I have been fortunate to make many friends while working, playing hockey, and mixing in entrepreneurial circles, not to mention the usual friend creation via introductions from other friends.  Still, I can’t help but think back to the days of college where meeting people from all walks of life and all parts of the country was far easier.

One unexpected benefit of the trip has been in friend creation. I have greatly enjoyed meeting so many generous and interesting people on the trip, people that I now consider friends.  My hope is that at least some of those friendships will survive the conclusion of the trip.

It’s also been a great opportunity to rekindle friendships that had grown cold over the years.  I’ve been surprised by what my friends of old are doing these days.  Many have acquired hobbies or vocations that I never would have expected while in school.  There have been several times on the trip where I have made detours of hundreds of miles for no reason than to see old friends.

Yes, there has been loneliness on the trip, but that cost has come with the benefit of friendship.