DAY 1
I left Durham at 5:00 PM to begin the drive to DC. I was excited and also a little nervous about this soldier ride - my third one. Who knew who I'd know, if anyone, or how my presence at the ride would be perceived. I'd been invited again as a guest rider because, having been an amputee my entire life, I've had a lot of experience dealing with prosthetics and making connections in the industry. Let's just say, I know people. Well, kind of.
A quick stop in DC to meet up with some old college buddies and then I was off to Silver Springs, MD. Having just missed the last call at the bar, which meant everyone had headed to their rooms already, and I was left alone to check in. I started to pull under the overhang at the Hilton, which led to the parking garage, mostly just to get off the street so that I wouldn't hold up any traffic. I was met by a rather obstinate, little man who waved his hands and pointed me back out to the road. Unfazed, I kept pulling forward.
My truck was bigger than him and since it was a fairly questionable neighborhood I had no plans of leaving my nice Sampson bike in my truck overnight. He didn't care that I was disabled, or that I'd had a really long day, having spent the last 6 hours in the car (I exaggerated just a tad), or that I was with the Wounded Warrior Project. He had his orders. But I sure didn't make it easy for him. I was going to unload all of my stuff by the lobby whether he liked it or not.
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