There's a lot to be said for long trips in Europe or some other exotic place where people drive on the wrong side of the road. I can't say enough about last year's adventures in Spain, Morocco and the U.K. But no good trip goes unpunished and that trip is no exception. I paid the price for it last week when I finally decided to clean up my office at work.

I didn't have time for it last year. I left a few days after graduation and returned, rather trashed, with 100 things to do in the short space of time before classes started in August. I told myself that I would get to it soon, but soon never came. It seemed other tasks always took priority. So I muddled through another long year with papers stacking up and desk top shrinking, until finally overflow stacks ended up on the floor.

Life in general didn't feel much better. I felt a step behind all school year, never having felt caught up with what needed doing. It seems there is a direct correlation between my office desk organizational decay and my ability to keep up with life.

So I didn't make serious bike trip plans this summer and decided to wing it. I would ride someplace in The Land of The Free and The Home of The Brave but plans would be loosey goosey.

As a result, this summer I have had time to get caught up and relax a bit. After graduation I did nothing for a few days. Then I weeded the garden. Then I got crazy and read a book. It's been go go go from a relaxation stand point. And I didn't JUST relax, I've even gotten some work prepared early, for fall semester!

But the biggest undertaking has been my office desk. There was no more stalling. It was time to start cleaning out the stacks and stacks of accumulated papers. So I donned my hip waders and dove in.

Moving down through the clutter was like an archeological dig. You know things are bad when stacks of saved exams are so old you can't even connect the student's face with the name on the paper. So I tossed, and shredded, and tossed some more. The deeper the pile the older the artifacts. Until finally, after days of digging, I hit bottom, desk top. Now that I can see the beauty of the wood veneer I feel relaxed and at peace with the world again.

Next Sunday I leave for a 3-plus week trip. Somehow, that feels right this year, and so does the itinerary. A straight forward route south down the Mississippi River starting (more or less) from the headwaters. Last year a "short" and simple trip like this would have felt like a let down, but not this year.

My garden is weeded, my book is almost read and my desk is clean. I'm tanned, rested and ready.