Motivated by Music

Traveling Route 66 is a dream for some people. How they accomplish that dream takes on many different forms. Some people are influenced by music. The Rolling Stones recorded the popular Bobby Troup song "Route 66" in 1964. In 1972 the Eagles released their first single, another Route 66 related song, "Take it Easy". Both bands inspired Johan Burgmeijer’s dream to traverse Route66. Johan, a Hollander, grew up listening to American music. His favorites were The Eagles, Rolling Stones, the Doors, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Seger and America.
The music motivated Johan to delve deeper into American culture. Johan visited his local library to look at books filled with photos of American landmarks. His passion for music continued into his adulthood. Johan married and raised 4 children. He worked as a carpenter and in his free time he learned sport massage and rehabilitation. He found time to run in a triathlon and in 94’ he competed in the Holland Iron Man.
"After many years, when retired 2 years, married 25 years we had a party to celebrate. My wife said, "what do you really want to do?" Johan said in broken English. Johan told his wife it was his dream to go to America and travel on Route 66. "She said make a plan, do your dream". So Johan did some research online and put together a plan to travel Route 66 by motor home. "I showed my wife the plan, My wife said ‘I don’t go with you, make another plan.’"
Johan went back to the Internet and came across a picture of a man standing next to a recumbent bicycle in the Andes Mountains, which gave him an idea. Johan decided to rent a recumbent bicycle for a week to try it out. He found the bicycle very comfortable so he decided to purchase one last year. Johan trained with friends in the mountains of Holland to prepare for his Route 66 trip. "This was my first trip to America, first trip without my wife. It is strange, I do not know perfect the language" he said. Johan learned to speak English through the American music he loved to listen to. His perspective of American came not only from music but from politics, television and movies.
Johan’s Route 66 adventure started on April 5th, in the rain, at Adams Street in Chicago. "So much has happened to me since then, I could write a book", said Johan. He found Americans very helpful throughout his trip. "I met so many people. People were interested in my bicycle, they were so friendly. I didn’t expect that. You ask something, they tell you, show you, bring you".
Along the way, Johan picked up some mementos from his trip. He purchased a birdhouse for is garden back home. "Someone gave me stones for luck and a veteran soldier gave me his metal for luck", said Johan. Johan visited the football stadium in Oklahoma to take photos. "Someone came from a local television station. He asked what I was doing and I told him my story", said Johan. They interviewed him on the spot and the stadium manager gave Johan an Oklahoma Sooners cap and shirt. "I was a little emotional", he said, "you don’t know people and they give you something. I was a little confused". With very limited on space on his bicycle, Johan packed the mementos in a box, "I sent everything to Holland before I reached Oklahoma city" he said.
Music was always in Johan’s thoughts. Johan kept an online blog of his travels, at one point he wrote about eating while listening to the tunes of Dolly Parton and John Denver. Johan hit some rain along the road, "so Randy Newman, came along with the song " Rider in the Rain", said Johan. Johan reached Winslow and found the Standing on the Corner park, statute and 2 story mural depicting a scene in the song. "It was an emotional moment" he said. He found that the store across the street from the monument, Roadworks, was filled with Rolling Stones merchandise. The store owner was a Rolling Stones fan. In Kingman, Johan found some records in a thrift store, "you don’t see in Holland".
Along his trip, Johan met people from all over the world, Switzerland, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Scotland, Korea and Czechoslovakia. "In Kingman I met people on motorcycles. We had breakfast and they told me I should go to Hoover dam. I tried to go to Kingman to Needles, then Needles to Barstow" said Johan. Johan was warned about travel through the desert by one of the motorcyclists, a fellow Hollander. "It was very rough to Oatman, when in Needles I rented a car. It was too hot, 108 degrees. I thought to myself don’t be ridiculous, listen to people. In my heart I say, ‘That's a pity". Johan put his bicycle in the back of his rented truck and drove to the Hoover dam, the Grand Canyon and to Las Vegas where he saw the band America play. Johan continued his 2338 mile, westward quest and finished his dream on May 24.
"Now, thinking back, all the pieces fall together", said Johan referring to his training for the triathlon. "What I did prepared me for this mission, this dream. I rode over the Mississippi on a bridge. No motorcycles were allowed. I was alone across the Mississippi river. It was very beautiful and a very emotional moment. I read about the river in books, and now I cross it" Johan said recalling the hours he spent looking at books in the library in Holland. Although Johans dream was inspired by music, he inspired many fellow Hollanders who followed him on his blog. Many people along Route 66 gave him encouragement, friendship, directions and help when his bicycle broke down. Lin Yutang wrote, "However vague they are, dreams have a way of concealing themselves and leave us no peace until they are translated into reality, like seeds germinating underground, sure to sprout in their search for the sunlight." What is next, now that he has accomplished his dream at the young age of 60? "I think I will learn English better so my spelling is good and I can write letters to everyone."