WESTFALIA

The seed of this book started with a hug. But at the time of that hug. I didn't realize my life would change forever and a book was being conceived. She gently pulled me in for the hug and whispered these two words, "I'm done." I was completely thrown off guard. I ask her what she meant. What do you mean you're done, done with what? She quietly whispered in my ear, I'm done with us. My heart sank and a numbness of emotions consumed every cell in my body. I couldn't grasp how we could be married for twenty years and now it was over. What about our kids? Divorce was not an option for me. But then again, it takes two for a relationship to be a relationship.

I left home that summer and flew from Hawaii to British Columbia. I decided to ride my bicycle across parts of Canada. I needed to be in nature and just peddle. I was riding one day from Banff to Jasper and had to cross over a mountain range. The entire days ride was over 120 miles and had an elevation climb of approximately 10,000 feet. I knew the slow grind of an ascent would do me good. I had no other option except put my head down, crank my music and peddle. As I began to reach the top. ice pellets bounced off my helmet and my paper thin jacket did nothing for me. But I didn't care. The moment felt rewarding and appropriate. I'm no stranger to being in bad weather. I've been caught in blizzards while riding my motorcycle across Montana, New York and other places. All I could think was, I truly don't give a fuck. It was on that climb the book came to me. Here I am in my 50's, two kids and soon to be divorced. I knew there was a lifetime of emotions bottled up inside and divorce was the catalyst for their release. I knew I could write the emotions and that's what formulated my plan to write the book.

I waited 16 months before starting the book. I had to live the emotions that would exude from my soul. I had to feel these emotions. Yeah, there were some long days and sleepless nights and most nights I didn't want to goto bed because I didn't want to wake up to a new day. There really weren't new days, they all felt used, dirty and embarrassing. I did it though. I went to war with my emotional self for sixteen months. On the 16th month I felt good but not great even though I thought I was great. I realized that I had accepted divorce but I hadn't forgiven my wife. That thought was my catharsis.

I stood at the base of the mountains behind my house with my two dogs at my feet and offered my forgiveness to my her. In that moment tears of clarity streamed down my cheeks and made me realize I had to forgive her in order to feel whole again. I wanted happiness in my life. I wanted love in my life. I knew that I had to lead by example and show my kids by my own actions.

The gut wrenching blow of any life-changing experience is truly a time to reach deep within yourself and find out who you truly are and allow that person to come through so you can experience happiness, peace, joy and love. And when you're a parent you have to role model that for you kids, because one day they could be walking in your shoes.

Westfalia is a story that embarks in a dream that takes you on a spiritual adventure filled with past, present and future experiences. Within this dream an eccentric character named Charlie, appears in the most challenging situations and helps guide West through his emotional experiences. This adventure is filled with motorcycles, surfing, wing suit flying, snowboarding, bicycles, caves and mountains. Within all these experiences, West has to face anger, self-destruction, fear, denial, courage, forgiveness, and ultimately finds love.