Update: I completed my ride after 57 days and 3,466 miles. I am currently writing a book about my experience but you can find my past blog entries by searching for any posts tagged with “bike ride”.
On June 4, 2012 I will begin a 50ish day bicycle ride across the continent. I wish I could say I completely understood the purpose of this journey but I don’t. It just feels like the right thing to do. Part of it feels like a necessary spiritual journey… a walkabout or rite of passage, something very personal and individualistic. Another part of it is a desire to meet new people, experience new things, and get out of my comfort zone.
I was a bit surprised by the reaction I got from some people when I talk about this journey. My friends seem to fall very sharply into two categories. There is the supportive/positive group who says things like “That’s Awesome!”, “How can I help”, “I have some ideas for you to make it work”, “Are you biking with people? I know some!”. Then there is the pessimistic/jealous/negative group who says things like “That sounds kinda dangerous, are you sure you want to try that?”, “Why would you want to do that?”, “What about all your bills and stuff? That’s irresponsible”, and “I’m not sure if you can make it, you aren’t really training or anything”. While I can understand concerns for my safety and an interest in the process I was unprepared for so many “friends” who attempted to persuade me to not do it or seemed skeptical that I could accomplish it.
Regardless of the reason, I have set my mind on this and am going to open myself up to what the world has to offer as I journey and I hope it is a mixture of self reflection and building new relationships.
For those interested:
Wandering Oak 