Summary

On June 4, 2012 I met with four close friends at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC and began what would be one of the most amazing experiences of my life. With little more than a sleeping bag, a backpack, a tent, a bike, and an iPhone I headed west in an attempt to ride across the country to Santa Monica. It turned out to be a life changing adventure filled with moments that took my breath away and changed my outlook on life. My daily blog posts are available still on this blog but I wanted to summarize here.

The ride took me 57 days total and I traveled 3,466 miles. Most of it was alone but I did meet up with a good friend, Jake, in Texas and knocked out the last 1/3 or so together. I slept mostly at campsites and on the side of the road but occasionally stayed with couchsurfers, family of friends, and my family. I started on a bike named Ashley but she broke around Kansas City so she was replaced with Harmony. My route changed frequently depending on the day but it stayed sort of like how I planned.

My bike route (planned)

Route (actual)

 

While I certainly can’t explain everything I went through and experienced I do know that this is how I want to live my life. Never saying no to new adventures and a willingness to meet (and try to understand) a diverse group of people. The world is beautiful and filled with love, too often we get caught up in all the strife to remember that. It isn’t utopia but it is pretty damn good, being negative or positive is a choice and there is plenty to be positive about.