Sandy
Hello all my East Coast friends!! To those of you who are still reading my blog, I wanted to let you know that I have been thinking about you with the arrival of Sandy! I pray you are safe and recuperating from the storm. I know certain areas of the coast were hit much worse with the brunt of Sandy's strength. I cannot provide much relief or offer much help to you from Alaska, but I will keep you in my prayers and my thoughts. I am repeatedly reminded of the great kindness and hospitality you all showed me while I was traveling and I have been sharing my memories of you with my friends and family here. I cannot even began to tell you about the lives you have positively impacted through the kindness you showed to me (a stranger on a bicycle)! I miss talking with you all!
Home sweet Alaska!
Returning home is bittersweet. It was so nice to see my family and friends meet me at the airport in Anchorage and it felt good to sleep in my own bed last night, but I already miss being on the road.
I left Alaska almost 3 months ago, spending 2 of those months riding my bike down the Atlantic Coast. In just 15 hours of planes and airports I'm back home feeling like just yesterday I came up with the idea about doing the Justice Ride. Time really does fly by. It's hard for me to unpack mentally everything that just happened in the last few months. There were times when both my body and my mind did not feel like biking anymore. I stressed often about where I was going to sleep at night and what route I would take from town to town. I had many near misses with passing cars and trucks and I pushed on through blazing heat and pouring rain, both uphill and down. It's amazing what we can put our bodies and our minds through. Through it all, I met some amazing people! I made new friends and also learned to cherish and appreciate some friendships I've already had. For my first trip to the East Coast, I saw ALOT. I learned a lot of history about the United States and I got to see some beautiful scenery both rural and urban. My experiences however and the memories I will remember for years to come, the ones that truly impacted my outlook on life, are the ones that were shared. I think as humans, we are meant to live in community with one another.
Spending days alone on my bike was not so bad. I enjoyed the time to myself. It provided a good time to reflect on my life, think about my future, daydream, whatever. Sometimes I would go an entire day without really thinking about anything in particular. In the evenings however, I craved interaction with people. I wanted to talk. I wanted to learn about people. I wanted to share my thoughts.
If you have been reading this blog at all, you will know about some of the many strangers who took me in off the road and generously opened their homes to me for a short time. I am so impressed by the kindness of strangers.
I hope you have been blessed by this blog. If you are reading this blog and are one of the kind strangers I'm referring to, I hope you were blessed by meeting me because I have been greatly blessed by you :) I've been having a thought recently and I would like to share it with you all. I like watching animated movies and one that I enjoy is Ratatouille. It's a cute Disney Pixar movie about a rat in Paris who is an excellent chef. There's a famous chef in the movie who says at one point, "anyone can cook". What he means is not that anyone can be a great chef, but a great chef "can" come from "anywhere". I know I won't get along with everyone I meet nor with we all become friends, but I believe that a friend "can" come from "anywhere". I've experienced this first hand throughout my trip.
IJM continues to befriend people in need around the world. Donating to IJM and supporting their work is one way we can be kind strangers. You may not all have the opportunity to house a traveling cyclist, but there are many other ways right here, right now that you can help a stranger in need. My goal was to raise $10,000 for IJM through the Justice Ride. As of today, August 24th, people have generously donated $7,540! I am so encouraged by your support! The Justice Ride campaign is only open for 11 more days, so if you want to help me meet my goal, please donate now! Just click on the tab at the top of this blog that says "Donation Page". If you cannot donate before the 11 days are up, but would still like to support IJM, you can visit their website anytime at www.ijm.org and visit the tab that says GIVE.
Thank you everyone who has supported and encouraged me throughout this ride! I had a good team of friends and family at home who continually prayed for my health and safety. Throughout the ride, there were many more people who joined this team and housed me, fed me, donated to IJM, and all around supported and encouraged me. I could not have accomplished this without such a team effort! Together we have helped many people in need. That is a great success!
Returning home is bittersweet. It was so nice to see my family and friends meet me at the airport in Anchorage and it felt good to sleep in my own bed last night, but I already miss being on the road.
I left Alaska almost 3 months ago, spending 2 of those months riding my bike down the Atlantic Coast. In just 15 hours of planes and airports I'm back home feeling like just yesterday I came up with the idea about doing the Justice Ride. Time really does fly by. It's hard for me to unpack mentally everything that just happened in the last few months. There were times when both my body and my mind did not feel like biking anymore. I stressed often about where I was going to sleep at night and what route I would take from town to town. I had many near misses with passing cars and trucks and I pushed on through blazing heat and pouring rain, both uphill and down. It's amazing what we can put our bodies and our minds through. Through it all, I met some amazing people! I made new friends and also learned to cherish and appreciate some friendships I've already had. For my first trip to the East Coast, I saw ALOT. I learned a lot of history about the United States and I got to see some beautiful scenery both rural and urban. My experiences however and the memories I will remember for years to come, the ones that truly impacted my outlook on life, are the ones that were shared. I think as humans, we are meant to live in community with one another.
Spending days alone on my bike was not so bad. I enjoyed the time to myself. It provided a good time to reflect on my life, think about my future, daydream, whatever. Sometimes I would go an entire day without really thinking about anything in particular. In the evenings however, I craved interaction with people. I wanted to talk. I wanted to learn about people. I wanted to share my thoughts.
If you have been reading this blog at all, you will know about some of the many strangers who took me in off the road and generously opened their homes to me for a short time. I am so impressed by the kindness of strangers.
I hope you have been blessed by this blog. If you are reading this blog and are one of the kind strangers I'm referring to, I hope you were blessed by meeting me because I have been greatly blessed by you :) I've been having a thought recently and I would like to share it with you all. I like watching animated movies and one that I enjoy is Ratatouille. It's a cute Disney Pixar movie about a rat in Paris who is an excellent chef. There's a famous chef in the movie who says at one point, "anyone can cook". What he means is not that anyone can be a great chef, but a great chef "can" come from "anywhere". I know I won't get along with everyone I meet nor with we all become friends, but I believe that a friend "can" come from "anywhere". I've experienced this first hand throughout my trip.
IJM continues to befriend people in need around the world. Donating to IJM and supporting their work is one way we can be kind strangers. You may not all have the opportunity to house a traveling cyclist, but there are many other ways right here, right now that you can help a stranger in need. My goal was to raise $10,000 for IJM through the Justice Ride. As of today, August 24th, people have generously donated $7,540! I am so encouraged by your support! The Justice Ride campaign is only open for 11 more days, so if you want to help me meet my goal, please donate now! Just click on the tab at the top of this blog that says "Donation Page". If you cannot donate before the 11 days are up, but would still like to support IJM, you can visit their website anytime at www.ijm.org and visit the tab that says GIVE.
Thank you everyone who has supported and encouraged me throughout this ride! I had a good team of friends and family at home who continually prayed for my health and safety. Throughout the ride, there were many more people who joined this team and housed me, fed me, donated to IJM, and all around supported and encouraged me. I could not have accomplished this without such a team effort! Together we have helped many people in need. That is a great success!
I'm on the home stretch now! I'm in Savannah, GA now. There has definitely been a noticeable temperature and vegetation change coming from the Blue Ridge mountains just a week ago. It's hard to believe I'm just 5 days away from flying back home to Alaska. I've had so many new experiences in the last couple months and I have met so many new people and seen new places. I think it will take a few days to unpack this trip once I get home. Just about 400 more miles and I'll be hanging out waiting to catch a plane home. In just one day of flying, I'll cover almost twice the distance I've spent 2 months biking.
I had a really nice time in Asheville and stayed with a couple very hospitable people I met via couchsurfing.org. Planning to stay just one day and 2 nights I ended up being there for 3 nights. I got to go to a contra dance there which was super fun! I do some contra back in Alaska, so it was fun to try it over here on the east coast where it's much more popular. I actually knew the caller from the 2012 Dance Camp I went to earlier this year during Memorial day weekend in Wasilla, AK. I left the morning after the dance and biked to Greenville where I was connected with another great group of guys. I spent a day there making some new friends and enjoying the little city. ED from Greenville put me in touch with pastor JL and his wife in Colombia who welcomed me with open arms. From there I made the ride to Charleston where I met another great group of people and some very hospitable hosts. I have had been connected with a good group of people in the last few cities. They have worked together to host me as I pass through and have also put me in touch with some more friends here in Savannah. There has been a real sense of community and an overall desire to help someone they've never met (me). I am grateful for everyone's generosity. It has been a blessing to meet some young, Godly people who have encouraged me and supported me even though our time together was short. I've heard a few times recently from different people that it is the people who make a place. I've known this a little bit, but I'm being reminded and learning more about what that actually looks like.
I've been a head of schedule for most of this trip, but I am finally able to judge exactly how many days I have left of biking and how many I have off. It's been nice because I have had time to spend a few more days visiting with new friends in the last couple weeks of the bike ride. Between Charleston and Savannah, I had time to detour to the Seabrook Islands and spend some time on the beach with CS. Thank you CS for letting me share in your vacation for a couple days!
After a couple days here in Savannah, I'm going to hit the road tomorrow morning for Brunswick, then to St Augustine, and Orlando with probably one stop somewhere between.
Thank you everyone who has been praying for me and my safety on this trip. Thank you also to everyone who has supported IJM either through a monetary donation or by housing and feeding me as I biked through your neighborhood. I could not have made it this far if it wasn't for the help and support of the people around me. I'm still trying to raise just over $3000.00 more to reach my $10,000 goal. If you have been thinking about donating but have not done so yet, I encourage you to do it soon. The donation page linked to my blog is only available until September 10. After that you can still donate to IJM but it will have to be by other means. To all my friends I've met along this bike trip, I look forward to staying in touch and maybe seeing you somewhere down the road. To everyone back in Alaska... I'll see you soon!
I had a really nice time in Asheville and stayed with a couple very hospitable people I met via couchsurfing.org. Planning to stay just one day and 2 nights I ended up being there for 3 nights. I got to go to a contra dance there which was super fun! I do some contra back in Alaska, so it was fun to try it over here on the east coast where it's much more popular. I actually knew the caller from the 2012 Dance Camp I went to earlier this year during Memorial day weekend in Wasilla, AK. I left the morning after the dance and biked to Greenville where I was connected with another great group of guys. I spent a day there making some new friends and enjoying the little city. ED from Greenville put me in touch with pastor JL and his wife in Colombia who welcomed me with open arms. From there I made the ride to Charleston where I met another great group of people and some very hospitable hosts. I have had been connected with a good group of people in the last few cities. They have worked together to host me as I pass through and have also put me in touch with some more friends here in Savannah. There has been a real sense of community and an overall desire to help someone they've never met (me). I am grateful for everyone's generosity. It has been a blessing to meet some young, Godly people who have encouraged me and supported me even though our time together was short. I've heard a few times recently from different people that it is the people who make a place. I've known this a little bit, but I'm being reminded and learning more about what that actually looks like.
I've been a head of schedule for most of this trip, but I am finally able to judge exactly how many days I have left of biking and how many I have off. It's been nice because I have had time to spend a few more days visiting with new friends in the last couple weeks of the bike ride. Between Charleston and Savannah, I had time to detour to the Seabrook Islands and spend some time on the beach with CS. Thank you CS for letting me share in your vacation for a couple days!
After a couple days here in Savannah, I'm going to hit the road tomorrow morning for Brunswick, then to St Augustine, and Orlando with probably one stop somewhere between.
Thank you everyone who has been praying for me and my safety on this trip. Thank you also to everyone who has supported IJM either through a monetary donation or by housing and feeding me as I biked through your neighborhood. I could not have made it this far if it wasn't for the help and support of the people around me. I'm still trying to raise just over $3000.00 more to reach my $10,000 goal. If you have been thinking about donating but have not done so yet, I encourage you to do it soon. The donation page linked to my blog is only available until September 10. After that you can still donate to IJM but it will have to be by other means. To all my friends I've met along this bike trip, I look forward to staying in touch and maybe seeing you somewhere down the road. To everyone back in Alaska... I'll see you soon!
I'm in Asheville, NC today. It has been a very eventful and enjoyable time since I last posted a message here. I spent a few days visiting Washington DC where I also got to visit the International Justice Mission's headquarters! I met some very nice people there. L gave me a tour of the building and told me about IJM's beginnings. She was very kind and I enjoyed talking with her. After leaving DC, my next destination was to get on the Blue Ridge Parkway and follow it down to Asheville, NC. The Blue Ridge Parkway was a nice change from the congested, crazy, city streets I've been on mostly from Boston to DC. The Parkway is closed to commercial vehicles so even if there is a lot of traffic, there are no semi-trucks zooming by. I'd been warned a few times before getting to the Parkway that it is very hilly. Now I know what they were talking about. It seems to climb endlessly. Long, gradual uphills are pretty taxing mentally. I thought maybe it was just my imagination that I had been biking uphill for what seemed like an entire 8 hour day, until I ran into two other cyclists. They felt the same way. After climbing for so long, I felt like the next sign would say "Elevation: 10,000ft", but instead it was usually closer to 2000-3000. Haha what a ride! I saw lots of deer on the Parkway and moving at such a slow pace uphill, I got to really enjoy the butterflies in the air and the little bugs attempting to cross the street. There is something neat about pedaling for such a long time and at such a slow pace. Well as long as you're not in a hurry to get anywhere ;)
Once again I have been blessed by the generosity and hospitality of strangers. In Floyd, VA, JC took me in and gave me a bed and a shower. I had a blast with him and his family. I also got to attend a little girls birthday party where I met some more friendly people. Just outside Jefferson, NC I met BB who also took me in graciously. I learned a lot about making models from BB. He has a pretty awesome diorama of a 1937 pickup truck he made. After that I visited some dear friends near Boone, NC who opened up there home to me and let me rest. There is also DW in Boone. I believe God is in control of everything and He was definitely in control when He brought DW and I together. DW is a sweet old man and my friend. We just spent the afternoon together, but we became fast friends and I hope we can spend time together again soon. In Spruce Pine, I met J at a restaurant. He also gave me a bed and a shower. And now in Asheville, I am staying with AD who I contacted via couchcurfing.com. She has been very kind and I've enjoyed getting to know her and her roommate A.
I realize that as you read my blog, you don't know any of the people I am talking about. I think what is important and the reason I'm telling about all these people I've met is to encourage you. There are so many wonderful people willing to help out a complete stranger. I experience this daily. I've been learning that a friend can come from anywhere. I've experienced kindness from the rich, the poor, old, young, country folk, city people, gay, and straight. I believe God calls us to love one another. Human trafficking is just one example of people who are in need of a friend. As I continue towards Orlando, I encourage you to donate to this cause if you feel led. While I am providing the leg power to get to Orlando, it has been the kindness of friends (new and old) that has been supporting me and motivating me this far. I've reached the last 2 weeks of this trip but it is still not over.
Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement!!
Once again I have been blessed by the generosity and hospitality of strangers. In Floyd, VA, JC took me in and gave me a bed and a shower. I had a blast with him and his family. I also got to attend a little girls birthday party where I met some more friendly people. Just outside Jefferson, NC I met BB who also took me in graciously. I learned a lot about making models from BB. He has a pretty awesome diorama of a 1937 pickup truck he made. After that I visited some dear friends near Boone, NC who opened up there home to me and let me rest. There is also DW in Boone. I believe God is in control of everything and He was definitely in control when He brought DW and I together. DW is a sweet old man and my friend. We just spent the afternoon together, but we became fast friends and I hope we can spend time together again soon. In Spruce Pine, I met J at a restaurant. He also gave me a bed and a shower. And now in Asheville, I am staying with AD who I contacted via couchcurfing.com. She has been very kind and I've enjoyed getting to know her and her roommate A.
I realize that as you read my blog, you don't know any of the people I am talking about. I think what is important and the reason I'm telling about all these people I've met is to encourage you. There are so many wonderful people willing to help out a complete stranger. I experience this daily. I've been learning that a friend can come from anywhere. I've experienced kindness from the rich, the poor, old, young, country folk, city people, gay, and straight. I believe God calls us to love one another. Human trafficking is just one example of people who are in need of a friend. As I continue towards Orlando, I encourage you to donate to this cause if you feel led. While I am providing the leg power to get to Orlando, it has been the kindness of friends (new and old) that has been supporting me and motivating me this far. I've reached the last 2 weeks of this trip but it is still not over.
Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement!!
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| Heading through PA, on my way to Washington DC |
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| Stopped to visit the President. He was busy so I told him we could get lunch another time ;) |
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| I met some wonderful people in the IJM office. I'm so happy to be riding for them and supporting their work! Thank you IJM!! |
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| People often want to see my watch tan line. It's funny to meet some random person and one of the first things they say is, "can you take off your watch for a second?" |
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| I haven't had too many hills since the Gaspe peninsula in Quebec. The Blue Ridge Parkway has definitely made up for it! |
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| It has been mostly foggy and cloudy on the BRP, but it is still beautiful |
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| Eating breakfast and enjoying a nice relaxing day off. Thank you Cyndi for opening up your home to me! |
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| Boone, NC This little boutique is raising money for IJM! I was so happy and encouraged to stop by and say hello |
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| Biking the Viaduct along the BRP. Todd took these wonderful photos! I learned that the man who owned this section of land would not let the builders of the BRP cut into the mountain side so they had to build the Viaduct to connect the Parkway through this part. Very cool! |
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| Viaduct |
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| Just before arriving in Asheville I had the long climb over Mt. Mitchell. Very slow going and really foggy but still a beautiful ride. |
I left NYC just a couple days ago. I'm spending the night just north of Baltimore, MD tonight. Last night I stayed with L and M and their daughter A outside of Philadelphia. They are a wonderful family and were very gracious to put me up for the night. I slept so well, it was difficult getting out of bed this morning. Today I made the ride from their home to where I am now (N of Baltimore). It was mostly cloudy today but so humid! I was just soaked most of the day with sweat. I've got 3 water bottles and I filled them up at just about every gas station I passed (at least it felt like it). I would fill them with ice and in less than 20 minutes they were already all water and getting warm. I stopped on the side of the road to check my map and see where my next turn would be (which is a frequent occurance). While I stood there, a young man from a stand selling corn ran over with an ice cold bottle of water. "Here I thought you might like to have this" he said. I went over to the stand and chatted with him and the two other girls with him. They were all very friendly and I enjoyed the short conversation and company. Further down the road I went into a Safeway to buy dinner. Here I met R in one of the food isles. After a short chit chat, he offered his backyard for me to tent in. He gave me directions to his home and left. On my way out of the store, I met J in the checkout line. We met up again outside the store and talked for a while about cycle touring. He had done a trans-America trip with a couple friends before so we had a few pieces of advice and stories to share with each other. J was very kind and with more time, I think we would become good friends. Once I got to R's house, I was kindly greeted at the door by his partner M and their two dogs. Once again I am amazed by the generousity of random strangers placed in my life on a daily basis. R and M graciously opened their home to me and their dogs even, have just loved me since I arrived, as only dogs can do :)
For everyone reading, thank you for your encouragement and support. As I continue biking and traveling down the coast I am repeatedly blessed by the hospitality and generousity of people I come in contact with. Some I have known and others I have just met. There are a lot of good people who are willing to help others. I do not have a lot to offer right now except my energy to continue biking and kind words to people I meet along the way. I hope that as you read about my experiences, you will be encouraged as well. I've mentioned it in earlier posts and I still believe that this trip is very much a team effort. My health and safety so far has been a result of your prayers and God's grace through the people He has put me in contact with.
For everyone reading, thank you for your encouragement and support. As I continue biking and traveling down the coast I am repeatedly blessed by the hospitality and generousity of people I come in contact with. Some I have known and others I have just met. There are a lot of good people who are willing to help others. I do not have a lot to offer right now except my energy to continue biking and kind words to people I meet along the way. I hope that as you read about my experiences, you will be encouraged as well. I've mentioned it in earlier posts and I still believe that this trip is very much a team effort. My health and safety so far has been a result of your prayers and God's grace through the people He has put me in contact with.
The Big Apple
July 25
I'm in NYC right now! I had a blast in Boston and I had a blast in Hartford, CT with Josh. The last week has been quite different from the majority of my trip thus far. In a fairly short distance and time I have been able to visit and stay with some really close friends. It's been a change from the solo bike feel I've experienced for most of the trip. Visiting with my friends has been fun and encouraging when I think about the amount of road that still separates me from Orlando, FL. Everyone has been extremely hospitable and supportive about the Justice Ride. In Hartford, Josh took me shopping to just about every shoe store in the area! I had been using just one pair of shoes for cycling and for walking around on my days off. They were a sort of sandal made for cycling. Needless to say, they weren't the greatest for biking long distances and they weren't real comfortable to walk in either so I got rid of them. Now I have actual cycling shoes and a pair of comfy running shoes, thanks to Josh and his patience combined with persistence. After Hartford, I arrived in NYC. I was expecting a big city but this place is huge! It's really impressive to me how so many huge buildings are all built right next to each other. I have some various construction experience but I can't really imagine what it would be like to build one of those skyscrapers. I've never been in a city like NYC before and there is a very claustrophobic feel walking around the streets of NY. Not only does it feel claustrophobic spatially, but the air feels heavy and stuffy as well. I've heard that people living in the plains all their lives feel closed in when they've only experienced wide open plains. I've also thought that I have a pretty good sense of direction, but since I've been in NY, I'm constantly getting turned around. It's a weird feeling to not have any natural landmarks for guides.
I'm in NYC right now! I had a blast in Boston and I had a blast in Hartford, CT with Josh. The last week has been quite different from the majority of my trip thus far. In a fairly short distance and time I have been able to visit and stay with some really close friends. It's been a change from the solo bike feel I've experienced for most of the trip. Visiting with my friends has been fun and encouraging when I think about the amount of road that still separates me from Orlando, FL. Everyone has been extremely hospitable and supportive about the Justice Ride. In Hartford, Josh took me shopping to just about every shoe store in the area! I had been using just one pair of shoes for cycling and for walking around on my days off. They were a sort of sandal made for cycling. Needless to say, they weren't the greatest for biking long distances and they weren't real comfortable to walk in either so I got rid of them. Now I have actual cycling shoes and a pair of comfy running shoes, thanks to Josh and his patience combined with persistence. After Hartford, I arrived in NYC. I was expecting a big city but this place is huge! It's really impressive to me how so many huge buildings are all built right next to each other. I have some various construction experience but I can't really imagine what it would be like to build one of those skyscrapers. I've never been in a city like NYC before and there is a very claustrophobic feel walking around the streets of NY. Not only does it feel claustrophobic spatially, but the air feels heavy and stuffy as well. I've heard that people living in the plains all their lives feel closed in when they've only experienced wide open plains. I've also thought that I have a pretty good sense of direction, but since I've been in NY, I'm constantly getting turned around. It's a weird feeling to not have any natural landmarks for guides.
I'm in Boston now! It ended up taking me 3 days from Franklin, Maine to get here. Along the way I met some more great people and shared with them why an Alaskan boy is cycling from Montreal to Orlando at such a hot time of the year. For the first time this trip, I knocked on someone's door to ask about putting a tent in their backyard. I had arrived in Bath, Maine around 9:00pm. I had thought I could tent behind a church there but downtown Bath was much more of a city than I thought and the church had no grass anywhere since it was butted up right against the surrounding buildings. Tired and not in the mood to wander around the city in the dark looking for a place to sleep, I went to the first house I saw with lights still on and knocked on the door. Fortunately the couple who answered was very kind. They talked to me for a while in the doorway asking me about my trip. Finally I put up my tent in their backyard and went to sleep.
The next day I planned to bike to Hampton Beach but came up short about 20 miles. I was tired and felt like stopping for the day so I pulled into a nearby church planning to tent again behind the building. To my surprise there were actually people in the church this time. I went in to find an AA meeting about to begin. After talking with some of the people there, I was invited in to eat some snacks and sit in on the meeting as a guest if I wanted. I did. The way my night played out was not at all how I had imagined when I first biked into that parking lot. Instead of setting up my tent and going to sleep alone, I spent the night listening to people talk about their lives, their struggles, their successes. I met some wonderful people there and made new friends. Afterwards I had multiple invitations to leave my tent packed and sleep in their homes. I say yes to M's invite. He was very interested in my trip and my cause. I was encouraged by his interest and support. After staying up a while chatting I took a shower and went to bed once again amazed by how my day ended in such an unexpected way. The following day I headed out for Boston bright and early.
I was awake at 4:15 and decided to just hit the road nice and early. The morning was nice, but the day turned out to be one of the hottest yet. At 3pm as I was rolling into Boston it was 95F and humid. Slightly lost in Boston, I tried to cross a bridge that apparently is not open to bikes. Just about every car honked at me and an ambulance told me over the loudspeaker to get off the bridge. Well it was really busy traffic and only one way so I wasn't about to turn around and go back. I continued on desperately looking for the other side. Halfway across the bridge (which seemed ridiculously long at the time) there was a toll booth and an ambulance waiting for me. They frantically waved me down (which I thought was a bit unnecessary because it was obvious that they were waiting for me). The guy looked at me and said "What are you doing? Are you crazy?" I smiled and said, "I guess". He helped me off the bridge and listened as I told him what I was doing and where I was going. "You really are crazy" he said when he heard I was trying to get to Florida at such a hot time of year. We both laughed about the whole bridge event and he pointed me in the direction I was trying to go. Hot, tired, and thirsty I got to my friends A's house. I've been here a day now and plan to head out in the morning. It has been so nice here visiting A and getting to know her roommates. They have all been very kind to let me stay here and sleep on their couch. My next stop is Connecticut and then hopefully New York City by Monday afternoon.
The next day I planned to bike to Hampton Beach but came up short about 20 miles. I was tired and felt like stopping for the day so I pulled into a nearby church planning to tent again behind the building. To my surprise there were actually people in the church this time. I went in to find an AA meeting about to begin. After talking with some of the people there, I was invited in to eat some snacks and sit in on the meeting as a guest if I wanted. I did. The way my night played out was not at all how I had imagined when I first biked into that parking lot. Instead of setting up my tent and going to sleep alone, I spent the night listening to people talk about their lives, their struggles, their successes. I met some wonderful people there and made new friends. Afterwards I had multiple invitations to leave my tent packed and sleep in their homes. I say yes to M's invite. He was very interested in my trip and my cause. I was encouraged by his interest and support. After staying up a while chatting I took a shower and went to bed once again amazed by how my day ended in such an unexpected way. The following day I headed out for Boston bright and early.
I was awake at 4:15 and decided to just hit the road nice and early. The morning was nice, but the day turned out to be one of the hottest yet. At 3pm as I was rolling into Boston it was 95F and humid. Slightly lost in Boston, I tried to cross a bridge that apparently is not open to bikes. Just about every car honked at me and an ambulance told me over the loudspeaker to get off the bridge. Well it was really busy traffic and only one way so I wasn't about to turn around and go back. I continued on desperately looking for the other side. Halfway across the bridge (which seemed ridiculously long at the time) there was a toll booth and an ambulance waiting for me. They frantically waved me down (which I thought was a bit unnecessary because it was obvious that they were waiting for me). The guy looked at me and said "What are you doing? Are you crazy?" I smiled and said, "I guess". He helped me off the bridge and listened as I told him what I was doing and where I was going. "You really are crazy" he said when he heard I was trying to get to Florida at such a hot time of year. We both laughed about the whole bridge event and he pointed me in the direction I was trying to go. Hot, tired, and thirsty I got to my friends A's house. I've been here a day now and plan to head out in the morning. It has been so nice here visiting A and getting to know her roommates. They have all been very kind to let me stay here and sleep on their couch. My next stop is Connecticut and then hopefully New York City by Monday afternoon.
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| Biking across Deer Island, New Brunswick |
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| Visiting President Roosevelts cottage on Campobello (legacy of friendship) |
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| Riding the Sunrise trail to Franklin, Maine. Super hot day and 77 miles of dirt road :/ |
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| Sunrise Trail |
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| Looking out over Bar Harbor, Maine |
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| Following the coastal route towards Hampton Beach, New Hampshire |
I made it back to the US! I'm in Maine now. At my last camp spot I changed my route once again and entered Maine in Lubec. There I met another great couple D and J who let me tent in their back yard. We had a nice time chatting over dinner. In the morning I took off for Franklin where I am taking my rest day at M's house. M has been very hospitable. Last night we had a great sushi dinner which was perfect after a good days ride. It's nice to have a rest from biking and enjoy some good company. My next big stop will be in Boston. I could possibly make it there in 2 days if I put in 2 long days. We'll see what the weather is like and how the day goes tomorrow. Yesterday was the hottest day I've had so far! I think it was in the low 90s. The heat wasn't too bad actually, but my biggest concern is getting sunburned. I'm getting some pretty extreme tan lines already :)
My bike is working really well so far. My chain broke just a couple days into my ride but I fixed it up and haven't had any problems since. I can definitely tell that my rear tire is wearing quickly. The tread wears fast with so many hours on the road and so much weight.
I watched some of the Tour de France today. It's really impressive to see those guys ride! The leader in todays race was averaging 30-35 mph! That is super fast. I average about 12 mph right now with my 100lbs bike :)
My bike is working really well so far. My chain broke just a couple days into my ride but I fixed it up and haven't had any problems since. I can definitely tell that my rear tire is wearing quickly. The tread wears fast with so many hours on the road and so much weight.
I watched some of the Tour de France today. It's really impressive to see those guys ride! The leader in todays race was averaging 30-35 mph! That is super fast. I average about 12 mph right now with my 100lbs bike :)
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| Sand sculptures on the beach. Anne-Marie and Dennis made me into a bike. |
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| Picking strawberries on PEI. This cute dog kept trying to eat out of my basket. |
July 7, 2012
Time seems to fly by when you spend all day pedaling. I had no idea it's been about a week since my last blog.
First of all, I want to thank all of you who have been praying about my knee. The pain has gone away and it is feeling much better! Also, I think my bike seat has finally been broken in! It's been feeling much more comfortable these last few days. Note to self...when using a leather seat make sure to break it in before you head out on a long ride :)
I am currently still in New Brunswick, but just outside of Maine. I should be there easily by tomorrow. I have really enjoyed my time in New Brunswick and have found the people here to be really friendly and hospitable. Passing through Bathurst, I met a wonderful couple who took me into their home and gave me a bed and food. Thank you R and R!
I spent a couple days on Prince Edward Island visiting some good friends. It is a beautiful island and the people are very friendly there. From PEI, I made a route change and decided to bike down to Halifax and catch a ferry from Digby back to Saint John, New Brunswick. The trip would take me about twice as long as my original route. It took me 2 days to bike from PEI to Halifax and on the way I put in my longest day of this trip...120 miles. It was a great day for biking but I was definitely pretty tired when I rolled into town. Lukily I had made a last minute attempt at finding a place to sleep by way of couchsurfing.com and could not have asked for a better place to stay. L got my last minute plea and responded right away. He made me a wonderful dinner and breakfast. Although my visit with L and his partner C was short, I feel like we became fast friends and I look forward to seeing them again somewhere down the road.
After Halifax it took 2 days to get to Digby where again I was blessed by a generous stranger. I was in town looking for a public shower when I bumped into sweet A. She almost immediatley asked where I was staying that night and when I told her I didn't know she invited me to stay at her home. Once again, I was grateful for her hospitality and home cooked food. Even her dog was friendly and slept next to me all night :)
Tonight I'm tenting again. It's a nice spot on the beach. Just before coming out here to set up camp I had 2 tasty cheeseburgers and met a couple of very friendly people at a little burger/fish joint by the beach. Stopping here for the night was not really in my plans but I've been learning God often has a different plan than my own. He has put me in contact with some wonderful people so far. I trust He will continue to do so as I head back into the United States and make my way down to Florida. Thanks again everyone for your prayers, support and encouragement!
Time seems to fly by when you spend all day pedaling. I had no idea it's been about a week since my last blog.
First of all, I want to thank all of you who have been praying about my knee. The pain has gone away and it is feeling much better! Also, I think my bike seat has finally been broken in! It's been feeling much more comfortable these last few days. Note to self...when using a leather seat make sure to break it in before you head out on a long ride :)
I am currently still in New Brunswick, but just outside of Maine. I should be there easily by tomorrow. I have really enjoyed my time in New Brunswick and have found the people here to be really friendly and hospitable. Passing through Bathurst, I met a wonderful couple who took me into their home and gave me a bed and food. Thank you R and R!
I spent a couple days on Prince Edward Island visiting some good friends. It is a beautiful island and the people are very friendly there. From PEI, I made a route change and decided to bike down to Halifax and catch a ferry from Digby back to Saint John, New Brunswick. The trip would take me about twice as long as my original route. It took me 2 days to bike from PEI to Halifax and on the way I put in my longest day of this trip...120 miles. It was a great day for biking but I was definitely pretty tired when I rolled into town. Lukily I had made a last minute attempt at finding a place to sleep by way of couchsurfing.com and could not have asked for a better place to stay. L got my last minute plea and responded right away. He made me a wonderful dinner and breakfast. Although my visit with L and his partner C was short, I feel like we became fast friends and I look forward to seeing them again somewhere down the road.
After Halifax it took 2 days to get to Digby where again I was blessed by a generous stranger. I was in town looking for a public shower when I bumped into sweet A. She almost immediatley asked where I was staying that night and when I told her I didn't know she invited me to stay at her home. Once again, I was grateful for her hospitality and home cooked food. Even her dog was friendly and slept next to me all night :)
Tonight I'm tenting again. It's a nice spot on the beach. Just before coming out here to set up camp I had 2 tasty cheeseburgers and met a couple of very friendly people at a little burger/fish joint by the beach. Stopping here for the night was not really in my plans but I've been learning God often has a different plan than my own. He has put me in contact with some wonderful people so far. I trust He will continue to do so as I head back into the United States and make my way down to Florida. Thanks again everyone for your prayers, support and encouragement!
Independence Day
For all my fellow Americans reading my blog... Happy Fourth of July!! I`m writing this a day late, but as you know, life on the road makes computer access a little intermittent. I hope everyone had a nice time celebrating America`s independence yesterday. I enjoyed another day on the road. It was a beautiful day cycling from Richibucto, New Brunswick to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. I had a good nights sleep and a light breeze to my back.
In light of this special day, I spent a good portion of the day thinking about what it means to live a life of freedom. There are people all over the world and right here in the United States who are not living lives of independence. A large contributor to this is the human trafficking industry happening at large worldwide. It`s extremely sad to think about people, often kids, being exploited and put in unimaginable circumstances so someone else can make a profit. The first couple days of my bike trip were tough and I'm sure they will not be the last. One particular day cycling in the wet and cold and enduring pain in my knees, I had doubts of whether this whole trip was such a great idea. I had to keep reminding myself of the real reason behind the Justice Ride. While Americans celebrate our Independence Day and I see new places and experience new things from the seat of my bicycle, we need to remember those in our not-so-large-world who are not as fortunate. Personally, my heart goes out to the women and children who are being sexually exploited and trafficked. I believe this is one of the greatest injustices against humankind. Whatever difficulties I face during this cycling trip, I still have so much to be thankful for. I have friends and family who are fully supporting me and encouraging me along the way. I also experience the kindness of strangers who have opened their homes to me and offered words of encouragement and wishes for my safety and health as I continue on. I`m asking now that as you read this blog and continue to support and encourage me, please do not forget about the people I am cycling for. This trip is a team effort. I am merely supplying some leg power. There is so much yet to be done to show those around the world that we are aware of their sufferings and we are willing to help.
"If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow-creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large."
-William Wilberforce
In light of this special day, I spent a good portion of the day thinking about what it means to live a life of freedom. There are people all over the world and right here in the United States who are not living lives of independence. A large contributor to this is the human trafficking industry happening at large worldwide. It`s extremely sad to think about people, often kids, being exploited and put in unimaginable circumstances so someone else can make a profit. The first couple days of my bike trip were tough and I'm sure they will not be the last. One particular day cycling in the wet and cold and enduring pain in my knees, I had doubts of whether this whole trip was such a great idea. I had to keep reminding myself of the real reason behind the Justice Ride. While Americans celebrate our Independence Day and I see new places and experience new things from the seat of my bicycle, we need to remember those in our not-so-large-world who are not as fortunate. Personally, my heart goes out to the women and children who are being sexually exploited and trafficked. I believe this is one of the greatest injustices against humankind. Whatever difficulties I face during this cycling trip, I still have so much to be thankful for. I have friends and family who are fully supporting me and encouraging me along the way. I also experience the kindness of strangers who have opened their homes to me and offered words of encouragement and wishes for my safety and health as I continue on. I`m asking now that as you read this blog and continue to support and encourage me, please do not forget about the people I am cycling for. This trip is a team effort. I am merely supplying some leg power. There is so much yet to be done to show those around the world that we are aware of their sufferings and we are willing to help.
"If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow-creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large."
-William Wilberforce
Some kids playing on the dock on my way to Bathurst.
View of Bathurst, New Brunswick.
Crossing Centennial bridge in Miramichi, New Brunswick.
Camp spot in Richibucto, New Brunswick.
Fighting off giant lobsters in Shediac, New Brunswick.
Opened in 1997, the Confederation bridge spans the 8 miles from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island.
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