As most people know, I cycled across the country a few years back–in 2005, to be precise! In fact, that was the entire reason I started this blog. My ex-boyfriend and I completed our 4-month biking trip and then spent a year backpacking down in South America. And while South America was, of course, absolutely unbelievable and unforgettable, I have just as many spectacular memories from the bike trip. The first leg of the trip involved cycling from Boulder to Pensacola, Florida, where we took a small break to catch up with friends and family. After that, we cycled north to Kentucky, east over the Appalachians and into West Virginia, and then south, down the eastern coast to Miami where we concluded the trip. Yes, it was a lot of miles (3,893 to be exact!) but what stands out more is the people that I met along the way. Some were the most friendly, loving, and giving individuals I have ever encountered. At a bike maintenance class last night, I thought of this older farming couple that housed us for a night in a small, 100 person town in Kansas. The REI maintenance guy was showing us how to fix a flat, and I remembered how we had accidentally rolled through the farmer’s pruned rose bushes to realize that we had 4 flats between the two of us. It made me smile, and remember how that family was full of giving.
Perhaps my favorite memory, however, was at a sketchy campground, also located in Arkansas. We rode in late, very excited to get off the dark and mountainous roads of the Ozarks. We quickly realized that there was only one other inhabitant of the campground, a very strange man named Vance, who had been living there for some time. Since this trip took place right after Hurricane Katrina, people living in campgrounds wasn’t a strange concept to us. Vance, however, was a total bucket of nuts and freaked us out. Shallow or not, the man even looked completely crazy! He was talking to us, totally freaking me out, when this older couple rode in for the night on a motorcycle. I continued to listen to Vance tell us about how he had hog tied someone the night before, and began to tune out when he started talking about his various torture devices (blow torches, fishing line, fish hooks, knitting needles, etc.) The guy was totally weird, totally into pain, and apparently, totally into S&M.. At any rate, this incredible couple, Keith and Lorna, realized we were scared with no place to go, and essentially escorted us with their motorcycle through the dark roads and around the windy, mountainous corners, until we found a campground. Then they camped with us for the night, knowing full-well that I was terrified. Keith even traded Steve thermarests in the morning once he realized that Steve’s had a large hole. They were, without a doubt, one of the most giving and kind couples I have ever met. To this day.
All of these thoughts came rushing into my head today when I read this guy’s blog. This guy is already doing what I aim to attempt in the next few years, and I admire his courage and determination. It takes a certain kind of person to live out of a tent stationed behind abandoned buildings, in woods behind strip malls, or in deserted campgrounds. (And yes, I slept in all of those places!) You have to be willing to not only push your physical limits, but also your mental boundaries. And going at it alone, like him, is even more impressive. So give him some money. Donate a couch for him to sleep on. Or buy one of his t-shirts. Help him out!
Maybe that will be me one day soon!