One of the most interesting aspects of traveling by bike is that you
are witness to every inch of the slow indiscernible change that
transforms frozen tundra to humid rainforest. If I were inclined to
take the time to do so it would be incredibly interesting to put
together a study of one particular thing everywhere I went and tell
the story of the change through that thing. Churches, for instance.
Every town has a church and it would capture so much about the area
and the people to simply take a photo and write a brief description of
every church I passed. It would tell the story very well, and so much
about the changing landscape and culture would be represented.
But I don't know that I would choose to focus on churches, there is
so much more I would want the series to say. Simply doing a
concentration of faces could capture the culture and mood. But I
wouldn't want to leave out the land. It would be interesting to do the
series on horses. The animals are cared for differently and set
against different backdrops. It would be enough to tell a story. But
there's so much more! The series could speak through photos only of
hands, cars, food, police, hair, kids, dogs or houses. Even a series
on the changing potholes, roadkill or street signs would tell the
story. In recognizing the slow transformation and resulting variety of
all these inconsequential things and thousands more, I come to
understand the sublime distinction between experience and study. I
better understand the source of differnce in feeling between two
places and I better understand the beauty of travel.
On March 3rd, 2010 I arrived in Ushuaia, Argentina and ended my journey to the southernmost city in the world.
This ride is a reminder of what can be accomplished through perseverance and a little hard work. It’s a reminder of what we as people are capable of, of what the human mind, body and spirit can achieve. I hope that I can help people realize that while it may take time, and it may be harsh and lonely at times, we can make our lives how we dream them to be. I do not want to be guilty of owning a life devoid of any living. Comfort and convenience are not synonymous with happiness!
For some reason I am under the impression that I will find both myself and God somewhere along this road. Maybe I won’t find either, but I must look! I want to allow the light of introspection a pure and undiluted chance to examine my soul. I have found greater value in thoughts born in solitude than those that spring from the fray of ordinary life. I hope this trip will be the beginning to a life full of experience, beauty and understanding. I don’t ever want to forget the way the world felt when I was a child: magical and huge, full of possibility and hope. I won’t let go of that. I am an artist at heart, and this, I hope, will be my first great work.
For some reason I am under the impression that I will find both myself and God somewhere along this road. Maybe I won’t find either, but I must look! I want to allow the light of introspection a pure and undiluted chance to examine my soul. I have found greater value in thoughts born in solitude than those that spring from the fray of ordinary life. I hope this trip will be the beginning to a life full of experience, beauty and understanding. I don’t ever want to forget the way the world felt when I was a child: magical and huge, full of possibility and hope. I won’t let go of that. I am an artist at heart, and this, I hope, will be my first great work.
I am riding to raise awareness for 'Acirfa,’ a non-profit organization which provides quality bikes to the people of Zambia, giving them the means to help themselves, rather than depend on charity. A bicycle changes the life of a Zambian in ways that are difficult for Americans to imagine, allowing doctors to see more patients, parents to make a living and teachers to get to school.
To clear the air and clear your head, ride a bike once a week!
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