Where 4000 Miles Can Take You
I spent the summer biking across the country, dipping my back tire in Providence, RI and then dipping my front tire (ie swimming) in Seattle, WA. This experience sparked an interest in the bicycle, not only as a tool to reach new destinations, but a way to change how I see the space around me. The intimacy in which I experienced each landscape was significantly greater than any road trip. I was able to meet new people with each day's journey, gain strength in response to the changing terrain, be a part of the utter vastness of the Midwest and feel a greater part of each town I passed through. The nature of the trip, being on a bicycle for so many hours and miles, also affected my friendship with the peers I was riding alongside. I also was able to interact with people along the way-- church women, farmers, kids in town, other cyclists-- that I otherwise would have never met. The way we were treated after explaining the journey was really amazing to witness. My connection to my bicycle alterred the way others saw me. Another relationship that was strengthened was with my bicycle, which became an extension of my body. I noticed a greater accessibility and sense of belonging when on my bicycle. The efficiency and self-powered means by which I traveled felt more natural. Because I truly felt the ground beneath me, each change in gradient, road material, wind direction, I was forced to be more receptive to the environment. My behavior, for the first time, was often based purely on the natural elements of my surroundings.
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