I decided to pursue my dream of seeing the world by riding my bicycle across as much of it as I can. My goal is not to rack up some huge amount of mileage on a bicycle, or preform some impressive feat of athleticism. Instead my focus will be on two separate subjects; people and sustainability. I aim to achieve the first by meeting people from other countries and understanding their culture through direct human interaction instead of through vacant glossy eyed stares into a television or computer screen. The second by observing and learning how people live sustainably within their country and community. My ultimate goal is to gain the skills necessary to make a positive impact on the earth and it’s amazing inhabitants.
I am choosing to use a bicycle for a number of reasons. The most important of them are inspired by environmental issues. Coming from a society that is rotting from laziness and destroying the climate with oil addictions I am in part using a bicycle to make a statement. Another reason I am choosing a bicycle is for the sense of adventure it imparts upon my journeys. Traversing continents by means of your own power is an ancient practice that has tested the strength and resolve of adventurers since it’s inception. Lastly the practicality of the bicycle also holds sway in my reasons to use it.
This journey is not a vacation. I am not going on some package tour I bought from a travel agent. I am drastically changing my lifestyle. I am becoming a modern day vagabond. Consequently I am rejecting the life style that my family and culture deem respectable. Leaving my comfort zones behind will become an unavoidable necessity. Though as difficult as going from living in a house with all the amenities we take for granted everyday to living outside seems it will perhaps be one of the easier challenges I face.
I love my friends and my family more than my clumsy words could ever express, and so one of the most difficult aspects of this experience is the reality that I may never see some or all of them ever again.
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