There are lots of things going on with bike touring. I’ve started to use “google alerts” http://www.google.com/alerts?hl=en&gl=us I get a message when ever someone talks about (whenever google’s robots find mention of) “bike farm”, “bike seeds”, or bike touring pan american highway
It comes up about once every week. And I have been introduced to some lovely blogs and interesting ideas. of course, one of the feelings that accompanies being so well connected (via the internet, not via “connections” ;) is a feeling of dime a dozen. Once a week there is a new blog about bike touring the pan american highway!
When I do what I do, it can not be because i believe myself to be original. Adventurous yes, but not charting unknown territory.
Sometimes i psych myself out, and think, “this is too big for you momoko, you weren’t built for this type of thing” but then i can’t help but see how nearly cliche the act of biking north america to south america, the act of bike touring 1000’s of miles is.
But this doesn’t dissuade me. I’m not in high school anymore, i don’t have to be original. it will still be amazing when I do it, and my family and friends will still be in awe and loving support. great, half these bike tour blogs are only read by this loyal group anyhow. but how do i start a movement.
I would love for a bike tour of at least a month to be part of every person’s journey into “being”. wha? Just like college is a right of passage into ... “you went to college land” I would like to see a bike tour as holding the same prestige. Maybe that’s not fair, college last 4 years. a bike tour of a month is not in the same category. but maybe, 1 quarter of college = one month of bike tour. yeah,
What if, like the hordes of people who set off to freshman year departures from home, there was a movement of people bike touring. Many cultures have such “times away”, and for the US, that was often that move to college. But not every one gets to go. and not every one learns much more than names of new exotic drugs that are composed of strings of letters...
College just doesn’t cut it.
People should go on a bike tour. not because they are the first, but because it’s amazing what you’ll learn and how you’ll grow. Because it ought to be as meaningful on a job resume as a BA in psychology. and the reality is, i think it does mean that much.
when i’m done with this trip i will write on my resume, “biked for ___ years, from Anchorage AL to ___ ___ in south america, doing ______”
and it will be more impressive when it’s filled out, and it will be more impressive than “BA in psychology from UCSC”, or “1 year experience working at Urban outfitter as a sales rep” ugh, when i think of the time wasted.
only issue is...
funding.
I want to start a movement.
Any bike tour a person goes on is worth funding. Whether they have a blog or a cause. they will grow as human beings and contribute to the betterment of society. Woah, that’s kinda a big statement, of course there are exceptions. But really, not many.
I will set some perimeters...
not all bike tours are equally soul expanding.
too much luxury will lesson the experience. another way of saying this is, it’s got to be hard for it to make you grow. (side note, it’s always hard to bike tour, even if it’s just the physical effort)
You must share what you have learned for it to be beneficial to ones community.
on those perimeters, i suggest a scholarship for bike touring. Sadly, the people who agree with me most will be the people who have been on bike tours. These people usually don’t have the big bucks. But, if my theory is true, and the experience of bike touring is as enriching as anything learned through school, i think i will find that my bike touring comrades will be moving and shaking and capable of helping out. I urge you, if you know what good it is to bike tour, donate a dollar a month, we will start a fund, and it will change the world.
It comes up about once every week. And I have been introduced to some lovely blogs and interesting ideas. of course, one of the feelings that accompanies being so well connected (via the internet, not via “connections” ;) is a feeling of dime a dozen. Once a week there is a new blog about bike touring the pan american highway!
When I do what I do, it can not be because i believe myself to be original. Adventurous yes, but not charting unknown territory.
Sometimes i psych myself out, and think, “this is too big for you momoko, you weren’t built for this type of thing” but then i can’t help but see how nearly cliche the act of biking north america to south america, the act of bike touring 1000’s of miles is.
But this doesn’t dissuade me. I’m not in high school anymore, i don’t have to be original. it will still be amazing when I do it, and my family and friends will still be in awe and loving support. great, half these bike tour blogs are only read by this loyal group anyhow. but how do i start a movement.
I would love for a bike tour of at least a month to be part of every person’s journey into “being”. wha? Just like college is a right of passage into ... “you went to college land” I would like to see a bike tour as holding the same prestige. Maybe that’s not fair, college last 4 years. a bike tour of a month is not in the same category. but maybe, 1 quarter of college = one month of bike tour. yeah,
What if, like the hordes of people who set off to freshman year departures from home, there was a movement of people bike touring. Many cultures have such “times away”, and for the US, that was often that move to college. But not every one gets to go. and not every one learns much more than names of new exotic drugs that are composed of strings of letters...
College just doesn’t cut it.
People should go on a bike tour. not because they are the first, but because it’s amazing what you’ll learn and how you’ll grow. Because it ought to be as meaningful on a job resume as a BA in psychology. and the reality is, i think it does mean that much.
when i’m done with this trip i will write on my resume, “biked for ___ years, from Anchorage AL to ___ ___ in south america, doing ______”
and it will be more impressive when it’s filled out, and it will be more impressive than “BA in psychology from UCSC”, or “1 year experience working at Urban outfitter as a sales rep” ugh, when i think of the time wasted.
only issue is...
funding.
I want to start a movement.
Any bike tour a person goes on is worth funding. Whether they have a blog or a cause. they will grow as human beings and contribute to the betterment of society. Woah, that’s kinda a big statement, of course there are exceptions. But really, not many.
I will set some perimeters...
not all bike tours are equally soul expanding.
too much luxury will lesson the experience. another way of saying this is, it’s got to be hard for it to make you grow. (side note, it’s always hard to bike tour, even if it’s just the physical effort)
You must share what you have learned for it to be beneficial to ones community.
on those perimeters, i suggest a scholarship for bike touring. Sadly, the people who agree with me most will be the people who have been on bike tours. These people usually don’t have the big bucks. But, if my theory is true, and the experience of bike touring is as enriching as anything learned through school, i think i will find that my bike touring comrades will be moving and shaking and capable of helping out. I urge you, if you know what good it is to bike tour, donate a dollar a month, we will start a fund, and it will change the world.
