Reflection - Photo Gallery
Date - October 7th 2020
Current Location - Philadelphia, PA
Miles Traveled - 4,060
Reflection
Written by Jake Casmay
With this journey coming to its end, I often find my mind wandering back in time to the various decisions that got me here today. As I think through each moment, like a family tree, it reminds me how wildly different my experiences could have been if I had made other decisions at various times. The present moment is fragile and so largely dependent on decisions you made in the past, without even knowing the magnitude of such decisions. I can remember the first time the idea of crossing the country on a bike entered my mind. The moment Chris and I reached that beautifully blue Florida sign on our post high school bike ride, the thought occurred, unsolicited. It just appeared on my mind without request, like it was queued up waiting for the opportunity to present itself to me. In hindsight, I sense it was my subconscious attempting to fill the horizon with something new. Something bigger and more exciting. Filling the vacuum of the future out of fear of it being empty. I can remember obsessing over it throughout college, everyday waking up and sitting from my desk daydreaming about life on a bike. Even the act of thinking of such a life was better than the poisonous routine I was stuck in. Creating lists, reviewing maps, looking at gear and reviews were things which made me excited for a trip I wasn't even sure would take place. I can remember using all six-hundred and fifty of my semester prints on turn by turn directions, just so I could test out how I would carry them. At a certain point, I had obsessed so much that there was nothing in existence that would stop me from doing it. I accepted the possibility of sacrificing everything. This mindset almost caused me to take the trip alone, before anyone was onboard. Another decision that had a profound effect on how things played out. Back in 2017, I was looking for people to come on the trip with me. The first person to ask was Chris, the one guy I knew who had a desire like me to do the trip. I sent Chris the 10 page spreadsheet I had made with the trip details hoping the extensive document would send a message that this was no longer a vague dream on the horizon, but rather a realistic event in the near future. Chris unfortunately was busy with college studies and couldn't go that year but assured to me he would commit to going if we waited until 2020. Throughout that year I went back and forth, deciding on whether to indulge my overwhelming desire to do it and just go alone, or wait for Chris for an experience I knew would be better. I think often about how different everything would have been if i had made the other decision that year, and am very happy i didn't. I suppose patience does have its value.
Now, years later, the trip is behind us. It took us in, consumed our lives for so long, and threw us right back where we were with no instruction on how to process it all. Throughout the duration of the trip, I was usually focused on ‘in the moment things’ like what to eat, where to sleep, or when the next turn is. Now, being two weeks out, the lessons learned start to reveal themselves.
Jason - Sabree, KY.
Hard Work Pays Off
Throughout the trip, we went through a fair amount of enduring situations. The stories you will read about in the blog will primarily highlight the high moments. The times when we were reaping the benefits of the work we had put in. These stories should be told and treasured for all their value, but with the understanding that they came at a cost, always. Everyday was a new challenge, and the circumstances were not always set up in our favor. Sometimes in fact, the circumstances are rigged against you. Perhaps it rains that day and all your stuff gets wet. Maybe you have a head wind. Maybe you pop a tire, get lost, and feel sick all in the same day. These things happen and it’s your job, rather your duty, to fight against them. At times it could feel as though the universe was trying to make it hard. I found it to be advantageous to adapt a mindset which separates the consciousness from the physical world. In this scenario, you are only the observer of the events that happen to you. And therefore may choose how to feel about them. Perhaps the rain is actually a good thing? It cleans the dirt off my legs. The headwind will make my legs stronger. The popped tire will make me better at maintaining my bicycle. Oftentimes I would imagine myself as a cloud of consciousness riding on a physical body which I occupied. One which I was not only responsible for directing, but also improving upon and preparing for future challenges. This relationship with yourself proves to be quite loyal because the body will never fail to hold the mind accountable. I like to think of it like a pilot and their airplane. If they fail to put enough fuel in, or the wrong type of fuel, the airplane will fail to perform regardless of it’s fancy gadgets. The pilot has the complete responsibility for maintaining the airplane, and will be the first to feel the consequence of failing to do so.
With this mindset, it allows you to take a more objective approach to the challenges in front of you. Challenges which require hard work to complete. For every mountain pass we ascended, there was a stunningly beautiful and relaxing downhill on the other side. One which i grew to know only as a rest for the next mountain pass. Every town we reached, offered its own unique rewards. Even if it was just a small rest and a gas station chocolate milk, the idea of a reward at the end was always pushing us to get the next stop. This bike tour uniquely highlighted the relationship between work and reward because it filters everything else out. Throughout the trip, there was not a single moment where we weren't either putting in work or reaping the benefits of prior work. It was always one or the other, and it becomes ingrained in your mind as the cycle of life. Work hard for what you want, and you will be rewarded, every time, no exception.
J&J Liquor Eads, CO .
Life Isn’t That Serious
One of my biggest takeaways from this trip is the benefits of approaching the world with light heartedness. I am so grateful that we had the group we had. The four of us got along quite well, which acted to all of our benefit. Of course we are all different people, with different ways of managing the daily hardships, but one thing we all have in common is our light hearted approach to the world. The four of us approached most day to day activities as a joke more than anything. In fact, if someone had listened in on the night time campsite banter from the outside, they might have thought we were all lunatics. We spent most time making jokes and just messing around and I have more inside jokes than I can remember now. It’s just the behavior that came out naturally. Perhaps a defensive mechanism to shadow the massive challenge that was constantly ahead of us. Whatever it was, it is clear now that it helped me enjoy the present moment and cope with the seemingly endless bike ride we were on. Furthermore, it has helped me come to terms with certain realities of life. There will be good moments, and there will be bad moments. There will be incredible moments, and there will be moments of absolute misery. These are inevitable facts. The idea is to invest energy toward maximizing the good, minimizing the bad, and help as many people as you can along the way. When you think like this, it’s not a surprise when bad moments come along. Rather, it’s just a result of the natural cycle of life and can sometimes be quite funny. As they say, don’t worry about things which are out of your control. It will serve you absolutely 0 benefits.
Nickerson, KS. Gas station stop after getting caught in a treacherous storm. John left Jake right.
People Are GOOD
As highlighted many times throughout this blog, the trip opened our eyes to how willing and eager people are to help each other. It’s built into us, undeniable, and relentless. The bike tour specifically exposed us to this because we were always in situations where we would obviously benefit from external help. Example after example, we saw this component of humanity present itself to us. Countless times we were approached by complete strangers asking if we needed anything. Food, water, shelter, and even money were just a few examples of help we received. Sometimes it was the experience of strangers willing to help that delighted me even more than the things they would give us. There was one day in Nevada on a long stretch of desolate road that really showed this. I had gone ahead of the gang for a couple of days and had just reached a long summit early in the morning when I noticed an oversized truck and two follow vehicles pull over in front of me. At first I thought they were just stopping to check the brakes before the big descent. The trucker gets and starts walking toward me with a bottle of water. He gave me the bottle and started looking over my bike.
“You know this is the loneliest road in America right ?” he asked with a skeptical smile
“Yep, that’s what i hear” I replied
He asked why I was out there and we spoke about the trip for a while. He told me his name was Phil and he was inspired by what i was doing, and that he wished he could do it.
“ Hang on a second, I’ve got something for you” Phil said
He stumbled out his truck with his arms overflowing with stuff he had for me. First it was coffee, then some cans of sausages, then he started filling my bags with more stuff than I ever would’ve imagined. Phil ended up giving me his entire stash of food, a reflective vest, utensils, 20$, and a bottle of crown royal for the end of my ride.
“ This is way too much! You need this food don’t you?” I asked frantically
“ You need it more than me kid, I’ll pick some more up in the next town, don’t worry about it ” he asserted
I can remember having goosebumps after Phil left. That man just stopped a fleet of oversize farm equipment vehicles on top of a mountain for a complete stranger to give ALL of his food to. He expected nothing in return, he just wanted to help me. An overwhelming wave of emotion came over me and only the wind from the descent could clear the tears in my eyes. Phil inspired me that day and although I’ll never see him again, I will never forget what he did for me.
Bicycling across America was the most enriching experience of my life. The excitement every day of what’s to come, who you will meet, where you will end up, and what things you’ll see along the way. I believe human beings are happiest when we explore. When we go out and adventure into parts of the world which we’re unfamiliar with. When we subject ourselves to things outside of our comfort zone, that is when we feel most alive. The constant discovery of new things, including your own body’s limitations, is what drives us to venture out and take risk. Bike touring happens to be a very effective means of indulging this side of human nature. Every day is a new adventure. Endorphins from the exercise are high. Every place you visit is new and you never know what to expect. Every person you meet is a new friend. It brings you back to when you were a kid and everything you experienced was new and exciting. I’m no scientist, but something happens in the brain when we experience things that are new. The unknown excites us, and it’s our duty to feed it ourselves. It’s not going to find you on it’s own, so go out and seek what excites you. What do you have to lose?
Adventure is worthwhile in itself
- Amelia Earhart.
Reflection
Written by Jason Miller
Going into this trip, I had no idea what to expect of myself and of this enormous and diverse country. Having only been to Columbus, OH as the furthest west I have gone, other than a short trip to LA for a fraternity convention, I had no idea what to expect from the Rocky Mountains, the Great Basin Desert of Nevada, or the plains of Kansas. Each section of the trip was a lesson for each of us. How will this journey affect us going forward? I’m sure the lesson will come to me at a later time in my life when I need it, but for now all I can say is that I had one of the best times of my life with some of the best people around.
Special thank you to everyone who donated to support us along the way. Every cent helped, whether it was to get us cliff bars that powered us through each day or to help us get a comfortable night’s sleep in a motel. We thank you and will never forget your generosity.
As for the people we met along the journey, thank you for the memories you imparted on us. We are forever grateful for the kindness and friendship you shared with us.
PHOTO GALLERY
Prints
I chose three of my favorite images to release in print. If you would like to support the journey, and bring a piece of it into your home, consider picking up one of the images below. They are printed on 16”x20” photo luster paper, and come signed and numbered to a limited amount. If you live in Philadelphia, I will even hand deliver it!