Thanks!!!

10/18/17 - 11/07/17

I haven’t posted in a while and this time I can’t say it is for lack of computer access or constantly being busy. I’ve spent most of the past few weeks sitting around trying to not waste my precious year. I came off my bicycle ride and settled in to wait a week or so for my next adventure, sailing, to begin. Not much has happened since then, I am struggling to stay occupied and not fully become a bum.

According to the google maps, via a mostly accurate trace of my route, and excluding the sections I hitched and ferried, I rode 1592 miles from Rochester, MN to Needham, MA. This is equivalent to exclusively using my bicycle to

get to and from school senior year plus another 40 rides or so, there and back, when I forget stuff. So really not that far. One fall, one flat, one lost fuel bottle, one broken rack and one snapped derailleur cable, that’s it. Honestly, it seems I was super lucky on my ride, then I think about how it never really rained on me and I know I was super lucky. Plus, there’s everyone that helped me. I want to thank them all. It would take way too long to list everyone, roughly chronologically, so feel free to skim that part.

I want to start by thanking everyone that I forget to thank. Too many people made my day, gave me a hand or just offered a small act of friendship. So, thank you to everyone unnamed and unmentioned who went out of their way to help a nomadic 18-year-old they happened to cross paths with.

Thanks Mom and Dad, everyone keeps saying how brave you are to have let me do this. I know you guys are incredibly brave, but I also know it’s the immense trust you have in me that enabled me to grow into someone you could let ride off into, frankly, the unknown. Thank you for that, I may not always show it but I am so grateful. Also, thanks for hosting random bikers so I could use the WarmShowers app, that was a huge help. Izzy, Boogie and Linnea, you guys did more than you know, thanks for starting me on this. Liza Henry, I needed reassurance and you were there for me, thanks for always believing in me. The Baer-Benson family is always there for me and I can’t thank you enough for all the help, advice and support. As a side note, I finally got around to cleaning up the can of mace you gave me that I spilled in my bag the first day, thanks for the protection! Julie Gleason, thanks for the ride. Danny, David and Caitlin, you made me realize that I wasn’t alone even as I headed off across the country on my own, thanks. Thank you to the Cubs Food worker who let me spread all my groceries out on the floor around her register while I repacked. To the woman who decided to set up a sketchy campground behind her barn, thank you for not making me ride another 6 miles to the ATM when I didn’t have enough. To construction workers that didn’t yell at me much and let me pass through, thank you, the detour would’ve been awful. Thanks outdoors store guy for getting psyched about my trip and my bicycle. Thank you jewelry and watch repair people, for pointing me in the right direction for glasses repair. Thank you glasses people. Thank you for the venison steaks and mind opening conversation, camper folks. Thank you, truckers, for being really nice drivers. Thank you to the woman who bought me a pastry so I could get enough calories. Thank you to all the campsites and campers who unknowingly let me use their electricity hookups. Thank you to whoever set up the scale model of the solar system on the way into Madison, that was awesome and made my day. Will, it was great seeing you, thanks so much for hosting me and showing me around. Siri, thanks for being a familiar face in an unfamiliar setting, what a small world. Thank you, campsite owner in Rome, who gave me a discount when seeing the shock on my face when I heard the price. Thank you to everyone who helped me search for housing in Milwaukee. Thank you, Marge, for housing me in Milwaukee and feeding me and taking me out and teaching me cribbage.

Thank you to the grocer who let me take my bicycle inside, and the librarian, and the shopkeeper, and the postman, and the banker. Thank you to the ferry workers who stocked all the jam, plastic utensils and napkins I stole. Thank you to the guy who asked me if I was ok and needed help, and for that matter, everyone else that did that. Thank you, Dr. Pepper and Brianne, for an awesome night of reminiscing and catching up, plus the food was delicious! Also, thanks so much for the portable charger, turns out it saved me later on. Thank you to the mother who updated me on the trail condition, improving my day immensely. Thank you, small (confusing) Spanish speaking Wisconsin town, where I got water and first aid. Thank you, WarmShower host, for the lodging and great homemade bread. Thank you to all the diners, cafes and restaurants that tolerated a bulky bike and an underdressed eater. Thank you, Rick, for the delicious homemade bread and a couch for the night. Thank you to all the drivers that slowed down and waited to pass me, you put my mother's mind at ease. Thanks bug that flew into my eye and gave me a different perspective on the world; it could always be worse. Thank you, Jayleen and family, for a wonderful night on a massive air mattress and bucket loads of great food. Also Mrs. Rossi, thanks so much for the bag of trail mix and everything else! Thank you, guys, for holding the door open for me and asking me about my bike. Thank you, librarian, for dealing with my probing questions about the local campsites. Thank you to the drunks who made me feel welcome at their campground home and made me apple pie and offered advice and assistance, it was mostly helpful. Thank you to The King, you gave me a good laugh when I hadn’t had one in a while. Thank you, Emma, for helping me set up the surprise of the century. Many thanks as well to the ace hardware workers who apologetically let me take my bag into the bathroom after I explained I was trying to change. Thank you for coping with my spontaneity, giving me a great weekend and a reason to ride. Thank you, Doug, for saving my life, I won’t forget it. Thank you, Red roof employees, for refilling the hot water countless times so I could make my tea. I am also grateful for the comedic relief of every stranger that commented on the stranger things I was doing by the side of the road, usually cooking. Thank you to the congregation that let me in on Rosh Hashanah. Walker, I had a great time, thank you for showing me around the campus and into the coolest part of the city. Thomas, thank you for accompanying me to the duck pond. Thank you to the lady that I overheard saying it was national chicken pot pie day so there were discounted pot pies. Thank you to the guy who rode next to me for an hour and chatted, I loved the company. Thanks to the multitude of campers that didn’t show up until after I took my outdoor shower. To the guy who lent me his lighter so I could make breakfast, thank you. To the dude who picked up my fallen pannier, thank you. Thank you to the campers who didn't show up at their site until very late, you helped me charge my phone. Many thanks to the guys who brought me wood or took my leftovers or chatted with me at the restaurant. Also thank you to the employee who sold me discounted banged up fuel. Thanks for talking to me about the slides and convincing me to try it, guy-who-grew-up-in-Ohiopyle. Thank you to the woman who let me hang out while I waited for it to be late enough to order pizza. Thanks to the many folks I hassled about buying Emergen-C and the employees who tried to help me locate a store selling a sigg bottle. Thank you for checking on me multiple times after I fell. Thank you to the gun shop owner who patiently kicked me out in my search for a fuel bottle but posted a hilariously conservative sign on the front door of his shop which made my

day. Thanks to the cyclists who kept me company and the cafe owner who gave me advice and the museum worker who offered to drive me to an outfitter. Thank you, man, for orienting me and sharing some cool facts at the highest lookout point on my trip. Thank you bike shop worker for finally understanding what I was asking for and hooking me up with much needed gear. Thank you, gnats, for keeping my mind off the shitty path. Thank you, early morning riders, for giving me a heads up about the detour hike. Thank you, fellow cyclists, for sharing the burden of a blocked route, lightening my mood and then guiding me to and hanging with me at the only bar in a 30-mile radius. Thank you, kind folks, who offered to share your shade. Thank you, Tonya Williams, for literally everything, you helped me so much, I hope everything went well with the move. Thank you, Espoir, for hosting me and feeding me and entertaining me, I had a blast. And thank you to the Dickinson Jews who made me feel welcome even though I was super underdressed. Thank you to the guy who said he wished I went to his school, it made me feel really good. Thank you, Oma, it was a treat staying with you and I’m so grateful for the many gifts and your tolerance of my unusual needs. Thank you, Uncle Carl and Aunt Kara, for hosting and accommodating me, I had a lot of fun. Thank you to everyone who over the course of a month or so watched my bicycle for me constantly so I could run errands or use the bathroom. Thank you, Aunt Debbie and Uncle Phil, for dealing with my odd hours and driving me around and letting me stay, it was nice getting a chance to sit down and talk too. Thank you, security guard, who let me sneak onto the golf course instead of going around. Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa, for always giving me fun visits and good conversation over a meal. Thank you, McCurdy family, for the adjustments you made to host me and make my life so much easier. Thanks for breakfast dad. Thank you, Aidan, man that was great, you are incredible! Thank you, Steven and Ivana, for a lovely night full of surprises. Thank you, Madelyn, for a similarly lovely night although slightly less surprising. I had a great time with you guys, wish it was longer. Thank you to the librarian who bent the rules for me. Thank you, trusting man, who picked up a ragged hitchhiker with his bike by the side of the highway. Thank you, sir, for trying to convince your boss to let me spend the night. Thank you to the woman in the park who tried all she could to look out for me. Thanks to the bartender that let me hang out until dark. Thank you waffle house workers for being non-judgmental. Thank you, Christine, I had a ton of fun hanging with you and I know you now can’t feed anymore guests, so thanks! Thank you, mom, for always trying to help me. Many thanks to the employees of Starbucks for letting me use their Wi-Fi without purchasing anything. Thank you last minute WarmShower hosts Paul and Jane for the shower, bed, food, and most importantly, the smiles. Thank you again truckers, I know I shouldn’t be using your routes but you were very tolerant. Thank you ferry workers who were extra careful with my bike and

whispered excitedly about it the whole ride. Thank you to all the people who took my photo for me over the course of my journey. Thank you, Paul, for helping me get a bed for the night and thank you Margaret for providing a comfy one. Margaret, it was really good to catch up and hangout. Thank you, pizza shop, for giving me a chance to relax, I’m not sure why but I had a really nice time there. I want to thank the bikers that hyped me up at the end of a long day and made me feel great about myself. Thanks, as well, to the auto body shop guy who let me fill my water and the park rangers who let me use the restroom after closing time. Thank you, Bob, for a massive breakfast and some super brilliant ideas, that conversation is still serving me well. Thank you, Lucy, for letting me crash and buying me a whole lot of pizza, I’m glad we got to see each other again. Thank you, Dunkin Donuts employees, for letting me loiter even after someone walked off with your tip jar and you started yelling. Thanks gas station workers for being funny and construction worker who told me not to camp in the heroin capital of Connecticut. Thank you, kind hearted home owners, for letting a stranger sleep in your loft and use your shower. You saved me a lot of trouble and worry. Thank you, guys standing around the diner, for boosting my self esteem and easing my mind about the day ahead. Also, that breakfast was a great deal so thank you diner. Thank you, Burger King employee, for being honest, you made me think. Thank you Olin-ers for always giving me something to look forward to. Thank you bicycle, man you are a beast, I couldn’t have done it without you. Last but not least, thank you google maps for getting me here, we may not have always agreed about the routes but you lead me to my destination.

It was an adventure. There were definitely times I didn’t want to go on, didn’t think I could or just gave up. I made it though, because of the people supporting me and cheering me on. From that I learned a lot about the nature of people in this world as well as myself. I may have arrived over two weeks later than planned but the ride was a success and I value every minute since the first pedal in Rochester. A common theme seemed to repeat itself throughout the trip and I think I learned a crucial lesson from it. Don’t ever take it lightly when it says, “Bicycle directions (beta): use caution”. I am currently working on my letter to Google.

When I arrived at Olin I got to spend a couple days hanging with some friends there and experiencing the campus. It was good to see where I’m headed next year in a different, not so staged, light. I then took a bus to Vermont to visit my friend Henry. It was a blast staying with him and we were able to take a decent amount of time to get outside and explore some nearby woods. They were super cool and magical and it was tough saying goodbye to Henry and the beautiful setting when it came time to return to Boston.

Now I am staying at the home of family friends, Joanna and Charles, in Newton, MA. Thank you Engelkes, I am so appreciative for all that you have done for me here. I’m crewing a sailing yacht tomorrow headed to North Carolina. The date of departure kept getting pushed back so I ended up spending almost three weeks hanging out here. I tried to find work, did some yard care for the neighbors and tried to get my year set up. It has been a lot of down time but it also gave me a chance to see some friends and family in the area which was great. I got to visit and experience a little more of Olin, which really helped me figure out how I’m feeling about starting school. Overall, I’m excited to finally be headed out again. I don’t have a plan past a few days so a little nervous about that but hopefully I will be out on the high seas for a bit, we’ll see. It seems, now, I will have a chance to test my luck.