Duzer Duz
Live.Love.Bike.
I began this journey on the beaches of San Diego by quoting Helen Keller, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”
Well I’ve been on countless daring adventures but none quite like this. Instead of focusing on the physical aspect, I wanted to take this opportunity to dive deep into my heart and soul, and challenge myself mentally. I needed a recharge and a little bike therapy was in order.
It felt incredibly freeing to move my body and mind all day long, I’d never felt so alive! Traveling at 15mph is the perfect speed to really FEEL the world and appreciate all of Mother Nature’s magic. But it wasn’t the spectacular sights that I’ll remember most about this trip. It’s the amazing people I met all across this great country. I was so lucky to have reconnected with old friends was blown away with how quickly I became close with total strangers. Their endless amounts of kindness and generosity humbled me and solidified my belief that there is a lot more good in this world than bad.
As I pedaled from big city to small town and everything in between I asked everyone I met a simple question, What do you love most about life? Their answers were simple, heartfelt and inspiring.
So now it’s my turn to talk about what I love most in life… Every single day, with each stroke of the pedal, I thought about all the people that I love and how lucky I am to have them in my life. and I thought about all the people I haven’t yet met and will someday love. My wife, my children, new friends, maybe even a dog. I love life, plain and simple…I know I’m not always gonna be a pefect human being, but I’m determined to follow my heart and spread as much love and happiness as possible…there’s nothing more important in this world.
My legs might be a little stronger after all this, but it’s my heart that has grown most on this journey.
The Final March
I’m sitting here in Tarpon Springs Florida, there’s a warm breeze flowing through the palm trees, the sky is crystal clear and it’s blasting 80 degrees of pure summer lovin’ warmth on my face! This is the way I envisioned the weather when I escaped from a cold, snowy Boulder over a month ago.
Our legs have become finely tuned pistons, I have crazy tan lines, and our metabolisms are on overdrive (which helps when you eat ice cream for lunch). It was the adventure of a lifetime…actually, I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to say that I’ve had multiple adventures of a lifetime. This particular journey was similar in some ways to my past bike rides, and completely different in others. I saw new parts of America that I’d never seen before, I made lots of great new friends and was able to reconnect with many old pals along the way. It was 2500 miles of pure LOVE!
Riding with Nick was amazing. We spent 24 hours a day side by side, made every decision together and most nights we slept inches from one another. It’s not often you get to spend this kind of time with one person and I’ll forever treasure this once in a lifetime experience.
We talked about everything imaginable: Family, friends, girls, favorite movies, goals, dreams, food, and so on. We sang songs (poorly), we danced (poorly) and destroyed a few all you can eat buffets.
In this video, Nicks talk about the the last couple weeks of the ride. I’ve said it many times but these experiences are not solely about the pedaling. The physical aspect of riding a bike has very little to do with what makes these kinds of experiences magical.
What a Wonderful World
I’ve been singing the songs of the great Louis Armstrong ever since crossing the border into lovely Louisiana. Everyday I see trees of green, not so many red roses, but unlimited skies of blue, clouds of white and I have ample time to think to myself about our wonderful world. I love everything about Louisiana, the people are solid gold, the bayous are beautiful and the fried food powers my pedaling all day. If I wasn’t burning 7,000 calories each day, I’d be a chunky monkey right now, those PO-Boys are dangerous!
This past week we’ve slept in a picnic area on the border of Texas and Louisiana and a city park in a tiny town (Nick actually slept in the bathroom to stay warm). It may be cold at night but the people make up for it with their warm, caring hearts. We’ve had countless meals bought for us by generous strangers, people curious to hear our story. We’ve been invited to a Crayfish Boil and asked to appear in a Christmas parade all in the same day. We’ve seen small town America at its finest and it continues to inspire me. I’ve always loved my country and I’m immensely proud to be American and having the unique experience of seeing it go by at 15MPH allows us to really take it all in.
We’re in New Orleans now with our buddy Sam and his amazing family. This city has some serious culture and I wish we could stay longer, but the road calls our name. Florida is just 200 miles away and then we’ll take a turn south and head to Nick’s hometown of Tarpon Springs.
If you’re looking to visit that long lost friend this holiday season, check out the deals at Cheap international flights.
Thanksgiving on Two Wheels
I’ve had A LOT of time to think lately. 8-10 hours a day on the bike allows for some serious pedal powered pondering. It would fill endless pages to list everything I’m been thinking about, but the main topics of my Thankgiving Love-a-Thon are as follows:
-Family,Friends,Health,Love,Life,Laughing,Burritos,Sunrises,Sunsets,Good shelters in the rain,Downhill,Tailwinds,Starry Nights,Friendly Strangers,Train horns,Smooth pavement,Boston Cremes, and the ability to follow my dreams…That’s what I’m thankful for today and will forever be grateful for.
We’re in Austin now with Darryl and his family from Loving the Bike. I’d never met him in real life but it’s like we’ve been buddies for years. He and his wonderful family have generously taken our stinky feet in for a couple days. They’re Canadian and for them, Thanksgiving is in October. So what did we make for the big meal? Thanksgiving Burritos of course! 
I absolutely LOVE Austin Texas. It’s kind of like a bigger version of Boulder. There’s live music on every corner, great Tex Mex food and everyone here has that sweet southern charm. So if you’re flying from the UK to Texas don’t forget you can leave your car at Airport Parking at Edinburgh, or Airport Parking at Liverpool or Airport Parking at Glasgow for your holiday.
Nick’s Sore Ass, and Other Short Stories
I’m proud of Nick. He’s one of the toughest guys I’ve ever met but he’s definitely not a cyclist. He looks like a Silverback Gorilla on a childs BMX. This isn’t easy for him but he’s pushing through the pain, much like he was doing one year ago as we suffered together in the jungles of Venezuela. His ass is sore, his legs are tight but he keeps on pedaling, quitting is not in his vocabulary.
One year ago I promised that I’d get him across the USA on a bike, and here we are. I know I can ride thousands of miles, I have nothing to prove to myself in the physical realm. My goal on this mission is to make sure we ride into Florida together.
I’m guessing that by the time we roll into Tampa, he’ll ditch his car, stop eating meat and will rush out and join the Peace Corps.
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