Bikes and Beers

To get excited for the trip and learn a bit about where we are going, I started reading a travel memoir of a couple's bicycle tour through Mexico and South America. The first chapter of Andes to the Amazon by Bruce Junek describes the "archetype of the pilgrim traveler: one who realizes how miraculous the natural world is, and how little of life we really understand. The pilgrim watches and learns, contemplating with compassion the lives of those he or she meets. A pilgrim's journey does not require a specific destination. In fact the destination can be secondary to the overall purpose of the experience. The journey itself, the act of mindful travel, is the purpose." We are pilgrims. I made a list of goals I have for this trip:

• Experience another culture, and improve my Spanish
• Stay aware of people and place, fully living in each moment, as well as larger social and political issues
• Write effectively about my experiences, finding inspiration in everything
• Nurture relationships with my travel mates, rely on each other
• Practice habits that align with my beliefs
• Spread love, receive love

These are ambitious goals, I know. Almost all of them could be undertaken here at home, yet at home I too easily succumb to habits and behaviors that I would rather shake. There is something about being in another place, especially travelling, that offers new possibilities and personal growth. I have no idea what will happen on this trip, but if I approach all things with patience and openness, then I will have a great experience and learn much. The author of the book I'm reading says, "We may not always control life's events, but we can control how we will react to those events."

Though the paint job on my bicycle frame is finished, most of the work lies ahead. I took the frame into Dave's bike shop, where we spent several hours installing a new crank set - the system of front gears, cranks, and pedals. After Dave got off work, we picked up some beer on the way home. Sipping our libations, we continued the construction of my bike in the basement. We opened many of the packages which had arrived a few days earlier. Some of the items I was unsure what to do with. Dave, however, is a skilled mechanic and avoids any instruction manuals. He helped me assemble the gears on the back wheel and mount it. We put new handlebars on, and attached the brakes and shifters. We put on the front and rear derailleurs, and threaded all the cabling. A couple of hours and beers later, I had a beautiful ridable new bike. With an earthy green frame, silver components and white handlebar wrapping, I had to name it Cosmo, short for Cosmpolite: "One who is at home in every place; a citizen of the world." I am so excited.