hello & goodbye

It's been a little while since I posted, eh? I am still in Quebec City, but leaving on the road again in a few minutes...

In the time since Peter left for new adventures, I have been having a wonderful time trying to learn some french, staying with new friends, playing tons of music, etc... I hitch hiked 400k north into the bush to live in community with about 100 other peace-loving people, at a Rainbow Gathering that was happening... camping, working together, dancing and meditating and having the most incredible jam sessions ever... then I hitch hiked to Montreal to see people I know there, then back to Quebec...

It has been a crazy and wonderful time, but now it's time to head south, get pedaling again. I'm probably quite out of shape. We'll see, I have to cross the mountains tomorrow... fun! It's always worth it on that crazy downhill plummet, wind whistling in my hair...

Will update again before too long!

Peace, joy, and positive energies

dan

A Change of Plans

Throughout this trip I have been reminded over and over: We can make decisions and move forward, but we can never separate ourselves from the great mysteries, the great uncertainties of life. So many times we have found ourselves surprised by something new and wonderful—or horrible—and all these things have added up into a grand journey beyond any of our expectations.

Last Thursday night, July 16, Dan and I were experiencing Québec City for the first time. (Beautiful, by the way. Extraordinary European-style buildings and little winding cobblestone streets.) Dan went to see Xavier Rudd. I went exploring. We met several hours later, he dazed in excitement and I in sleepiness. He told me joyously of the past few hours while leading me to meet his newfound friends. I nodded, bleary-eyed and quietly grinning. And then, as a side note before the new wash of adventure swept over him, he bore the news that changed everything—every solid plan I had for the future. (Since when were my plans solid?)

On Friday we planned together what each of us would do. We shared a delicious poutine and an ethereal Plácido Domingo concert.

On Saturday we divided our goods. I left for him the tent and the bike tools. He passed to me the seldom-used cooking stove and old shoes. We had our last words, grins, hugs. And I stepped onto the train to Montréal.

About midnight I had the supreme luck of just barely catching the Greyhound Bus to New York City. I slid my bicycle underneath and dozed beside a kindly Caribbean-Canadian lady. We stopped at the border for a very long time—I think my sleepiness and overall jubilance might have seemed drug-induced to the officials, and I had the pleasure of conversing with the curious gentlemen as they turned all my baggage inside out. The bus ride through New York mountains and forest was gorgeous. I wondered in awe at the world—how things work together.

At about 9 o'clock Sunday morning I arrived in New York just in time to flag down the bus to Philadelphia, about to pull away. We arrived. I unloaded and loaded up the bicycle. I pedaled as quickly as I could to New Jersey to say hello to Carly—and good-bye.

On Monday I cycled to my Mum's house in Allentown.

And here I am, in Pennsylvania, with only a week to sort out my paperwork, shuffle my possessions, say goodbyes, before I once again board the Greyhound Bus on next Wednesday night, to arrive in Vicksburg, Mississippi on Friday morning, July 31, to start in Americorps.

Yes. I made Americorps NCCC.

So here I am, floating bewilderedly from one adventure to the next, full of exuberance at the past month and for this great unknown future. And as I take this unexpected journey South, Dan will be continuing on, probably heading north into the wilderness of Québec. We part not in sadness, but in gleeful remembrance of this full month, the growth, and what the future might hold when our paths cross again.

And now that I see this blog from your perspective as a fellow reader, I'd say he'd better keep writing! As for me, I also have the joy over the next few days to share a few stories (and pictures!).

Venture on, my dear ones.

hello! goodbye! best of times!

Well, it's been a little while since I've written. Your dear selves deserve better! It's just that we've been so busy experiencing Life at its fullest that there's just not enough time to write about it! We're actually still in Montreal. It's midmorning Tuesday, and we're about to leave. Yesterday it was making thunderstorms up in the sky, and we didn't want to serve as human lightning-rods, so we stayed another day.

I can say without a doubt that that the week of Sunday to Sunday was the best week of my entire life. Each day was so full of beautiful moments, new adventures and friends, freeing experiences... the (very) abbreviated version is that I: learned to really let myself go and dance, (and discovered the healing freeing power of uninhibited dance) connected deeper with another human being in two days than I have with most people in two years, experienced night after night of INCREDIBLE and varied music from all over the world, watched the sun rise over the city from Mont Royal, explored, played guitar with new friends in the park, watched fireworks during a thunderstorm, (explosions from below and above at the same time!) and really LIVED to the max, in the moment, every moment, finally free, not only on the outside, but finally on the inside too. I feel like I've grown more as a person in the last week than in the whole year before it, and I've found a place I want to be for a while and a person I want to be there to be with...

It's sad to leave here, today. But I'm also so filled up with gratitude at the excellence of life and filled with the joy and spirit and energy of this place and its people, and I'm hoping that's a spirit that's g0ing to stay a part of me forever.

I want to give you all some one word admonitions straight from the heart:

Love. Dance. Give. Play. Laugh. Be.

Maybe this moment is your last. Live in it to the max, if it's one of sorrow then really cry your guts out and if it's one of joy then laugh like mad, give of your heart to those around you, friends new and old, and be who you are freely without caring what people think. These are the lessons of my time in Montreal.

peace be with you

dan

Farewell, Montreal

Today, after Dan wakes up, we will wave goodbye to our home of just over a week: Montreal. It is a truly extraordinary city, with towering skyscrapers, quaint old European-style buildings, massive parks, French (!) and English, an excellent library and free art museums (important for me), warm-hearted people, and le Festival International de Jazz de Montreal! We have spent this entire week basking in the glory of show after absolutely incredible show of music: heavenly, awe-inspiring, magical.

Favorite musical moments of mine:

Tamtams: Sitting upon a stone wall speaking with an old dreadlocked follower of Krishna as Dan danced wildly to the music of the earth beating from the many drums.

The Lady in Satin: As she crooned majestically and confidently the melodies of the 50-years-dead Billie Holiday, I felt myself melting in the bliss of the moment.

La Fanfare du Belgistan: The boisterous melding of Balkan and Middle Eastern brass and percussion elevated us all--balding white-haired men, graceful women, little boys--to an uninhibited free dance.

Nikki Yakofsky: Just as she stepped out for the encore, the sky exploded with a fierce, violent downpour. Umbrellas flew up from the front to the back, and as I listened, the 15-year-old Ella Fitzgerald broke out with a simple "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" dedicated to her late father. I stepped forward, wading through the sea of umbrellas--plaids, patterns, polka dots--watching the dear ones cling to each other tightly under their private shelter, watching the uncaring ones dance jovially as onlookers chuckled. "Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me...." I wandered forward, sopping, at peace with the world. Kind souls smiled pityingly as I walked by. I saw a woman, standing alone in her raincoat, mouthing the words with her eyes closed. "Birds fly over the rainbow. Why then, oh, why can't I?"

This city now holds many warm memories for us, and it will be sad to move away. But we both have been infused with a strong desire to return someday, perhaps to study French (or teach English). Ah! Who can know what joys and surprises the future has in store?

In the meantime we journey onward to Quebec City (probably a journey of two days), where we will wander for a day or so. Then we will finally begin our southward trek back into the United States and along the east coast to whatever adventure awaits us after we get off our bicycles. But we still have at least two weeks left!

A Short Confession

As many of you dear readers might have guessed, of we three busketeers I have certainly been the most negligent in the blogging area. In these past weeks (has it been four already?) I have left only, what, two or three posts? I had written a rather lengthy lament after Dan and I parted ways with Carly near the New York border for our separate adventures, but it seemed far too much like a eulogy for my liking, which would not be fitting seeing as Carly is still very much alive (and probably significantly stronger in the leg area than many of the rest of us!). The fact is this: I am horrid at juggling. I can spend hours dazed in front of a backlit computer screen, or I can immerse myself fully in an ocean of exciting escapades. But alas! I have not been blessed with, or have not yet developed, the ability to preform both simultaneously! This is why my long-distance communication skills are often quite lacking. I love you. I really do. I'm just not good at juggling... yet.

But there are times when my ocean of joy overflows into the city sidewalks and country roads, and I cannot keep it in! I cannot! And so for these times, when my pen is finally exhausted from lining my journal pages or scribbling postcards, I may finally turn to this blog to share with you as I really long to. Mark you: this is no resolution to type many more posts in the future. But my joy has been unusually full lately and so maybe, just maybe, I might finally say a word or two.

quick update.

Writing you from Bloomfield, Prince Edward Country, Ontario. I don't have much time, as we need to be getting on the road about two hours ago, but I'll write something quick while Peter signs our new friends' guestbook. We're staying at the home of two of the coolest people I have ever met, KT and Rick. They own a super cool small-town bike shop, grow a huge organic garden, and live in a bike/art/awesomeness-filled barn behind the shop. Their mantra is "TV Sucks, Ride Your Bike!" and they live a bold, free, positive, and natural existence. They have shown us incredible generosity and warmth, fixing up our bikes and giving me bike shoes (no more cramped toes and aching feet!!!) and making incredible meals full of fresh vegetables and fruits and natural stuff... we do all the dishes and play a little music but really the only way to repay such generosity is to pay it forward to those that we find in need... They've really been an inspiration for us, we've ended up staying here for 3 nights and abandoning our plans to get to Ottawa for Canada Day, what are plans in the face of existing in geographical congruence with amazing people?? So, today we're finally headed out. We'll have to ride about 80 miles each day for the next two days (camping somewhere in between) to make it to Ottawa without having to camp two nights.

So, last time I wrote was in Hamilton... after that we rode into through Toronto to stay with Aaron Clarke (a friend from BMA) and his awesome family, stopping to check out the CN Tower and downtown... I ended up having my first crash right in downtown Toronto, I didn't take enough of an angle when crossing the streetcar tracks and I went down. Luckily, there wasn't any traffic coming at the time and I only had two cuts (one fairly large down my shin) and a little bruising. No big deal! We decided we didn't want top pay a lot of money for Toronto busking permit, and moved on. It took us a while to get out of Toronto and we ended up camping right on lake Ontario, on a cliff over the beach. It was beautiful! The next morning Peter's front wheel wouldn't turn, but we made a temporary fix and set out. It poured cold rain most of the day, but we were in pretty good spirits, and made the 91 miles to Bloomfield before nightfall, aided by the help of a guy we met by the grocery store who told us the quickest route and offered us to stay in his cottage if we go through Vermont. People are the best!! Well. we're off...

peace

Dan

ps. OHH I almost forgot!! On our ride to Bloomfield, Peter's odometer hit the incredible number 5,000!!! So cool, he has ultimate bragging rights...

Patriotism

Today is Canada Day. I have thus far not heard a single note of "O Canada," and have only seen one maple leaf flag. But then, the day is still young.

But! I have noticed an odd trend of stylized red maple leaves pasted onto signs of various stores and fast food eateries. Ontario's Pizza Pizza pops a spiny leaf smack dab in the middle of the last "a" (eh?). Wendy's? No more apostrophes for us! This is Canadian fast food because we have a maple leaf in between the "y" and "s." But my favo(u)rite by far has been McDonalds, the grand double-golden arches tattooed cunningly with a little red leaf as the "M"'s bellybutton! How very natural!

In Ottawa, I'm sure, the festivities run quite rampant, but we are not destined to arrive there for another few days, now cycling through the calm countryside, engaging with beautiful people and hoping for a bit of dryness.

en Canada estamos!

(We are in Canada.)

We are very excited about this. The roads are better here, the people smile more, the houses are prettier, bathrooms smell better, and there's less roadkill. Unfortunately, Canadian awesomeness has not yet found a way to omit thunderstorms from the weather patterns over their country, so we're not riding today. We're currently staying with some awesome CouchSurfers in Hamilton, Ontario. We got in late last night after a pretty intense 70+ mile ride from Niagara Falls, including a stop for a quick dip into beautiful Lake Ontario. We spent the morning at the Canadian side of the falls, and spent about an hour busking. In that hour we got not only about 10 dollars US and 10 dollars Canadian, but a whole host of smiles! Unfortunately, we were told a little later, while playing for ourselves under a tree, that we were not allowed to play instruments in that entire area. Glad we went undiscovered the first hour... we met some nice travelers from Australia and Germany, and then we met this awesome individual named Ray. Ray is, in all respects, the man. We first saw him riding along on top of one of those 19th century bicycles with the HUGE wheel in front and the little wheel in back. He was wearing an old-style hat and jacket, and had a huge grin all over his face. Everybody pretty much converged on him to ask him about the bike and get a picture with him. We waited until the rush had subsided, and then went and talked to him. Turns out, he's a photographer from Rhode Island, and he takes months out of each year to travel around in his van and take pictures different places, bringing this bicycle with him. He's been riding the thing 15-20 miles each day for the past 35 years!! He was very excited to hear about our journey and glad that we were finding our own paths and doing some adventuring instead of conforming to the usual for people our age. He's such an inspiration for me, just awesome.

Well, since I've got the time, maybe I'll tell you all a few more details about the trip. Like, what we've been eating, organized inaccurately by volume:

- Bread / Bagels
- Peanut butter
- Granola bars
- Oatmeal
- Cheese
- Pasta (when we're staying someplace)
- Dried fruit (I grudgingly eat raisins now)
- Peanuts
- Fresh fruit (when we find a good deal)
- Unrecognizable pancakes
- Semi-recognizable pancakes
- Burritos @ Taco Bell (best value!)
- Various flying insects (accidental protein.)

We have had some wonderful meals with hosts, though. Last night we were given the most perfectly spiced curry I've ever had, and amazing little berry and custard tarts!

This is a crazy life, but it's a rewarding one. I already feel like I've been on the road for a very long time, due to the high volume of images flooding my brain from the last week and a half... all the new places and faces, sights & sounds. If you think us madmen, you are right. If you think that's a bad thing, you are wrong!

Hasta luego.

dan

some pictures.

Sorry about the photo delay. This is the first time we've been able to put any up! Good news! After a few days of dryness, my camera lives again! That's a huge relief. So: here is a quick selection of a few photos! Peter's camera has more, I'll put up his later.


launch!














sweet camping spot!



last day together with three of us.

eating incredible mexican food with Madi at Viva! in Ithaca, NY













playing in the waterfalls outside Ithaca. best time ever.













Peter's broken chain.

no shortage of adventures!

Our hearts are warm. I don't think that we will ever again be able to doubt the basic good of the human race after all that has gone down these past few days. After spending a rest day and a half in Ithaca, (i've added it to the list of places I'd like to live someday) including an amazing joyful time playing in the waterfalls near there (thanks Madi for taking us to the dams!!), we set out along Cayuga lake towards Geneva, NY. It was a perfect day. Golden sunshine illuminated countless rows of grapes, with the lake and rolling hills in the background... everything was going great for about 25 miles, and suddenly, SNAP. It was Peter's chain. He had just been mentioning that he wanted to get it changed at the next bike shop we came upon.

We were in the middle of nowhere, on highway 89 along Cayuga lake, one of the famed Finger Lakes. We tried to fix it with the tools we had (somehow managed to leave the chain tool at home!) with no success. Suddenly we heard voices from the thickly wooded area behind us, "Look out! Run, run!!" and we couldn't see what was happening, but right after we heard the voices we heard a big explosion, and then silence. It kind of sounded like a gunshot, but we weren't sure. I got out my knife, just in case. We weren't sure if we should go try to see what happened or not. We were a little scared, so we moved on. Walking the bikes, of course. There was a privately owned campground not too far up the road, so we walked in there (passed some cute little skunks on the way!) and a guy helped us figure out where the next bike shop was and we called to find out their address and hours. Then we went back out to the road to try and flag down a truck or a van or something that could fit us and all our stuff and that was going the right way. Too many conditions, I guess. And not enough traffic.

We had no luck, and darkness was fast approaching, so I began to scout for camping spots. (We didn't want to pay the ridiculous $20 for a piece of land to stick out tent on at the campground.) I guess that's the running price these days, but we prefer to use a little stealth and hide ourselves away in some little unposted meadow, which is precisely what we did. We had to lug our stuff through a lot of very tall grass (and subsequently check ourselves for ticks multiple times) and then stomp down the grass to find a semi-level spot for our tent. Unfortunately, we woke up to a substantial rain and had to break camp all wet. We packed up our things and started knocking on the nearest doors. One nice man told us where there were a bunch of houses nearby. We went up the road and randomly picked one. A wonderful lady named Patti (I hope this is how it's spelled?? Correct me if you're reading this!) opened the door and first offered to let us take her bike that she didn't use (it was a smaller mountain bike) and then offered to take us to the bike shop in Geneva. We gratefully accepted and loaded all of our stuff and bikes (somehow) into her SUV. We parted ways with many kind words flying through the air.

After spending a few hours at the bike shop in Geneva, learning about chains and chain tools, buying them both, and fixing Peter's biking shoes, we set out towards the place of Jesse, our CouchSurfing contact, into the pelting, cold rain. We were soon soaked, and when we saw a Panera Bread 15 miles later, we couldn't turn down the prospect of hot soup & excellent bread! Between us, we consumed a "Group Soup" (supposed to be enough for four people) and 7 of those big pieces of french baguette that come with the soup. We bought two bagels for the road and ended up eating them right away. While we were packing up to leave, a kind couple in a Volvo asked where we were from and asked if we needed a place to stay for the night. We thanked them but told them we had a place. People are so nice!!! We headed out again and 10 miles later I was shifting a little too hard (maybe?) and somehow, my rear derailleur bent in towards the wheel and a got jammed into the spokes. This stopped my wheel short, of course, stopping me very quickly, causing Peter to run into me and fall over. He was alright, and we pulled over and went into this abandoned looking stand alone garage to try to fix it. The spoke was jammed into part of the derailleur so hard that we could not pry it out. So we had to go to the nearby houses and ask for a wrench set, which we found, and then we were able to loosen it up and get out the spoke. We bent the derailleur straight again as best we could, but 100 yards down the road it happened again, but with less severity. The third time it happened, we knew we could not go any further without a better fix. So we walked to a gas station to get out of the rain, got coffee and tea, and called Jesse and told him our situation. Wonderful man that he is, he said he'd come the 30 miles and pick us up as soon as he could.

We had a most excellent time at the country home of Jesse and his beautiful family. They were so warm and welcoming to us! We felt immediately at home! Jesse helped us temporarily fix my rear derailleur, we ate a magnificent chicken and rice dinner, and swapped travel stories and life philosophies and had an all around wonderful stay. We won't forget the incredibly generous hospitality provided us, and we'll be sure to pass it on!!

Sunday morning we (carefully) set out towards Buffalo, waving warm goodbyes to the Coots family. After a few miles we realized that we had forgotten to stretch, (Peter has these special stretches that take forever that are supposed to help his patella femural syndrome, and prevent it in people who don't have it, like me.) so we stopped off at an abandoned house that had gone through a fire and did all these crazy stretches in the driveway right by the road. It's a really humbling experience, and quite blissful to finally lose self-conciousness. I didn't shift much at all as we continued our ride to Buffalo, in order to not upset the fragile equilibrium of my derailleur. It worked, although it was hard going up hills without going down to my easiest gears. It was good strength training, anyway! We had another CS (Couchsurfing) contact in Buffalo, but he wasn't going to be home until later, so we rode up into downtown. It was eerily deserted. We saw perhaps 10 people in about 15 minutes of riding through the main area of Buffalo. Probably because everything was closed up for Father's Day... but it was cool, I've always really loved the intrigue of finding solitude in places that are usually bustling.

We found our way to Ray's house, an awesome guy. He's a high schoool Spanish teacher, and he also knows Italian, so him and Peter and I had our conversations in part English, part Spanish, and part Italian. He told us some great stories and taught us some things about the languages we're learning. He's also a great piano player, and we really enjoyed escucharlo tocando! He had a friend who was staying there the same night named Eric, who lives in Niagara falls. When Eric heard that we didn't yet have a place to stay up at the falls, he offered to let us crash his apartment up there the next night. He even took our stuff in the car with him when he went, so we could ride our bikes around buffalo and up to the falls without being all loaded down with all our crap! (lesson learned: pack lighter next time. mom and dad, i might be sending some stuff home!) Peter had to do a bunch of stuff for his AmeriCorps application, like getting fingerprints and stuff, and we spent some time at the post office, printed pictures at the pharmacy to send out as postcards, and then sat in the grass in one of Buffalo's squares listening to a blues band play for charity. They were supporting the Western New York Food bank. We finally had sun & blue sky above and it was so freeing speeding around the city on unloaded bikes...

I finally found a bike shop in the afternoon. They took one look at my derailleur and said I needed to replace the whole thing. $50 including install was a bit of a financial lump to swallow, but it's worth it to know that I won't be suddenly bending my derailleur and stopping short in traffic or causing any crashes. Plus, the bike shifts like a dream now. So smooth, the Click Clack Symphony has been booed off the stage at last. After I got my bike fixed, we went back to the square where people had been playing music. There was this lady playing the guitar and her voice was so lovely and I really connected to her music. Unfortunately we only got to be there for her last two songs, but after she left the stage we went and talked with her and she was the sweetest lady ever, we told her we were musicians and songwriters too and she wanted to hear a song so we played "The Sun" , that song that I wrote, and she loved it a lot and harmonized with us and it was a beautiful thing. Her name is Noa Bursie, go check out her music at her myspace! At some point, Peter had met these two local cyclists, Freddy and Eddie, who were super cool and they told us about a bike trail that went 15 or 20 miles up the river that we could take almost all the way to our friend's house! We did that, and it was a beautiful ride in the sun soaked evening...

So, it was about 9 PM by the time we made it up to Eric's house, a few miles from the falls. He highly recommended to us that we go and see it at night, because it's way better, he said. Wow we are so glad we took his advice!! After a stop at Target for Clif bars and Mac'n'Cheese we rode by the light of the city down to the falls. It was a magical night, perfect temperature, not too hot or humid, and there was hardly anybody there. We took long exposures of the falls, which were all lit up in different colors, and played guitar and melodica for a long time, sitting on the rail of the fence that we were supposed to stay on the other side of... (mom you didn't read that!) I sang the Niagara Blues and then we made up this crazy good song about falling over the falls in a barrel and such, relating it to a metaphor about falling in love or something! There weren't too many people there, but this one group came over to us and asked us to play something emotional because it was their last night together with their dear foreign exchange student from the Netherlands. We played "The Sun" again and they loved it. We were talking with them for a little while, found out a few of them were fellow CouchSurfers, and they said if we're ever in their area (Rochester) we have a place to stay! Peter and I explored joyfully all over the falls area, especially on Goat Island, until about 2 AM, plunging down unlit paths to find secret cool places near the water, reveling in the adventuresome spirit of the Night, filled up with life! It was the greatest time ever. I climbed out on a tree branch and sat over the water that rushed down to those magnificent falls, just for the fun of it. (Mom, you didn't read that either!!) We finally rode back to Eric's about 2:30, weaving all over the deserted avenues to find the path of least resistance (the roads are pretty bad!) and riding on the wrong side just because I can!

It was a perfect day, yesterday. We met so many great people, heard & created great music, frolicked, were filled with joy and connection, and really felt free. This is what it's all about! This is why we came!!

So. Today is an Internet & Laundry and Rest day. We'll probably stay with Eric again tonight, and then cross over into Canada tomorrow and ride to Hamilton, where we have a CS contact. Sorry to you dear followers for the long delay in posting, our days have been so full! We have pictures, but the library computers won't let us connect the camera... one of these days we'll be able to get some up. Not helping this endeavor is the fact that my camera died. Yes, that camera. My love, my D300. Dead as a doornail. It hasn't really hit me yet. All the failed technology in the world cannot take away the joys of simply living & connecting.

Until next time.
May you all be filled with peace.
May you be inspired to connect with your fellow human beings. Strangers or not!

On to Canada!

goodbyes / ithaca

Writing you from Ithaca, New York. It really feels like you're on a journey when you cross into a new land. That was how we felt crossing the border, although there was no Welcome to NY sign for us to take a picture of! Unfortunately, today we had to say a sad goodbye to dear Carly, in Towanda, PA. We salute her for her accomplishments and wish her much luck and joy in whatever other journeys her summer may hold. After our goodbye lunch (first "real" meal in 4 days) and some bonding time down by the river, Peter and I moved on at around 2:30 in the afternoon. We made good time despite the rain & wind (not too many hills) and made it the remaining 50 miles to Ithaca in about 4 and a half hours. We were soaked by the time we got there...and i found out that my waterproof coat doesn't live up to its name, and I was carrying about 5 extra pounds of water inside my shoes, and it was cold, but oh we felt so alive whipping along with the rain in our faces! Our stuff stayed pretty much dry (everything important, anyway) even though we didn't. While we were trying to contact our wonderful new friend and Ithaca host Madi, we stopped in at this wonderful local coffee shop and cafe called the Smart Monkey. We enjoyed incredible coffee, great art on the walls, and the fact that the middle of the place was made of two trees. The people at the next table started singing songs, and that really warmed our hearts as well. We spent some time talking to the employees around closing time, and then eventually found Madi & her place from which I am typing just now! We've been having a great time discussing and playing music and chilling out. Tomorrow we'll spend time around here and take a much-needed rest break. Not that I'm tired. Not that my legs are tired. Never.

time for a new adventure

unfortunately, after 135 miles or so, my little legs decided that it was too much. so i have dropped out of this adventure with the boys. i decided that it was better for the two of them to go on and have fun, than to try and put up with me stopping on every hill. i think it's okay to admit that i'm just not capable of something like this quite yet. we arrived in towanda at around 11, currently i'm waiting for my dad, he's on his way to come and rescue me.
i'm a little dissapointed in myself. i kept hoping that maybe if i just told myself i could do it, i would. but maybe i just don't work like that.
at least i have made it this far. not everyone can say that they have accomplished this sort of thing. right now, i am content in my shortcomings.
before the guys headed off to ithica, we decided to share a last meal together. we went to this little pizza place called papa v's. we ordered the "holiday pizza" it was really very good. then i sent the guys on there way so that they wouldn't lose daylight. so, they are still going strong! woohoo!

-carly

ughmmghmmmgh.....

well, these past two days, have been so CHALLENGING. the first day, when we decided to bike for 50 miles UPHILL... i was about ready to cry, i think i did a little bit :) i hadn't realized just how much this was going to take out of me. so about 35 miles into the trip, it was just hill after hill after hill, i started hyperventalating... no biggie! don't freak out! i was able to start breathing normally after a minute or so. but i was just so overwhelemed. especially since we had gotten directions from steevo and we were supposed to be so close after we saw a wendy's. well, we found A wendy's only to discover that the REAL wendy's was still a long ways away. so hill after hill after hill. it was awful. i felt so bad for peter and dan, they had to put up with me. then the gray's pulled up in their mini-van when we were about 6 miles away. WORST SIX MILES OF MY LIFE! haha. by this time, it was almost dark, and we had to keep going up. we found the road that led to steevo's house, and by this time, it was so dark, we had little flashlights on the back of our packed bikes so that we could see a little bit of the road. i felt so funny. i was tired and hungry... i was babbling so much. and i was trying to follow this little tiny light. and if i was too slow, it would get too far away and i couldn't see anything anymore. but if i went too fast, i would run into dan. i kept flashing back to that movie tron. where they're in the little cars... it was a fun night. so when we finally reached danielle's house, such relief! my brother was there, he stayed to say goodbye. it was so nice :) he offered to drive me home, and i almost agreed haha... i was feeling so awful. but after some delicious food, and a shower, playing ISPY with steevo, and sleeping for a good 10 or 11 hours... i decided that the journey must continue! so yesterday, we only got about 30 miles or so, the first 10 were just as bad as the day before, but i tried to keep telling myself that soon it would be flat, and things will get better haha. such fun. we were on the road and around 7:30 we started looking for a campsite. we found the perfect spot right up next to the river. we asked the people in the Apple Tree House if we could camp there, and they said that people do it all the time. so we set up our little tent, and this guy in a mustang comes around and tells us that camping is prohibited and we should leave before the warden comes. we talked amongst ourselves and decided to risk it. but then 10 minutes later, the warden comes around. his name was john. but he was really nice, he asked the Apple Tree House people if we could stay on their property for the night, and they agreed, so all we needed to do was cross the street :) he even helped us take our things over. it was really nice of all of them.
last night, we had our first cooking experience with the 30 year old swiss stove... we made some watery rice and beans and we had some burned bagel and cheese sandwiches. so very very tasty :D. sleeping, was a little difficult. three people in a two man tent haha... it was interesting. but we survived. this morning we tried to make pancakes. which didn't work out so well. they burned. (we didn't have butter, or oil, not even pam!) so we settled for oatmeal and wrapped up the batter...
we've been traveling for a few hours already and we have reached this somewhat conveniently located public library.
it's been a little rough for me... with the two taller, stronger, more athletic guys and then me. shorter, weaker, pudgier, less atheltic girl :) but i'm still really excited about this whole thing. even though i'm probably making life miserable for these two gentlemen. i'm glad that so far, they haven't admitted it, and that soon, we will be in CANADA! singing, and exploring our little hearts out.
somehow, it still doesn't seem very real to me yet. with all of the frustration, and overexertion. this journey still feels like something completely natural. like i've been doing it my whole life. hmm... oh, and i also found out that my filling in my molar popped out somehow... so that should make eating quite interesting as well :D haha, but i'm still smiling, somewhat :)

-carly

WOOOOo!!!

Oh yeah!! Today was crazy fun for me! It's midnight and we're at our dear friends the Gray's house. We got in about 10:30. It was an extremely long and and crazy day. We made it about 50 miles, but that was ALL long climbs and long descents. Over and over again. I was happy that I felt much more fit than I thought I would, and was able to do the long hills without too much problem. There were a few mishaps, like when Peter dropped my water bottle cap in a service station toilet, and when I kicked my rear pannier bucket off by accident in the middle of an intersection. After that, I had to redo my system for fastening them to the bike, I modified two bungee cords by cutting them small and then retying the hooks and burning the ends to keep them from unraveling. No problems after that!!

I felt so alive today. Sweating and grunting up hills, flying down them dangerously fast, noticing all the sights and sounds and smells of the earth... it's truly a wonderful way to travel. Not so slow that it takes you forever, but not so fast that you pass by all the little details and marvels of the everyday world. What is it about people that we in general are so addicted to ease and comfort that hardly anybody gets out and goes biking? We saw a grand total of ONE biker on the road. In 50 miles. America needs to wake up and get out and get happy! Funny how i feel so energized... not much sleep last night plus long day today, but man I feel way better than when I was getting 12 hours of sleep and lazing around the house!

Life's a grand adventure
Get out and see the earth, there's beauty everywhere
Bye until next time we get internet.
Which will not be in our random stealth camping sites that we'll have to stay in the next two nights.
Peace be with you all. And there are a lot of you, it's crazy. You're like an army. A peaceful army. Word.

-dan

Nifty

well, as you can see by our nifty countdown (maybe we should take that off now) TODAY IS THE DAY! emotions are running wild, bags are being packed, bicycles are screaming in horror :) my stomach is all in knots, a little bit of anxiety, but mostly just oh-my-goodness-i-can't-believe-we're-actually-doing-this. so, off we go, first stop, danielle's house :D

-carly

Honestly, who needs legs anyway?

After riding to New Jersey and back, my legs were feeling a little sore.

"Mom, do you think it's normal for my knee to feel nastily bruised inside whenever it moves?"

"Maybe you should get that checked before you bike to Canada."

Meanwhile, at the chiropractor's:

"Does that hurt?"

"Nope."

"How about there?"

"Not a bit!"

"And if I press here—"

"Ouch! Yep, that's the spot."

The man casually sat back and said with a grin, "You have Patella Femoral Syndrome."

I was so excited! I raced in to tell Dan and Carly.

"I have Patella Femoral Syndrome!"

They recoil slightly, perhaps laden with thoughts of, 'Oh no! No more bicycle tour!' or 'Forsooth, wherfore dodst the lad babble with such jubilation?'

"It happens to bikers and soccer players all the time! I still get to go biking this summer and I won't ruin my knees forever! All I need to do is take Advil and do stretches!"

I have since attended my one-and-only physical therapy session to learn how to save my legs. (If only I had learned how to shave my legs! More aerodynamic, I hear.) Also, before our 30-mile return trip from my Mum's place in Allentown, Carly and I tried out our brand-new stretching routine for the first time. (That's right: I'm forcing Dan and Carly to do 'em with me! No pointing and laughing while I struggle with my inflexibility!) I glowingly savored each one of those thirty miles as absolutely pain-free in that particular knee region.

And now I am off to stretch again before I fall asleep. Doctor's orders!

the making of panniers / first ride fully loaded

Thanks to somebody genius over at crazyguyonabike, I found the plans to make panniers (bike luggage, essentially) out of squarish plastic buckets. After two mostly fruitless searches at the local recycling center for kitty litter buckets or the like, I was finally able to find some buckets via the help of the esteemed Mr. Caleb Link and the not-as-esteemed BMA sewer plant. They're used chemical buckets, not sure what their exact function is. I cleaned them out very well, and then did it again, and then got all the supplies I needed at the hardware store for $2.85. I had to cut out some parts of the plastic that runs around the buckets, and then drill holes so i could bolt on hooks on the top. It took me a while, because I'm slow like that, but the finished product looks so great:

They even have watertight (maybe, we'll see) lids, and handles! Soon after I finished, I loaded up pretty much all of the stuff I'm taking on the trip, (equipment list coming soon) and weighed it all. Turns out it's not much more than 35 pounds, which is pretty good. Then I headed out into the foggy dusk. It's quite different, riding fully loaded. Steering is a little more squirrelly, and it's much harder riding up hills, but much faster riding down, due to the extra weight! Momentum carries one much further as well. I had an excellent, invigorating ride in the gathering darkness, with no near-death experiences for once! I felt connected and inspired out there in the cool breeze, even though it turned into a headwind when I turned around. I even got to honk my silly kiddy-horn that sounds like a duck at some girls in a car in Shartlesville. It was wonderful to hear them laugh.

When I returned I decided to take some sweet shots of ANTONIO!!! THE BULLFIGHTER / BULL!! (Oh, that's the full name of my bike.) Sometimes he charges people with his rider crying out "ANTONIO!!" Those two are really hard to keep in check....

Nifty, eh? If I get some time, I want to paint & stencil the buckets. And leave room for everyone we meet to sign them.

Preparations are going well, if a little rushed. Time is a Ferrari...

-Dan

today's photographs

At the summit! Click the pic to head on over to Flickr and see the whole set.

-Dan

p.s. Notice that you can move around, zoom in and out, and click on the points and routes in the map above! It will be updated along with this blog! Nifty, eh?

hawk mountain!

today,in the hopes of exhausting our physical capablities the three of us (and friends)decided to bike up to HAWK MOUNTAIN (insert: very deep echo) justin and danika were invited along and so the five of us set out this morning. we met at 8, but we didn't end up leaving until 9-ish or so because ingrid decided to be fickle and pop her tire. but then! we were off! it was such a lovely morning. we got quite far, but danika got sick, so she decided it would be a good idea to return.
then it was just the four of us peddling along. we finally made it to the incredibly long windy steep road that led up to the bird sanctuary. up up up, much to my dismay... i got about a third of the way (probably less, but i'm going to boost my esteem a little :) and then i had to walk up the rest... when we reached the top, it was time for a picnic! mmm chocolate! probably the best part about the trip, was going down. best day ever.

-carly

etymology of a journey / chicken

I don't know precisely when the egg that is the idea of this impending adventure was laid, or when it hatched. However, I can attest without hesitation that the resulting chicken is alive and growing and practically itching to strut out of the coop!

In this particular scenario Peter is no doubt our very own mother hen. After his experiences pedaling throughout Italy and down the West Coast, he was inspired to inspire Carly and I to join together with him on a similar, yet distinctly Canadian venture. His expertise and patience (an excellent trait combination, I might add!) have proven to be invaluable. He was the one that found free, aging, and excellent touring bikes for both Carly and I, which is quite a feat, not the least because it happens to be nigh impossible to find any bike with a large enough frame to accommodate my giraffe-like lower appendages.

The aforementioned egg turned chicken is no ordinary poultry. Each feather is made of an hour of dreaming, each muscle made of an hour of planning, and its tough skin formed by the hard work of overcoming realities. It has had to take utmost care to steer clear of carnivorous farmers with axes, and although there have been several sightings, there have been no mishaps or vertigo-inducing action-movie chase sequences through the tall grasses and barns. While the fowl is still young and has yet to master its motor skills, we hold to the old adage while bracing for the bumbles: "If you're not falling, you're not learning." (thanks, Dad!)

As a note of explanation, before you all flood our inboxes with panicked messages warning us of our grave error, the last word of the title of this blog was indeed formed quite purposefully; it is not a victim of some terrible grammatical crime. To busk, according to the dictionary, means "To play music or perform entertainment in a public place, usually while soliciting money." A substantial part of our summer's journey involves doing precisely that, with hopes of both putting smiles on the faces of passersby, and procuring enough dough to buy enough bread to keep our legs healthfully and furiously pedaling. Additionally, there is an element of searching to the word "busk." It is partially derived from the Spanish "buscar," to seek, which corresponds to the nature of this journey perfectly. We seek life-changing experiences and encounters, connection with nature and humanity, deep bonds among ourselves, the wisdom and patience that comes from hardship, and of course, tanned and hardened muscles!

Off to the haystack to get some rest...

Dan

why we are here

after much deliberation (as in, a few minutes of careful pondering) the three of us finally figured out what we were going to name the blog! and coincidentally, i get the first post :P peter and dan are on the guitars.
WELL, to get started. the three of us decided to create this blog, so that our friends and family would be able to keep track of us on our bike trip to canada. this is the last week before we head off. only 7 days left! so far, everything is going according to plan. but ah! the question is, what is the plan? dan, peter, and myself are going to ride our bicycles up to canada for the summer. tada! we decided (unofficially) that our departure date would be on the fourteenth. our goal, or as much of it as i know of, is to head up to toronto, ottowa, and then montreal. couchsurfing and camping along the way. we will be posting pictures and of course little snippets of our adventures whenever we get the chance.
my bicycle (ingrid) has been through a little bit of plastic surgery in order to be prepared for this journey. and of course peter and dan's bicycles are thriving. we just have a few practice trips left to plan and follow through with, and then we should be ready to depart on our journey.
so if there are questions, comments, or anything of the like, don't hesitate to voice them.

-carly