Keeping the Perspective

Cortney and I often joke that everyone is on their own journey. But it’s true. On this long, slow ramble of ours, we’ve been fortunate to meet dozens of kindred spirits. Everyone has their own experiences, philosophies, and approaches to living.

We’ve started to pick up these unsolicited “words of wisdom” along the way. And while some might sound cliché, it’s only because there’s a truth to them. That said, here are a few of the standouts:

“Don’t care about what other people think.”
-Mike the German Philosopher-Adventurer (Refugio State Beach & Santa Monica, CA)

Mike is a serial adventurer. He’s backpacked through the Colombian jungle, cycled across Europe, and pedaled through Central America. Now, in his late 40s, he decided to ride his bicycle from Deadhorse, Alaska, to the tip of Baja. Mike admits there are ups and downs. But for him, everything on the bicycle is so simple and easy. Before this adventure, he was working behind a desk, had back problems, the whole bit. He’s made a conscious effort to step outside the box, and doesn’t care what others think. He’s doing what feels right for him, in his own time. He loves how cycling “gets the blood pumping every day,” and he claims his back is perfectly fine now. He hasn’t had issues or been sick once in over six months.

“Things always have a way of working out.”
-Stoner Dave (Refugio State Beach)

We met Dave at Refugio State Beach in Southern California. He was super friendly and fun to talk routes with. Like Mike the German, he marched to the beat of his own drum. Dave travels with the season and considers himself a local in several places: Mammoth, Cambria, and LA. He’s living his dream as a part-time seasonal worker and full-time “Van Lifer,” and wouldn’t have it any other way. He gets up and goes on bike adventures when it strikes his fancy. His whole thing was about never stressing out. No matter what the predicament or circumstance, you just need to learn to embrace it. It is what it is and it all works out.” Quite simply, there are things that are beyond our control. The sooner you can accept it, the better.

“You gotta go at your own pace.”
-Hermosa Dave (Hermosa Beach)

Cortney and I had finished a big breakfast at Ocean Diner in Hermosa Beach when we ran into Dave. He was eager to talk about bike touring and travel. Years ago, he’d cycled through Portugal to Italy and absolutely loved it. People he met along the way were kind to him and he wanted to return the kindness and gave us money for coffee. Dave said, “A lot of people want to do what you’re doing… The thing is, they can. The hardest part is picking a date and getting started.” He also wisely noted that you “Gotta go at your own pace.” Long-haul touring is about listening to your body and stopping to metaphorically smell the roses. When you pedal 100 miles a day, you miss out on so much.”

“Smile. It chips away at their armor.”
-M (San Luis Obispo, CA)

While we were in San Luis Obispo, we were able to reconnect with Cousin M. We had a really great time catching up and enjoyed a really special breakfast. We talked about travel and how meeting different people in areas you aren’t familiar (and unfamiliar people) with can be intimidating. “A lot of folks put up their guard or a hard shell to protect themselves,” M says. “The best thing you can do is smile. It’s the greatest gift you can give. People put up an armor, but if you smile, ask questions about them, the armor chips away and they open up.” That advice has proven itself true many times over for me and Cortney on this journey. Without a doubt.

“Bodies in motion stay in motion.”
-Captain Jack (Van Horn, TX)

Snowbirding and YouTuber sensation Captain Jack hails from Michigan. He’s on a cross-country ramble of his own, but travels in a truck camper, not by bicycle. We caught up with him at a campground in Van Horn, TX, and he was inspired by our pedal-powered journey. He had a whole thing about getting older and how important it is to keep moving, and live—really live—each day. Don’t edit yourself too closely, he says. (And if you watch his videos, you’ll see, he doesn’t edit them.) Life is just too short. That brings us to our next perspective…

“Life is short. Do it now.”
-The Food Truck Dude (Hondo, TX)

We’re kind of a spectacle riding these loaded bickes through small towns. So when stopped in Hondo one afternoon at a food truck, the owner had a bunch of questions for us. But he also shared how his dad suddenly died last year. Everything changed for him in that moment. The food truck dude decided he wanted to simplify and spend more time with his loved ones. So he quit his day job out in San Antonio and opened a food truck with his family. None of them have restaurant experience, but they’re having a go. They just wanted to be together and have fun. And they’re doing it—all while listening to this.

“There’s more to life than stressing about making money.”
 -Brigitte (Langtry, TX)

The morning we left our camp in Langtry, TX, we stopped in at the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center and met Brigitte. She was curious about our bikes and in the way we were traveling—the simplicity of it. She connected with how it was more about the experiences than about the things. Brigitte had worked a government job in D.C. for years, and when it came time for her to retire, she bought land in West Texas and started a goat farm. She wanted the simplicity for her and her kids—and she got it. “The best stuff in life doesn’t come from money,” she says. “It’s the experiences.”  We couldn’t agree more.

As Cortney and I continue on our tour, we’re doing our best to be in the moment and take it all in. We set out to connect with the changing landscape, the people, and most important, ourselves. And we’re getting there, one revolution at a time.

-Erik