On March 3rd, 2010 I arrived in Ushuaia, Argentina and ended my journey to the southernmost city in the world.

On July 25th, I left for Prudhoe Bay on the north shore of Alaska to begin a solo bicycle journey 15,000 miles south along the Pan-American Highway to Tierra Del Fuego, the bottom of South America. I traveled through the vast Alaskan wilderness, into Canada and crossed into the forests of northern Washington. From there I followed the coast down, all the way through the deserts of southern Baja, where I took a ferry to the mainland. I continued to follow the coast south through the rainforests of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Then came South America: Colombia, Ecuador, the endless deserts of Peru, Northern Chile and then finally Argentina. I will ended in Ushuaia and the bottom of the Americas.

This ride is a reminder of what can be accomplished through perseverance and a little hard work. It’s a reminder of what we as people are capable of, of what the human mind, body and spirit can achieve. I hope that I can help people realize that while it may take time, and it may be harsh and lonely at times, we can make our lives how we dream them to be. I do not want to be guilty of owning a life devoid of any living. Comfort and convenience are not synonymous with happiness!

For some reason I am under the impression that I will find both myself and God somewhere along this road. Maybe I won’t find either, but I must look! I want to allow the light of introspection a pure and undiluted chance to examine my soul. I have found greater value in thoughts born in solitude than those that spring from the fray of ordinary life. I hope this trip will be the beginning to a life full of experience, beauty and understanding. I don’t ever want to forget the way the world felt when I was a child: magical and huge, full of possibility and hope. I won’t let go of that. I am an artist at heart, and this, I hope, will be my first great work.

I am riding to raise awareness for 'Acirfa,’ a non-profit organization which provides quality bikes to the people of Zambia, giving them the means to help themselves, rather than depend on charity. A bicycle changes the life of a Zambian in ways that are difficult for Americans to imagine, allowing doctors to see more patients, parents to make a living and teachers to get to school.

To clear the air and clear your head, ride a bike once a week!

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Thursday, October 29, 2009

Oct 27, 6:30 pm

Oct 27, 6:30 pm
I don't know the name of the town I am in. It was several kilometers
off of the toll highway I have been following. I managed to find a
very cheap hotel (about five bucks) just off what may be the city
center. The only thing louder than the crickets is the telenovela
playing on the TV facing away from me on the counter. I'm seated in a
plastic Coca-Cola chair out in front of a little taco stand, a small
building made of brick and painted red and white.
In this little town hair is black, if it hasn't yet turned to gray,
pants are always long and mens shirts always have collars. Most of the
buildings are made of concrete, brick, or stone and while most of them
are roughly aged, they generally age well, gaining a texture of
authenticity. If it weren't for all the faded plastic signs and
plywood stands selling jewelry, food and clothes, the towns would have
an almost European look to them. It seems that all mexicans learn a
shrill, short whistle made between teeth and lip, it is a whistle I
get often while riding, and since it is generally served with a smile
and a wave, I assume it is meant in a friendly way.