When I was a kid I enjoyed going for strolls around the block on my banana seated Strawberry Shortcake bike. It was a way for me to occupy my time and spend quality time with my friends and neighbours.
Now that I am almost 25 years old the face of biking has changed for me…or has it? I enjoy taking my bicycle for a stroll down by the river having the air whip at my hair and the beautiful scenery all around me as I take my bike down a new path on the search for a new adventure. When I look back and relate my experience of biking as a child on the banana seat to me on my much smaller seat now, I see the same excitement and joy, the same yearning to find a new adventure!
The beautiful thing about biking is how practical yet versatile it can be. It can fit almost any lifestyle. I enjoy biking to work – it is economic, cuts down on transmissions, and fits with my hippy side of life. I enjoy the exercise – it creates endorphins after a stressful day and helps with the guilty feelings you may feel after eating those Timbits. I enjoy the rush – downhill biking allows me to feel the rush as I manoeuvre my bike through trees and up and down ramps. I enjoy the challenge – pushing myself to bike from Lilongwe, Malawi to Victoria Falls is something I never doubted biking could do, but something I never saw myself caring out. Once again, biking is taking me on a new adventure.
I was recently training for this bike ride in Inuvik, NWT. The one gym in town was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. After a shift I would head to the gym and ride for 1-3 hours. I would sit there and watch the gym community at large “climbing Kilimanjaro” on my bike. A month ago I arrived in Mongu, Zambia. Awaiting me was 9 Canadian nursing students, two instructors, and 13 yellow Zambikes. I must admit in the first few weeks the bikese didn’t see much of me. However in the last 3 weeks I have been biking almost daily and remember the pure joy of biking. It has also reminded me how HOT it is in Africa! Nonetheless, I am ecstatic to embark on this journey with my good friends Jessica and Bill. It won’t be easy, but we will do our best to have as much fun and as many adventures as possible!
3 comments:
Lianne and Jess - Hope our paths can cross - come visit us in Gaborone - just peddle a few more kilometers south on those bamboo bikes :)
Email lwittmann@hotmail.com, cell +26772115944. Lani and Bernd Wittmann
hope the biking goes well honey.my butt is already sore for you.keep safe
Jess, Lianne and Bill,
We are all dying to hear how you last few days have gone. I have sent a few inquisitive texts, but not heard back, so hoping it is just because you are out of range or phone minutes!
Considering what you have not only physically been going through with these very long days of rides over 150 kms , but mentally, I thought a few words of encouragement and sentiments of love and admiration can only be helpful.
I hope by now you have fallen in love with your bikes and tents ….if not ….then it is probably time... like them or not ….it’s time to fall in love…
Every morning when you get up, before you go to sleep at night, but especially when you are having a tough go ….gather up the energy from all the love and support from all of us who admire and love you…. like a slide show, let our faces pass before you …let us help you through
Whenever you need a push; pull out the remote of the projector in your mind and key up the slide show of the faces of those in Zambia that you have already helped and dream of the successes yet to come from the incredible OkaZHI project you are leaders in …just don’t fall off your bike when doing so!
You are riding in the direction of your dreams- how incredible is that…listen and follow your heart it speaks to you every day
Robert Frost reminds us “ The only way around is through” so keep riding in the direction of your dreams and focus at the end results
My wish for you today is the aches and blisters will quickly heal …in fact that they GO AWAY…right NOW!...
And that your positive spirit will carry through today and tomorrow …
We all admire you for your courage…and for just BEING YOU!!!
In closing I send out to you this Apache Blessing:
"May the sun give you new energy by day
May the moon softly restore you by night
May the rain wash away your worries
May the wind blow new strength into your being
May you walk gently upon this earth and know it's beauty every day of your life "(and especially during this ride)
As Always In Loving Admiration, Mom/Diana aka Ma Barker
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