Plot Twist: I Went to Belize

When I decided to stop riding my bicycle, I didn’t have much of a plan. In fact, I didn’t have a plan at all. I just knew that I no longer wanted to ride west into the punishing wind. So I defected to my parents’ house in Omaha where I spent two restless weeks alternately lying…

Days 0–2

Day 0: St Louis, MO to Portland ME

The past few days have been a whirlwind of new experiences. My flight from St. Louis to Portland, ME left at 5:30am on May 10. A 3am wake up combined with a night of poor sleep due to rain and nerves left me feeling exhausted…

Days 34–39

Day 34: Chillicothe, IL to Cambridge, IL, 63 miles

Having gone off-route to stay in Chillicothe with the Myers, today I am relying on Google Maps to get me back on track. After a few miles, it directs me to Rock Island Trail, a lovely crushed gravel…

Week Four

Day 23: Erie, PA to Geneva-on-the-Lake, OH, 53 miles

It rained last night, and this morning when I wake up, my tent is soaked. Trying to pack up a wet tent on a wet beach isn’t easy, as I quickly learn. I probably pack about half a pound of sand into…

Hard Choices

This year has been full of hard choices. Deciding to do this tour, deciding to quit my job, deciding to go to grad school, deciding between USC and UCLA, and now — after nearly two months on the road — deciding to stop riding. Let me explain.

Day 47: St. Paul, MN to…

Week Three

Day 16: Rochester to Middleport

The Erie Canalway Trail is a flat packed gravel path that runs right alongside the canal. The sun is shining, and I’m grateful that the only traffic I have to contend with is an abundance of Canada geese. I try to give them space…

Days 28–33

Day 29: Fort Wayne, IN to Wabash, IN, 58 miles

After a tasty breakfast of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, fruit, and coffee, Tyler and I set out from Beth’s house in Fort Wayne. The scenery today is the same as it has been for the past several days: flat land…

Day 4

May 14 , 2016— Conway, NH to Lincoln, NH

I take a right off Passaconoway Road onto Kancamagus Highway and there by the side of the road is a small sign “Race in Progress.” There is no one to be seen on the road. Neither a cyclist nor a vehicle in sight. Just me and…

Days 6–7

Day 6: Fairlee, VT to Bethel, VT

So this is how it is. I am pushing my bike up a hill on the 132 outside of South Strafford, when something flutters past my sunglasses. Could that be? Yes, a snowflake. I stop for a moment and stare angrily at the flurries, as if…

Day 10

May 20, 2016—New Hudson, NY to Raquette Lake, NY