One year ago today...
My Google photos alerted me, with a curated gallery slideshow, of my activities from 1 year ago. This time 365 days ago, I had boxed my bike and flown to San Diego to travel the Southern Tier across the United States. I sat in my office chair procrastinating work and slowly digested that memory, feeling a sense of accomplishment and pride but also knowing what past Erin was feeling.
1-year younger Erin was suppressing nervous thoughts about embarking on something unknown and huge. The fact that my spoke busted two days prior on my [new to me] used bike didn't spark confidence. Flash forward a few days to where endless flat tires, lost supplies (yes I left my entire bathroom bag on the ground outside the gas station on Day 1), and gear malfunctions had us frequently stopping and scrambling to troubleshoot, sometimes in the middle of the desert with no shade. Sprinkle that with physical bodily reminders that we weren't fit [yet] for bike riding (it was winter back home, okay).
We didn't have top-notch gear, we didn't have a lot of expendable income (still don't, sad face), and we weren't sporting big brand name clothing or fancy bikes that were thousands of dollars. We wore clothes from Goodwill, and my bike was a used $500 aluminum one, not even the steel or titanium tanks that most other bike tourers would use. Yeah, I got teased for it. Multiple times by strangers.
But, you don't need all the best gear to do something big.
It has become clear to me that a positive attitude will let you go further than anything you could possibly buy at the store, courtesy of the brain being an incredible organ that has an enormous hold over the rest of our body. It may seem obvious, and cliché phrases like attitude is everything! has been repeated to us often. But, it makes a difference seeing it play out in action.
My bike shop bud told me how he and his girlfriend were touring the coast of Maine, donned in all the best gear. You can imagine the scenery of coastal Maine and how beautiful this would be for cycling. They had all the flashy equipment with the bells and whistles, everything they could have ever needed or wanted to guarantee an epic trip, except... they didn't have one. Traffic had soured their mood, and they couldn't shake the negative emotions, eventually calling the trip off because it was no longer enjoyable. But, not before crossing paths with a dirtbag on a ratty bicycle with old bags and gear strapped on in the jankiest of ways. Mr. Dirtbag was having the time of his life, bike shop owner told me.
I think about this often.
I felt this personally more recently. On my solo tour from D.C. to Pittsburgh, one of the nicest days of the tour was one of my least favorite. The sun was shining, the sparkling river was to my left, and birds and popping green vegetation were announcing spring was coming. It should have been a joyful day of riding, except my attitude had me feeling blue all day. It was a struggle to shake the glum weight of negative feelings, and, honestly, I just wanted to quit riding. Conversely, the next day was one I was most anxious for, a day that called for snow and a challenging, vertical hike-a-bike, mud-pit detour. To my surprise, it was one of my favorite days (second only to the last day when I finished). I ended cold, covered in mud, and limped into town with a flat tire, but I reveled in being outside in nature, biking, and exploring on my own. Having upbeat music throughout the day kept me jamming, good vibes all around even though the weather and terrain were crummy.
I draw inspiration from one of my favorite cyclists: Lael Wilcox. I'm positive that she has bad days and plans that get ruined. However, from hearing her interviews and watching her videos, she has the attitude that I try to cultivate on my adventures: staying positive when things go wrong, feeling optimistic during difficult challenges, and prioritizing fun above the need to grind and make a statement.
After all, messy days and wrong turns happen, and managing these detours and hiccups is part of the adventure. So, try to have fun with it!
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