Tijuana Or Bust!
Only a handful of people know this as I write this first entry, but I've decided to ride a bicycle from Canada to Mexico along the Pacific Coast! ...And I leave tomorrow for Vancouver, BC! What?! Yep. I'll be doing this alone and will be Bikepacking along the way; basically riding from campsite to campsite, southbound along the coast, with all my gear loaded on my bike.
Why you ask? Well, that's where it gets complicated when explaining to friends and family. In my mind it makes sense. There are a lot of reasons why I decided to do this now. How i've tried to explain it to others is that a little over a year ago I had back surgery and ever since, I feel like i've just been in a "funk". It's difficult to explain what that means exactly, but the bottomline is that I just haven't felt like myself since. I've picked up bad habits along the way and I don't imagine things getting any better without a major detour or shock to my life. You see, I know it sounds cliche', but I'm one of those people that tries to improve as a person each day. I realize I'm super critical of myself, but I really don't feel like i've "improved" much over the last year. So my hope is that this trip/challenge refreshes me physically, mentally, and spiritually.
A couple years ago, my buddy Jason did this same trip and when he told me about it, I knew that someday I wanted to do the same thing. I don't recall his reasoning exactly but I know he came back better than ever. A month ago, when I actually got serious about doing this myself, I realized this is just what I do. Whenever life gets like this, I usually do something outside of my comfort zone that challenges me and interrupts life for a little bit, in order to get back to where I want to be. In 2009, I backpacked around the Philippines by myself for about 6 weeks. It was my first time traveling by myself and the first time I ever travelled to a different continent. In 2011, I did something similar in Europe for 6 weeks. In 2012, I did a Juice Fast for 40 days for very similar reasons. Even more recently, I lived in Argentina for a couple months. This is just what I do. And it works for me.
Along the way, i'll be journaling and will try to update this blog whenever I have the time. If you're interested, please follow along! Comments, encouragement, and prayers for my safety are greatly appreciated!!!
Why you ask? Well, that's where it gets complicated when explaining to friends and family. In my mind it makes sense. There are a lot of reasons why I decided to do this now. How i've tried to explain it to others is that a little over a year ago I had back surgery and ever since, I feel like i've just been in a "funk". It's difficult to explain what that means exactly, but the bottomline is that I just haven't felt like myself since. I've picked up bad habits along the way and I don't imagine things getting any better without a major detour or shock to my life. You see, I know it sounds cliche', but I'm one of those people that tries to improve as a person each day. I realize I'm super critical of myself, but I really don't feel like i've "improved" much over the last year. So my hope is that this trip/challenge refreshes me physically, mentally, and spiritually.
A couple years ago, my buddy Jason did this same trip and when he told me about it, I knew that someday I wanted to do the same thing. I don't recall his reasoning exactly but I know he came back better than ever. A month ago, when I actually got serious about doing this myself, I realized this is just what I do. Whenever life gets like this, I usually do something outside of my comfort zone that challenges me and interrupts life for a little bit, in order to get back to where I want to be. In 2009, I backpacked around the Philippines by myself for about 6 weeks. It was my first time traveling by myself and the first time I ever travelled to a different continent. In 2011, I did something similar in Europe for 6 weeks. In 2012, I did a Juice Fast for 40 days for very similar reasons. Even more recently, I lived in Argentina for a couple months. This is just what I do. And it works for me.
Along the way, i'll be journaling and will try to update this blog whenever I have the time. If you're interested, please follow along! Comments, encouragement, and prayers for my safety are greatly appreciated!!!
Where are you crossing the Straight of Juan de Fuca? I can't tell from the map.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure, I think I take a ferry over it or something. I know I hit the Strait Outta Compton in LA County tho😉
DeleteYou can take the Coho or Victoria Express over from Victoria to Port Angeles; which is my home turf. #ptown
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