Why Bike Across America?

Most people react to the news that I am embarking on this trip with skepticism, doubt, shock, confusion, awe, or some combination thereof, but usually negatively. Common questions include, "Why would someone do that?," or, "Aren't you afraid of the [wilderness, cars, murderers, weather, distance, risks, unknown]?" The answers are pretty simple: "Why not" and "No".

"The country is not going anywhere, just do it next year." To this argument, I can only respond by loosely quoting Mark Twain- Rarely do we regret the things we have done as much as those which we have not done. There are always a million reasons to stick to the routine and "put off" our dreams, but if you never go for it, you'll find that the perfect time never comes. There will always be sacrifices to be made, so delaying in hopes that you might avoid this is senseless. I could think of plenty of reasons to stay indoors all day, but the risks we take just by walking out the door seem negligible when compared to the potential benefits. Just exaggerate that same concept as it applies to more grandiose endeavors.

This is not the best time to do this. My life isn't organized enough yet. There are too many open ends.

The reality is that those exact same excuses can be applied at any time in any persons life. The best time doesn't exist. You make it. Life will always be out of control and you will never be as organized as you wish. Every open end that you close just makes way for another.

Since there is no perfect time, now is just as good as any other time. Now is the time to do what you are driven to do.



As far as the wilderness, etc., people have dealt with far worse conditions than anything I could possibly encounter along the secondary roads of rural America. I actually look forward to challenges because I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment when I overcome. I have experienced the feeling of being an inch away from passing out, I have pushed through the heat when it seemed like I would collapse at any second. I try to embrace these chances to push my limits and test my endurance.

The Coast-to-Coast factor is just a convenient way of packaging what basically amounts to an epic journey. It's a goal, something to aim for, a clear finishing point. If I lived in Panama, a similar journey would be significantly less impressive, but the continental US just happens to provide a suitable distance for the time that I have.

I'm hardly a spokesman for following dreams and overcoming adversity, but this is what I can do for myself. This is what I can commit to and this can be my personal success or failure. It's out of the ordinary and it's full of mystery and difficulty, but this is what I can do to bring myself to the edge and create a self-defining moment. Everyone has different limitations and abilities, but this is what I can do.