communication gear Tandem

Posted by: Kallie

Life has been full of changes for Andrew and I over the past few months. Andrew graduated from seminary, we got married and moved in together- just in time to move all of our stuff into storage and head out on this bike trip!

But perhaps one of the biggest adjustments so far has been to our new tandem, that people tend to refer to as “le Autobus.” Not only are we riding a tandem, we are also pulling a single-wheel trailer (who we refer to as “Bob”) making our rig even more of a spectacle.

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Posted by: Tori

When riding through Switzerland I realized the hills were alive- with the sound of me panting for breath, and my gears grinding while going up hill after hill after hill. These sounds are depressing. To cover the sounds of suffering, I crafted a playlist entitled “legpain”. This masterpiece of compiled songs keeps me going day after day no matter the weather, terrain, or mood. After about 20 km of warm up I fire up these magical tunes, always keeping it on shuffle because- yes, my life really is that exciting.I figured I would let you all in on the goods that keep me going.

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Posted by: Lindsey

I am continually surprised by how much I enjoy my trips away from the U.S. Every time I return, my immediate instinct is to not unpack so I can embark on another adventure on a moment’s notice. Maybe what I like best about traveling is that a new environment with new people offers a clarity impossible to attain when close to the familiar. I feel like the truest form of myself when removed from familial, academic and societal pressures that have in some way shape or form hijacked my identity and dreams. At school, I face doubts and fears regarding the future, my future, and how my current trajectory fits in with my dreams. Leaving is dreaming of what life without so many pressures could be: impulsive, unconventional, different. Returning is a reminder of what I’m giving up on the road less taken: a cushy salary, security and guaranteed “success”. All you have to do is follow the plan. It’s a scary trade-off. Who wants to give up a sure thing?

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homestay

Posted by: Peter

I am Peter, who joined Andrew on the first Fueledbyrice trip.  This is my first post on this blog and I will keep it simple for now.  I have been impressed with my team mates reflections from the last two weeks.

As we rest for the second time this trip, now in Geneve with a bicycle and urban planning enthusiast who has done work in Portland and Minneapolis among other world cities, Michael, I am again reminded of why traveling by bicycle is so rewarding and unique.  Not only is it the cheapest and healthiest way, but it allows, like no other means of travel that I have experienced, one to meet strangers and experience the miracle of their kindness.  But in order for this to happen, we must do something that many Americans and increasingly, the global middleclass and wealthy, are very uncomfortable with: make ourselves vulnerable by first admitting we could use help and then, in some cases, asking for help, and finally actually accepting help and hospitality.  Although this can be difficult at first, it is this process that allows for a rich interaction between people we meet, be it asking for water (Ute and Johannes), directions (many), or hospitality (Claudia, Jess and now, Michael).  THANK YOU so much for your generosity!

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cycle tour schedule France Germany Switzerland

Posted by: Andrew

We try to wake up each morning at 7 so we can be on the road at 8. For some reason, I wake up at 6:30 each morning (maybe the turning of the earth toward the sun’s rays…). I first put on my bike clothes and pack my sleeping bag and pad. Then I zip myself out of the tent and peruse the stuff, usually dew-covered in our camping spot next to a corn field or in a woods. After whatever is most urgent, I flick a few slugs off of the CAMP GEAR bag, and pull out what we need for breakfast–most often bread, cheese, fruit, jam, and chocolate spread. Then I begin to load our trailer, Bob. Bob has been good to us, but also has received his fair share of curses, especially when we’re going up steep hills. It’s really not his fault. We put him up to it.

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bicycle Freiburg Geneva Germany hosting New York Phil's pizza showers Switzerland velo Worms

Posted by: Andrew

As we were drying out our tents in Michael’s yard in Geneva, I began to think about the notion of
security. We were so grateful to be here, in a yard, where we could spread out our stuff to dry and have a hot shower and sleep under a roof… All these things are benefits and trappings of what we sometimes call the pursuit of security. And we were loving it. In fact, it kept us going to have these “security checkpoints” (so to speak). All of these security checkpoints for us were offers of hospitality and welcome from those who had gained some security in life.

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Switzerland

Posted by: Kallie

Germany

Posted by: Kallie

communion Germany hospitality hosting Ichenheim Johannes and Ute water worship

Posted by: Andrew

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Germany homestay Photo

Posted by: Kallie