Tuesday, April 28, 2009

WT: Letter to John C.S.



Thanks for updating John.

Understand both our situations right now. I know you spending much time promoting the increasingly successful "Rubberside Down" cycling documentary for the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of Canada (http://www.poweredbycommunity.org) and back to work at Chrysler. That's why I touched base now. I can't leave the family out of the picture for a year...and the Arctic to Argentina Bike will realistically take 12-18 months going solid north or south to complete, either starting from either end of the Pan-American highway. I'm not soft on distance as I am on time, but your right about my family responsibilities...and this ride is DEFINITELY NOT CONCRETE until it happens, unfortunately there goes the charity option!

Finally, I can finally afford this type of adventure (to travel just to travel and have a goal of distances/time, endurance exercise & places to visit along the route). But now, I've got a family to support on a Bread/Rice/Milk/&Kimchi diet in Korea and the family-plan to start plotting out a course for. I've just pre-purchased an apartment in Korea, the first in my life...previously, I was devoted to marathon/nomadic travel by motorcycle (25,000km of Canada/USA in 60 days on 5 trips 1994-1998), jeep (Windsor to BC to San Diego, CA), truck (Windsor to BC), or bikes (Ontario, Michigan, BC, California, Korea)...and never accumulated a dime living it to the fullest. Well, times have changed and so have I, getting much older now & wiser too (36). Not too old to enjoy a trip by bike...but in honesty, without your support...the CCFC Ride in the shadows of Rubberside Down without Greg & Vin's involvement here or my brother joining the ride, I think really few heads will turn up to this. I like what Nicholi Bangsgaard has done with his WT Bike: http://www.worldtravellers.dk and that model would stand the test of time, blogging, entertaining and perhaps sustaining a long-distance ride much fuller than Arctic to Argentina. My son is only 14 months (it might actually take that much time to complete the entire ride), but he has already taken interest in wheeley devices, all sorts of modes from cars to bikes to toys...& his favorite toy is a 4-wheel "Go Rider" push toddler bike. Matthew is also fascinated by my new touring bike, gripping the back tire and rolling it back and forth. He likes grabbing the rear cogs and getting his greasy hands. I'd say he'll be up for the task (in 15 years LOL!), if what I can only do now is only a smaller scale of the world touring, what will I attempt when I am 51 years old while Matthew turns 16? It's starting to sound like a dream, well, we'll see what comes to be, if nothing less...an adventure to enjoy from the Arctic Circle and who cares how it happens, how long it lasts or where I am going, just that it happens and the memory is imprinted and the nostalgia of cycling lives on!

Warm Wishes & Blessings on your journey with CCFC & Rubberside!

1 comment:

  1. Family first! Wise choice my friend. Look forward to the rides later in life with your son. Trust me they grow fast. Dave

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