Many Miles, Trillions of Thank You’s.

This is a long list. Let it stand as an answer to the question I’m so often asked: “Did you run into any trouble?” The road will always provide, and people always seem to be there when you need them most. Thank you so so much, from the core of my being, for all of your love, help, and selflessness – I couldn’t have cycled a continent without you.

For their hospitality, a vital ingredient:

• Recycle-a-Bicycle – Dan and Patrick – for having Juno and making her into the best bike she could be!
• Brad in NYC for a comfy couch
• James in Nyack, for a warm shower when it was truly needed, and an even warmer welcome in Vancouver.
• Albany Abe and his vegan baking housemate Ashley
• Chris and Emma in Ithaca for taking me in off the street and for all the Bike/Madison geeking.
• Marvin in Ithaca for a delicious meal and a happy roof
• Joe in Ithaca for the vegan carrot cake!
• To all at Plankton in Buffalo for showing me the beauty of a depressed city.
• Steve in Niagara
• Ruben and family in Hamilton
• All at the S.H.A.H for just existing so awesomely
• Jackie and Tom in Ontario for giving 2 strangers everything they could need, and for hunting with a bow and arrow!
• Troy, Dayna and Porter in Sarnia.
• Handsome Mike and Pickleball Sally for restoring faith in Michigan
• Scott in Grand Rapids for the beer, the laughs, the couch
• Nathaniel and Sean in Milwaukee
• Doug in Chicago for a last minute couch and a long lasting story
• Pam, for more than I could say. For the first home in a long time, for the mothering and the friendship
• Johanna and Raven for all the knowledge and lightness
• Charley III for loving me already and for the photography inspiration
• Jim and Maxine for the house, the interview, the garden
• Megan in Winona
• Everyone at the Crockhouse, especially Will and Alicia for so much space to recuperate, and for all the laughs.
• To the family on the Missippi who took us in – I lost Luke’s address and feel terrible! Please send it to me again!?
• Gerardo in Fargo for taking us in at the last minute and being super chill
• Kate and Lisa in Minot
• Tracey and Donovan in Poplar for proving there are good people even in “StabCity”
• The two hikers who gave us their camping spot in Glacier
• Tyson in Bonner’s Ferry for the lawn
• Dollores and Jack Fountain in Locke for being grandparents for a night and all the lost stories
• The Bicycle Camping Barn for existing and the couple I interviewed there for their energy (please contact me!)
• To Beth, Guisepi’s mother, for being the end I so needed, for the great conversations and delicious meals.

For the Company and Love:

• Jon in Albany for being my first bad-ass bike company
• Jon Watts the Quaker for inspiring in so many different ways, for the love, the bikes, the faith
• Leon for being the best Irishman ever, and providing motivation to pedal on - then, now, always.
• Lalo and Emily in Toronto for living and breathing wanderlust
• The Madison Bicycle Caravan who I met on the bike path for spreading such joy
• Alan for picking mulberries and for a day’s company
• Paul for all the High-line Bicycle Gang laughs and staying true to his dreams
• Stephanie for being another solo rider with zest, and humbly living dreams
• Oak for inspiring and pushing me when I most needed it, and for being the damn coolest bike brother ever. Oh and for the morning wake up songs.
• Kristy- my moldy sweat back sister – for just being so fucking awesome, for riding her bike and pushing herself
• Matt for the laughs and the best bike gang ever
• Reinhard for being so well-rounded, sensible and silly
• Christian and Caleb for sharing stories and creating that special day in the park
• The 3 dutch guys, Han, Hans and Robert for living their 30yr old dream and for the ice-cream!

For help on the Road:

• The lovely co-op worker in Milwaukee who bought me free food, just because
• Day, for her welcoming postcard and unwavering love and concern
• Derek and Machinery Row for the bike work and free stuff
• John Statz for the incredible music
• Tim in Wisconsin who rescued me when I needed to be rescued
• Noel, for riding a long way and for the honest chat
• The three cyclists in West Salem for the pizza and reminding me to follow my heart, not my ego
• Josh Ritter and Management for the free ticket and amazing show!
• Jay in Devil’s Lake for the swim and best buffet meal ever
• All at the Fargo Bike Co-op for their admirable energy

For Lightfoot:

• To Amanda in NYC for encouragment and documentation
• Emma for writing and supporting
• Dan for the “Sketch” box and actively participating
• Angel for instantly dropping and writing a letter – spontaneous instant participation!
• George, who wrote just to write, and brightened my mailbox
• John and Mother Fools Coffee House for such energetic support and the box space
• The Crockhouse for the box and being in on the project
• All those lovelies who wrote/shared/delivered – thanks for the ACTION – it’s the only way to change the world!

And finally – special heartfelt thanks to my steadfast support crew, who’s thought and words echo through every mile, and who will always allow me to be myself, be strong and to be true:

• Charlie
• Mum
• Ella
• Ange
• Rosie

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Home, sweet home?

 

ahhh how the bins do provide here!!!

Clickety-clack goes the keyboards behind me, dozens of busy heads tilted, focusing on the work that lay ahead. Im sitting in a refuge of warmth, the Library. Outside the gauge will read somewhere below zero… where exactly the needle lies is arbitrary to me, from here on in, it’s just FUCKING COLD. Traveling, as you all know, forces you to face many challenges, comfort zones and strengths, and I have become well adapted to living in a state of instability… not really ‘missing’ “home”, wherever that may be, understanding that all things are fluid and friends and family will come again. But the weather. Oh the how i miss the weather. Dreams of hot summer days, the sun sparkling on our salty skins, the birds and the bees (and the cigarette trees?). Australian summer will never be found here. 

 

And yet, here is where I am, and here I shall call home. There are friends and loved ones holding little pockets of space warm for me, and as was said to me upon my arrival, months ago now: “where the sun always shines in the hearts of the people”. 

For six months I’ve been couch-surfing, officially and unofficially, from home to home, life to life and heart to heart. Sharing fragments of people’s worlds for days or weeks, exchanging stories and building on this one world culture we all belong to. Fitting then, that I shall be resting my weary body now in a place known as ‘THE COUCH’.

A town called Leiden, 30 mins from the infamous Dutch capital, and a group of people I call beautiful. Dreamers, anarchists, squatters, hippies, punks, whatever the labels, none will categorize them all. My home for now is an ex-pub, squatted by two belle boys, almost as many years ago. Inside,  the walls are layered with treasures, posters and stickers on most flat surfaces, objects of art telling more stories than a lifetime could listen to. Madame Wednesday brings us the eating cafe, a vegan, dumpstered dinner shared and relished by all fairies and friends who attend. The crisp, clean air outside, however cold, brings a feeling of calmness and the blanket of white hushes all sounds.

Our fingers frozen from digging in skips, my toes numb, it’s with a shaking hand that we open the big metal door and slip inside. It bangs shut behind us, slapping the winter chill across the face, posting a sign “NO ENTRY”. We’re home. It’s definitely no Aussie summer, but at least its above zero.

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Hanging up my highway shoes…

… and grabbing a set of wheels. Back on the road again, no one but future friends around me now.

For mum: this is my beauty!

wheels, water and windmills… but check out that blue sky!

another day another bridge..

yeah… really a LOT of water

bit buggered! Or should i say Ik ben moe?

The road is life

resting..

thats all there is to it!

ahh… holland!

getting ready to leave for another day’s road ride..

so much water in this country!

Utrecht! Its so beautiful here!

Bed in Utrecht

Couch kitchen in Utrecht

Finally got my shit together and left Delft, heading south-east. My usual mode of transport mostly only exercises the thumb muscle, so its been a test to set forth from here by bike. One that im well glad to have taken though, as I peddle across canals, green fields and little dutch towns. The berries, apples and farmlands provide a fragrance of freshness as the winds carry them along. Its been nothing but blue skies so far, with the exception of about 30 mins today, where a heavy downpoor reminded me I really was in Holland. Although its a lonely way of travelling, and certainly very different to what im used to, its really nice to have so much space and time to just BE. Think, breath and talk aloud, it’s great to get your head together. Im seeing so much more landscape that I usually would, and even get a chance to check out all the freights that roll by!

Left Delft for Dordrecht, where I surfed in an anti-squat office building… room after room after room for me to stay in. From there headed to Breda, where i spent 4 days living, laughing and drinking! There was a festival in town, Breda Barst, and John Barleycorn reared his head more than once, so that a few days were lost in recovery. Much much fun though, 2 other couchsurfers, one french, one croatian, joining in the adventures too. Mariska, our host, was an absolute delight, and it wasn’t easy leaving on monday morning, another chapter over.

But another just beginning, and into the wind to Gorinchem I rode. Spent the day resting in a park, a night on an air bed, and finished in Utrecht today. Ive been in love with this country since i first set foot in it, but my admiration for its beauty has only grown. Each town I pass by gives me the feeling im missing out on something, and each one I stop in proves to me I am. Utrecht will only provide more stories im sure, two photographers and a theatre actor to pick and choose couches with!

160kms biked so far, many more to come and go, friends to meet, people to see, just busy living life. And it’s looking more remarkable than ever!  x

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