Hi, for those who are visiting this blog for the first time and who don't already know me well, my name is Patrick Thurber. I'm embarking on my first long-distance bicycle tour. I'll be riding from La Salle, MI to Key West, Florida (and maybe even points beyond, we'll see). Aside from enjoying the scenery and the fresh air, I am also trying to raise money during the bike ride for the Monroe County Red Cross here in Michigan. I've been a Red Cross volunteer since 2005. Like a lot of people, I became involved with the organization immediately after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. I went down to Mississippi and worked for several weeks, overseeing a staff shelter, moving crates of relief aid items in a warehouse and serving meals. There aren't really words to describe what a tremendous experience it was. I came home sick, exhausted, emotionally drained and completely ready to do it all again at a moment's notice.
When I first thought of doing this bike ride, I wanted to try to make it into a fundraiser of some kind. The Monroe Country Red Cross seemed the perfect recipient. As their name suggests, they are involved in emergency response here in south eastern Michigan. They provide shelter, food and money for people caught in the aftermath of disasters both large and small. The Monroe County RC is also involved nationally, sending many of its members to the Gulf Coast after Katrina as well as after recent hurricanes like Ike and Gustav. What I like best about the idea of helping to support my Red Cross chapter is that the donations go to an organization that functions both locally (initially my main focus) AND nationally.
So, I'm having a great time riding my bike while raising money for the Monroe Country Red Cross, a group that helps people out both on the local and the national level. I think I'm not just having my cake and eating it, too...but I'm having, like, 3 cakes and I'm eating all of them...at the same time. I hope you can get in on this great, cake-eating time! Please check back here once a week or so, as I will try to update this blog with photos and thoughts about the bike ride. If you would like to donate to the Monroe Country Red Cross, you can download a pledge form here.
After a solid month of travel and somewhere around 2,000 miles of cycling, I have arrived in Key West, FL. Man, I sure have worked up a thirst, is there any place around that I can get a...oh, I see. It's been quite a trip (that isn't really over yet, but...). I got this t-shirt at that hostel in Charleston with a quote on the back that reads "There are no yesterdays on the road." That has never been more true than on this trip. Really, there are no tomorrows either, I'd say. Traveling by bicycle really sort of requires that you stay focused on the present. Too much time reflecting and you start to feel frustrated, like so much time has passed and you've made so little progress...as well as the inherent dangers of spending so much time on busy highways, cars and semi-trucks flying by only inches away from you for hours and hours every day. You just really can't think about it or it starts to wear on your brain. Also, planning too far ahead becomes really pointless also. Its impossible to predict the wind, the reliability of the bike and the reliability of your body. The absolute best way to travel by bicycle? One hour at a time. So here's to 800+ hours of travel and 2,000 miles of pedaled highway. Thank you to everyone who has checked out this blog, left kind messages/emails, donated to the Red Cross! Literally every bit of support along the way has helped to keep me positive and to make the trip all that much more enjoyable! P.S. I'm still going to ride up the gulf coast of florida to alabama, so anticipate at least a few more updates with more pictures. Once I'm back behind my own computer, I'll also post a bunch of videos and a more thorough picture-diary. Until, then!
