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openeyes · 05-26-2007, 05:07 PM

Thanks John. Things have continued to go well. I'm eating better than I have in years, and spending more time around people than ever before, while still having a healthy amount of solitude. A couple weeks ago I saw a bumper sticker that resonated with me: The more you know, the less you need.

There's an excellent sense of freedom that comes from knowing that I have all that I need (if not more), and that even if I lost everything I own, I could easily replace it. I likely wouldn't bother getting another car, as it seems superfluous now. My health is one of my greatest assets and I plan to take good care of it, as the body isn't nearly as replaceable as a bike.

Until recently, I'd never ridden my bike more than a few miles, mostly using it to go to class or pick up a few groceries. On Wednesday I went 10 miles and it was surprisingly easy and fun. Suddenly I was interested in doing much longer bicycle trips, and I realized that with my current ultralight way of living, about all I'd need is a couple quarts of water, maybe one change of clothes that can easily be hand washed and air dried, and a tent hammock I can set up most anywhere (will likely be ordering one in the next few days, as now I have a fun use for it).

This morning I took a 40 mile bicycle trip, and it too was surprisingly easy. I set out at 7:45 am and was back before the restaurant at the local grocery coop was done serving breakfast

I'll likely focus on riding early mornings (~5:30 to 10/11 am) and evenings when the weather is cool and the sun is fine. The rest of the time I can simply relax wherever I end up and get to know the area a bit. I'm not in any rush, and riding a bike seems like a wonderfully leisurely way of travelling. In comparison, if I were to drive 100 miles I'd spend about as much on gas as I do on food in a day, and on a bike with a tent in the back, food would be my only significant regular expense.

Now I'm saving up and getting experience so that when I graduate in 7 months I can take at least a couple months to ride around. Europe would be great for it, as so many of the major cities are within a few hundred miles of each other, less than a week's bike ride with good scenery along the way. Soon I plan on volunteering at the local nonprofit bike shop so I'll be more prepared to maintain/fix my own bike as I use it more.

05-26-2007, 05:07 PM	#12 (permalink)
openeyes Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chapel Hill, NC Posts: 1,210	Thanks John. Things have continued to go well. I'm eating better than I have in years, and spending more time around people than ever before, while still having a healthy amount of solitude. A couple weeks ago I saw a bumper sticker that resonated with me: The more you know, the less you need. There's an excellent sense of freedom that comes from knowing that I have all that I need (if not more), and that even if I lost everything I own, I could easily replace it. I likely wouldn't bother getting another car, as it seems superfluous now. My health is one of my greatest assets and I plan to take good care of it, as the body isn't nearly as replaceable as a bike. Until recently, I'd never ridden my bike more than a few miles, mostly using it to go to class or pick up a few groceries. On Wednesday I went 10 miles and it was surprisingly easy and fun. Suddenly I was interested in doing much longer bicycle trips, and I realized that with my current ultralight way of living, about all I'd need is a couple quarts of water, maybe one change of clothes that can easily be hand washed and air dried, and a tent hammock I can set up most anywhere (will likely be ordering one in the next few days, as now I have a fun use for it). This morning I took a 40 mile bicycle trip, and it too was surprisingly easy. I set out at 7:45 am and was back before the restaurant at the local grocery coop was done serving breakfast I'll likely focus on riding early mornings (~5:30 to 10/11 am) and evenings when the weather is cool and the sun is fine. The rest of the time I can simply relax wherever I end up and get to know the area a bit. I'm not in any rush, and riding a bike seems like a wonderfully leisurely way of travelling. In comparison, if I were to drive 100 miles I'd spend about as much on gas as I do on food in a day, and on a bike with a tent in the back, food would be my only significant regular expense. Now I'm saving up and getting experience so that when I graduate in 7 months I can take at least a couple months to ride around. Europe would be great for it, as so many of the major cities are within a few hundred miles of each other, less than a week's bike ride with good scenery along the way. Soon I plan on volunteering at the local nonprofit bike shop so I'll be more prepared to maintain/fix my own bike as I use it more.