It's All About Perspective

Some people think riding around on a bike for six months is crazy.  Some people think it's the only life for them.  You may think a thunderstorm is a beautiful sight to see from your front porch.  Adam and I get scared just thinking about a thunderstorm while on our bikes.  We used to think bikes were just for fun.  Now we understand how many different uses a bike really can have.

One of the greatest parts of this country is the many different people, different ways of life, and different perspectives.  And we get to be out here experiencing them!

Living on a bike immediately changes your perspective about a few things.  For us, we've focused a lot on food and weather this year.  Every meal we have is a 10 in our books.  And we have been trained to be very tuned in to the weather.  How many of you fretted over the thunderstorm warning a few nights ago in Madison?  Well, that same night we had a thunderstorm warning out here in South Dakota and that storm turned into a tornado just 65 miles north of our campsite.  We definitely fretted over that storm. 

I am amazed at how my perspective has changed about the weather.  Remember back in May when it seemed like the rain would never end?  I wrote a post on Facebook about how miserable we were while riding through the rain and received a slew of comments echoing the same complaints.  But mixed in was one comment from someone in New Mexico who was having the worst drought in history there.  I guess we could handle a few more days of rain.

And just last week we heard about the Missouri River Flooding.  Our first impression of the flooding was a bit of annoyance that we might have to detour from our route.  Once we stopped by the Gavins Point Dam and saw the incredible amount of water rushing through, our annoyance changed to an appreciation for the power of water.  And a day later, when we reached Pierre and saw piles of sandbags lined up outside of houses and businesses, and homes with red X's on them indicating the family had evacuated, our appreciation turned to fear.  Back in our little town of Madison (which we've found is not really that little after passing through towns of only 64 people), we never had to worry about this type of flooding, but out here, each drop of rain can bring more worries.

With all of these new experiences, we are reminded of the comforts of home and how nice it might be one day to watch one of these thunderstorms from a home with solid walls as opposed to a tent flapping in the wind.  Ahh well... I guess I'll take a few more months of living on a bike... you?

Christy and Adam are currently in South Dakota. To find out more, check out their blog at http://giveabike.blogspot.com/ or their Facebook Page at https:/ /www.facebook.com/giveabike. To see where they are, you can check out this map at Track My Tour. Christy will be writing occasional stories for Patch as she and her husband make their way through the U.S.

Madison Patch is proud to be the Connecticut sponsor for Adam and Christy's trip. If you'd like to sponsor their trip, visit this page on their website.