It’s hard to explain how much the journey means to me. I grew up with parents who loved us and taught us to explore art and music and books and food. They found New York endlessly fascinating, that’s where we lived and when we moved away that’s where we visited.

But my dad also took us camping and hiking. I owe to those outings that’s my great love of nature. My first purchase as a child was a pair of binoculars so that I could watch the birds at Jamaica Bay park, a national park right in New York City. And, I also owe to my parents my love of bicycling. They bought us our first bikes when we my brother and I were four and patiently taught us to ride.

I knew then that I wanted to see the world and ride my bike. I didn’t get a drivers license at sixteen, I got a new bike. I dreamed of the west for forty five years before I ever saw it and this is only the second time. It’s a dream come true and it the very edge of it started today when we got a ride into Banff with a very kind Ethiopia priest and taxi driver.

We dropped our bags off got on our bikes and started riding. The altitude is taking some getting used to. But the views from town…

And the trail we biked on…

And on the trail we hiked…

And in the parking lot of the grocery store we bought beans and veggies for dinner in…

And from our tiny youth hostel room..

We’re all spectacular.

We start the ride tomorrow morning. I can’t wait.