Goodbye America!

Hi again

I hope you've enjoyed seeing some of the pictures from our car journey back across the US. It too was an amazing experience & we were so glad to be able to meet up with many of Nicole's friends from Tennessee days and also with people we had met along the way while cycling.

There is so much to say about the last 4+ months & it is impossible to put it all into words that mean something. Sitting back here now in NZ it seems a little unreal that we actually did what we did! We cycled over 3200 miles/5,000km West to East and then 5000 miles/8,000km by car East to West! (Yes our $650USD car, Ziggy, did extremely well, and was sold to a friendly Tongan guy in San Francisco the day before we left- phew!!)

Americans have often marvelled at what we were doing - partly to do with the distances we covered on bike - but also that we can take 4+ months out of our lives to do this. This is not a typical thing to do in American (or many other) cultures. We are totally aware that we are very privileged to have been able to do this - seeing so much of the US and meeting so many extraordinary people along the way.

The diversity in scenery along the way was stunning, but the best part of the journey by far was of course the people. Cycling in any country for that length of time and with only what you can carry on your bikes with you, leaves you a little vulnerable and dependent on others - for directions, for water, for shelter, advice & goodwill. We hadn't realised before we started just how great traveling by bike would be in terms of creating opportunities to meet with people. Somehow many of the usual barriers with strangers are broken instantly - You arrive somewhere new - looking strange (with tight Lycra shorts!) , speaking with a weird accent & obviously on a journey! People automatically would come over and ask where we were heading and how they could help. It lead to all kinds of conversations and insights. Time and time again we were shown genuine hospitality and acts of random kindness that were moving to say the least.

I came to America wanting to try and understand what makes America so powerful and how it has such an influence on the world. I am not sure I got any real answers to that and I will enjoy pondering further as I reflect more on this trip in the months to come.

What I did observe is this: Amongst Americans there seems to still be a genuine interest, concern and respect for fellow human beings & a real neighborly feel to many of the places we stayed in. People are open and confident at expressing themselves, positive and warm. Much of the US seemed like NZ society in the 1970s to me. Surprisingly there still seems to be an innocence in the USA that I wonder if NZ has lost?

Nicole and I have learnt so much from this amazing time and are challenged to put into practice the many good characteristics we saw in Americans along the way - openness, hospitality even when it's inconvenient, concern for others...& the list goes on.

Thanks America for such a great time and for showing us your very best side! To all of you who helped us along the way - by picking us up hitch-hiking, giving us a bed and food, advice and laughter, and so many other ways- we couldn't have done it without you! USA- we look forward to coming your way again!!

Thanks so much to you too for following our journey on this blog and encouraging us along the way. It was so cool to know others were interested in what we were doing and perhaps also gaining some insights into America that were not previously there. Thanks for the comments added & emails sent - and please don't stop now just because we have finished this phase! As for what next... watch this space...I am sure there are many more adventures coming our way!!

Lotsa love

Marty & Nicole


Day One - July 28, 2009


Same spot - Dec 4th, 2009 - 5,000 cycle km and 8,000 car km later!