Today is day 17 of the ride and I think I’ve felt every emotion accessible to human beings in the past two-ish weeks. I am currently getting to know 11 new people all at once, moving from town to town every day, eating the most random foods at random hours, talking to strangers like it’s normal, pushing my body and its muscles to do what I once believed to be impossible. Some days I really feel like this whole summer is a social experiment and other days I feel like the luckiest person in the world to get to be exactly where my feet are. Being on the Pedal the Pacific team is truly the weirdest social, emotional, mental, physical experience I could’ve cooked up but here I am.
On the team, so little is familiar to us and consistency is limited to oatmeal and coffee for breakfast and wearing the exact same outfit everyday. Each day is its own and it’s hard to count on anything being the same for more than just one day. Passing through all these small coastal towns in Washington and Oregon has left me feeling placeless and restless, like we’re not leaving any trace as we ride right through these communities. This is a very specific feeling that has really surprised me along the way, but the thing that has been the most surreal has been making real human connection with folks along the coast. We’ve had conversations about sex trafficking on the side of the road with fellow bike packers, onlookers in parking lots, restaurant owners, at overlooks of the Pacific Ocean, on the beach, in our hosts’ homes, around a fire pit. The way I’ve seen our van sparking conversations in the most random places and the way our team is gradually building authentic connections with each other is what reminds me that the rollercoaster ride is worth it.
We’ve already met so many people along the way who might not’ve talked about sex trafficking that day or maybe ever. To be that person is shaping us into bolder advocates who are willing to take initiative for the sake of our cause even when it’s uncomfortable.
