Reflections

All of the hard working individuals who made the greenhouse happen!

It was a unique feeling to land in Georgia, USA. The instant I strolled off of the plane and into the brightly illuminated, impeccably clean, and consequently stale Concourse C of Atlanta’s International Airport, American culture bombarded me with advertisements telling me that I needed to be wearing nicer clothing; purchasing the newest electronic gadget, which would make life more “convenient”; and eating at the hippest fast food restaurant. It was a shock to my consciousness. Over the previous two-and-a-half months I had been so far removed from mainstream society that I had become accustomed to life free from marketing and consumerism. I had begun to feel comfortable with wearing the same three outfits, not using my cell phone at all, eating healthy and not-so-hip foods for every meal, and in general feeling content with the few things that I had. For the first time in my life I realized that I was comfortable with being an “outsider” ‘to mainstream American consumerism. For so long, I thought I was just crazy or had somehow drifted to the fringe of society, due to some random tangent -possibly improper wiring in my brain. My experiences of riding across the country and building a greenhouse with the non-profit Waves-of-Hope have helped me realize that I am not “weird” or an “outsider” and that our consumeristic culture, I believe, inadvertently causes people to feel discontent about themselves. After completing my trek across the country and just recently finishing the construction of a greenhouse, I no longer feel as self critical or as though I need to fulfill a certain standard that society has set. I am much more content with myself and I have begun to recognize what is and is not fulfilling for me.

Riding across the country and building a greenhouse in a foreign country allotted me valuable time and an outsiders perspective to contemplate the benefits and drawbacks of American culture. This was possible, due to three reasons and they are as follows: firstly, riding a bike across the United States automatically makes you “different” from other Americans. Numerous times on my ride I had people stop and ask me what I was doing and why I would attempt such a venture. Most times I would reply, “I am riding for myself and to fundraise for the construction of a greenhouse.” In response, they would consistently look at me with surprise and would mutter something to the effect that, ‘they would never do such a thing and that I was crazy.” This happened to me so often that I began to realize that what I was doing was not at all normal and that most Americans would never attempt such endeavors. This provided me with a slight, but nevertheless, social barrier to main stream society.

Secondly, while on my bike ride I was physically distant from mainstream American culture. Mostly, I was riding on desolate roads where radio waves didn’t reach and billboards didn’t provide enough of a financial return to construct. In other words, I was riding rough marketing and advertising deserts. During the rare periods where I did ride through urban areas, which made me feel as though I were being bombarded with social standards, I did not stay long and I did not fit in -I was a hippie, with a long beard, riding his bike across the
country.

Thirdly, I lived in El Manzano Uno, Nicaragua, which was a new culture for me; complete with a different language, a distinct value system, and overall perception of life. This allowed me to be almost completely disconnected from American culture – western culture has reached Central America, but it has not intrenched itself like it has in Europe or North America. During my time there, I lived with a local family in a home without running water, television or any other form of news, and I no longer had the option of riding my bike to a city for a televisionmor a restaurant fix. In Nicaragua, if I wanted to eat at a Subway or watch America’s Next Top Model I had to ride into the nearest town, which was an hour away by car. I did catch a ride into Chinendega twice, which was the closest city, not for the purpose of getting my weekly fix of what Tyra Banks had to say about a models torso size or to get footlong meatball sub, but to obtain greenhouse construction materials.

All of the time I spent free from advertising and the incessant pace at which society functions allowed me to assess my life style and how I wanted to continue to live. I began to change my daily needs and wants, due to what I perceived as superfluous and extraneous. By the time I finished both the ride and the construction process I had changed a significant amount. I no longer believe fulfillment can come from materialism or from obtaining the perfect job. I now understand that only dedicating myself to fulfilling life long goals and helping the causes I feel strongly about will quench my thirst for contentment.

I will forever remember the many enchanting and inspiring people I met along my ride in the United States and in the folks I met while in Nicaragua. They were highly influential in the success of the trip and the project. They have inspired me to continue to venture into the world with positive intentions. Thank you to everyone!

Building the Greenhouse

My plane touched down during the night so that the flickering lights of Managua – the capital of Nicaragua – showcased the breadth and madness that is the geographic layout of the city. From the tiny windows of the plane the city scape seemed as though it were a rolled out Persian carpet whose threads flickered in the nights sky. The reality of Managua is not as luxurious as an intricately woven textile from the Middle East. Instead, it is a concrete jungle that has no official addresses or for that matter any rhyme or reason to its urban layout.

A number of years back a large earthquake leveled the city’s high rises; subsequently, during the arduous years of rebuilding, low-lying, cheap, and what seems to be never ending buildings/shanties were constructed. To summarize, the city of Minagua has become a place where global tourists enter into Nicaragua, but do not stay for much else. I like so many others landed and hurriedly entered into a waiting tourist bus, which whisked me away from the strange concrete mess that is Managua.

The heat never seems to subside in Nicaragua, even at 12 am I was sweating profusely from the humidity. After fueling up at a gas station in what felt like a dangerous area (the gas station had an armed guard who was stern and seemed focused squandering amy thievery) I was relieved to be speeding away into the night with cool fresh air hitting my face. The tourist bus was taking me and one of the co-founders of Waves-of-Hope (the non-profit I am working with on the greenhouse) to El Manzano Uno. This is where I would be spending the next month constructing, setting up, and eventually growing vegetable seedlings for the community.

It was a three hour ride into the North-West portion of Nicaragua, which is where the small community of El Manzano Uno resides. Roughly 200 people call it home and the level of poverty is higher then any place I have ever been to. It is most obvious when observing some of the locals homes, which are sometimes constructed out of flimsy branches strewn together to form a structure, then sheltered with a plastic tarp, and topped off with palm leaves to provide roofing. Not only is the housing an issue to be reckoned with, but more shockingly, there is no secondary school in the area. That means there is no high school or place to obtain an education past primary school. I think it is well known and a shared belief that education is the best way out of poverty. Thankfully, Waves-of-Hope is building a high school and it should be up in running within the year.

The future high school is sited near the focal point of the community and it is also the area where the greenhouse is being fabricated! Five hard working individuals and I have been hard at work putting the structure together. So far, we have built a retaining wall so that the ground could be leveled (it is built on slanting land), cemented all twelve metal support tubes into the ground, graveled the area where tables will be built, and purchased all of the remaining necessary materials. I know that I just described all that we have done in one sentence, but I promise it has been a lot of work; especially, with crazy high temperatures and what feels like a 110% humidity.

Even though the weather has been a test, I have had an incredible time working down here. The community members are sweeter then the pineapples that I have for breakfast every morning, Waves-of-Hope have made me feel at home and they have been great to work with, the surrounding area is gorgeous (just check out the photos), and I get to surf when I have some free time.

In all I have had an incredible experience working in Nicaragua and I look forward to the remaining two weeks that I have here. I have been speaking with numerous community members and there is plenty of interest in the greenhouse. Thanks to all who donated to the project, showered me with kindness on my bike ride, or just showed interest in the greenhouse. All have helped me in this incredibly rewarding endeavor, which is is getting close to ending!

Purchasing the greenhouse supplies!

Day 43, 44, and 45

The final days of the ride were a blur for me. I had the goal of reaching Portland, Oregon within 45 days and to do that I would have to ride 300 miles in three days. That may not seem like much, but when you’ve got all of your gear on your bike, which amounted to roughly 50 pounds for me, and the possibility of riding into gnarly headwinds in the Columbia River Gorge it is more of a daunting tasks than you’d think. Even though I was slightly skeptical of completing the trek on time I thought it would be worth a try. If I succeeded, I would allot myself an extra day of rest before heading down to Nicaragua and that was a mighty fine incentive. Plus, isn’t there something to be said about achieving a goal?

So, with just three days left and a whole lots of miles to go I put my head down and went for it! The first day I awoke early to avoid the head winds of Eastern Washington, but nature had a different idea. I instantly had troubles…After barely rolling out of Polmeroy, Washington I realized I had another flat tire (I think I had ten or eleven flats on this trip)! Feeling frustrated and low on time, I hastily put in a new tube and got back on the road. Then, the wind hit me square in the face. I rode into it all day and let me tell you, it was so strong and consistent it would have made any flag stand perfectly straight with pride and patriotism for all to see, all day long. It is not often you come across a wind like the one I rode into. I swear, it was as a test I will never forget.

After battling all day, I finally saw the outskirts of Walla Walla. I had only ridden 70 miles and I knew that I was short on mileage for the day. My goal of making it in 45 days seemed less obtainable now. Feeling a bit of defeat, I rented a motel room and decided to relax for the rest of the evening.

The next morning I awoke to a gift from the heavens. The forecast on the morning news was calling for 15-20 mile-an-hour winds at my back! Receiving that news was as exhilarating to me as a junky probably feels when finally obtaining their “fix”! I was ecstatic with joy. For the first time, in what felt like the entire ride, I had a huge tail wind and I knew that this was my chance to make up for my previous days lackluster performance. I put in my headphones, sucked down some coconut water (hippy Gatorade), and went for it.

By the time the sun was setting and I had found a cheap motel to recuperate in, I had ridden 135 miles! It was a new personnel best of mine, which had conveniently placed me within a long days ride to Portland. I couldn’t believe it, but this was would be the last night on the “road” for me. I felt contemplative and I wanted to somehow take it all in, but I was too tired to stay up. My body was basically yelling at me for rest. So, feeling exited, sad to be finishing the ride, and haggard from all the exercise, I crawled into bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

The following morning I set out knowing that this would be the last day on the bike. I still had a 100 miles to ride, but now that I was so close to achieving my goal I felt as though nothing could stop me. Well, my hubris attitude was quickly humbled when I realized that the winds had shifted 180 degrees from the previous day and would be smashing into my face all day. It would be a tough ride, but it seemed fitting that it were that way. Like so many other days before it, I had to hunker down and push my way into town.

I doubt I would have made it to Portland if it weren’t for my friend Jesse, who met me about 30 miles into the Columbia River Gorge on his bicycle. The route we rode was one that we had ridden together a year previous, when I had lived there . It is an old rode that winds and bobs through lush forest and verdant farm land. The scenery is incredible and it has to be one of my favorite rides in the country. It was a relief to share my waining moments of the trip with a dear friend and to do so in such dramatic scenery. After what seemed like eternity, we finally made it through the suburban districts of Portland and rode over the Burnside Bridge into the picture perfect downtown setting. I began feeling emotional in the busy business district, as I knew I had only a mile or so left. I couldn’t help but smile and share my enthusiasm with Jesse. We turned a corner, climbed a huge hill, and there was Jesse’s crib. I got off my bike, hugged Jesse, and called my family…I had completed my journey!!!!

Day 42

Kamiah, ID – Pomeroy, WA (90 miles)

Well, I want to let folks know that I have completed the bike ride! I am writing the remainder of these blogs roughly a week after I finished. During the last few days of the ride it was a lot for me to ride nearly a hundred miles a day and to then write a blog afterwards. Consequently, I have taken my time and I am just now sitting down to finish writing about my experiences.

So, back to the bike ride…I was alone now. The day previous, my fellow rider and friend, Sam, headed South, while I continued West. I was no longer going to be leisurely chatting with him and pausing often to enjoy the scenery. I was now focused and had high hopes to arrive in Portland sooner then later. I was going to have to ride a lot of miles in five days, which was the time I allotted myself to complete the trek in.

If I could make it to the glamorous city of Portland by the 16th of June I was going to be able to visit old friends in the city and hopefully, I could visit a first-year organic farm nearby. My friend Elaine had just started her farm outside of Portland close to the town of Carlton and I wanted to be there in time to assist her in a harvest day.

Now that I had plenty of motivation to attack the roads early and to ride until dark I found myself picking up plenty of miles. By mid-day I had ridden nearly 70 miles, which meant I had some time to stop in the city of Clarkston, WA for what I hoped to be a calorically dense meal. I decided on a Mexican restaurant and asked the waiter what I have asked so many before, “what is the biggest dish on your menu?” The table next to me heard my question and noticed that I was in bike attire. After laughing and chatting with them for a few minutes about my experiences, my football sized burrito arrived. I was too distracted by the tantalizing food to keep talking so I went to town on it! By the time I had finished my calorie bomb (burrito) I realized the couple I had chatted with was leaving. We said our goodbyes and to my surprise the sweet couple bought my meal!

I have been shocked so many times by people’s kindness. So many times in my life i have heard how when you have good intentions many positive things occur. Well, this trip has provided me with enough positive experiences to firmly believe it. I guess what you put out into the world comes back to you…Although, I am still under the belief that I am not deserving of all the kindness that I have received.

Day 41

Sam rolling in front of me

Locsha Lodge, ID – Kamiah, ID (92 miles)

It was a warm day in the Clearwater Forest. My friend and fellow cyclists, Sam, was riding along with me. We followed a curvaceous back highway nearly all day through some of the most picture-perfect terrain I had seen my entire trip. The lush forest surrounded us every mile of the ride. It climbed the immense mountains ranges in the distance and encroached upon the white sandy beaches of the Clearwater River, which the highway traced on its circuitous route. With every twist and turn we saw one after another awe-inspiring landscapes. I stopped frequently to take it all in.

I stopped often, because I knew this was near the end of my ride. I had ridden for a long period and only a few hundred miles remained on my ride. To try and savor the remaining miles I attempted to consciously appreciate such beauty. I imagine that Sam was getting tired of my constant reverence, but I knew this was a special time for me.

Even though he may have been annoyed with my slow pace, I truly enjoyed my time with Sam. It was a especially nice to share the last moments of my trip with someone who understood what I was feeling; he too was coming to the end of his ride. We talked a lot about our experiences and what we had learned along the way. One thing that we did concur on, was that the ride affected each of us differently.

For me, the ride helped me realize the importance of slowing down my life. I have a tendency to pack many things into my day. I try to be “efficient” and to “achieve” as much as I can; in the meantime, life can tend to pass by. This ride forced me to move at a slower pace than how our society currently functions. That slower pace helped me recognize my misconceptions of what “efficiency” was. I now believe that functioning at a pace that promotes my happiness and allows me to acknowledge the beauty of life is efficient. For me, that means slowing down and packing less into my day. Driving slower than the speed limit, using the stove instead of the microwave, reading the news not watching it on the television, growing my food not purchasing it–all will help promote a more rewarding and content lifestyle for me.

To recollect what Joyce, a friend from Bismark, North Dakota, told me about life, “stop and enjoy the roses.” She had told me that after I inquired about what advice she would give to her younger self. At the time I assumed I understood what she meant, but after riding across a stretch of this country I believe I didn’t completely comprehend the advice. To truly understand someone, I believe you have to experience what they are talking about; otherwise, it is just words. By slowing my life down I was almost forced to enjoy the subtleties of life; thereby, living or experiencing the advice Joyce had given me.

Towards the end of the day I saw discovered flowering Bear Grass. I knew it was important for me to stop, and enjoy the beauty of them… So, I did!

I took off my shoes to take a dip in the frigid Clearwater River and some butterflies thought they smelled like flowers…

Day 40

Sam at our campsite!

Missoula, MT – Lacsha Lodge, ID (57 miles)

Riding alone has its benefits. I am able to function on my own schedule and I believe that I am much more approachable to others. The ladder of the two has allowed me to meet many new people across the country and I doubt I would have done so if I had ridden with someone else.

Eating alone, I had a scrumptious breakfasts of huckleberry pancakes at a local eatery in Missoula, which is a great town. While I was eating a gentleman from England approached me and we struck up a conversation about bicycle touring. He was touring with his son, but now his schedule required that he return to England. Before saying goodbye he mentioned that his son would continue to ride on and that he would be on the same route as me. I was to look out for out him.

With the possibility of meeting another tourer on the rode, I began my ride into the rugged Clearwater National Forest. After only twenty minutes of pedaling, I ran into Sam, the son of the gentleman I met at the cafe. We instantly struck up a friendship and rode together for the remainder of the day. We talked about some intense things, but it was great conversation. We discussed the poverty we had seen in on our rides and the amount of, what was perceived to be,blind patriotism. Talking with Sam about these intense topics allowed me to acknowledge an outsiders view of this countries problems and philosophical standings. It was highly insightful and at the end of it all I had a new found appreciation for this country.

Climbing and chatting through the lush forest, which contained one of the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen: Bear Grass (see photo below), we made our way to Locsha Lodge. There we set up camp at picture perfect campsite and continued to chat our way into the night.

I was thankful to have met Sam and if I had been in a group of riders or with someone else I probably wouldn’t have gotten to know him. There are perks to being alone while traveling and making new friends is one of them.

Bear Grass in bloom…

Day 39

Cardamom and Ginger heaven…

Lincoln, MT – Missoula, MT

The thought of tasty ice cream is what ran though my mind all day. I had heard about a local Missoula ice creamery from another bikers blog: Americabycycle.com. They had said it was so good that they ate there twice in one evening, which is something that I have been known to do from time to time. Many people who know me, know that I am slightly obsessed with ice cream. I look for the best local spots in all the towns that I visit and the Big Dipper in Missoula had a fantabulous reputation. So, after a lovely alpine ride through farmland and dramatic forest scenery I made a beeline for the famed establishment.

Bamm! Two huge scoops of two different flavors on a a homemade waffle cone. I had cardamom and ginger (anything resembling Indian spices I love), both of which I haven’t seen at any other ice cream shops; I was one happy camper. I sat on the patio of the refurbished and repurposed burger joint turned ice cream dispensary, which lends itself perfect for those hot summer days in Missoula.

After eating the massive two-scoop cone for what seemed like a long time (that’s a big positive) I sat for a while contemplating their recipe for success.The shop uses local ingredients when possible and according to their website they source, “only the highest quality ingredients.” I believe that they do and it shows in their ice cream. Whenever an establishments concentrates on excellent products, everything else seems to follow.

The Big Dipper Ice Creamery is a reflection of what is possible for our greater food system. Using local when possible, focusing on quality and not quantity, and most importantly making our food taste great! I hope that in the coming years establishments like the Big Dipper increase in frequency and if current trends are an indication of that, we are in good shape.

The shop bumping at night

Day 38

Great Falls, MT – Lincoln, MT (97 miles)

The Continental Divide was supposedly the most climbing I would have to do on my bike ride. Countless Montanans had cautioned me that I would be dew for a super hard day on the bike. So, I was a little worried about whether I would have enough daylight to make it to my destination before dark; that’s mostly because there is a large distance between the two cities I was riding to and from.

Starting early, due to the headwinds the forecast had predicted, I made my way from the last of the eastern prairie lands of Montana to the first real mountains of the Rockies on my route. It took me about six hours of riding in a nasty westerly wind to finally reach the foothills of the freshly rained upon and consequently lush mountains. There presence was dominating in the landscape. From miles away I could see them and I knew my sore and skinny legs were in for it!

Finally, I made it to the mountains and the climbing began. For some weird reason I love climbing canyons on a bike. The feeling of consistently pushing and punishing your body to it’s brink is important to me. It teaches me how far I can go and I am always surprised at what I can do to my body. In a sense, I know that if I can do this to my body, I can do many other things as well. Demanding more of myself provides me with confidence that I can use to accomplish other tasks.

After a few hours of ascending into pine forests I made it to the divide. The crips cool air felt refreshing and the alpine botany was gorgeous! There is something’s special about the tiny, ephemeral flowers on mountain tops. The way they seem to etch out a short lived, yet fulfilling life. After taking it all in, I realized that the light was fading and I needed to ride on.

I rolled into Lincoln that night feeling great. I had encountered stiff head winds, a large climb, and I was still standing. My confidence was growing.

The ride into Lincoln…

Day 37

Belt, Mt – Great Falls, MT (21 miles)

21 miles is all I could muster up. The day before was so windy and physically abusive that I could not find the energy to push on. So, reluctantly, I decided to take the majority of the day off to rest. Instead of decompressing and relaxing, I ended up working on blogs, making a couple phone calls, and writing some postcards. Consequently, I worked until late that night on numerous odds and ends. My afternoon off seemed to never really be “off”.

That has been a consistent theme on my trip. I have the type of personality that struggles to take a day off and when I do, I usually find some other task to work on.

After riding a lot of miles, I have had a sort of epiphany. I realized that to live a content life I need to slow it down and begin to enjoy resting. I have a sort of societal clock ingrained into my phsyche, which is constantly ticking and it tells me that I have to achieve things and be productive. That “clock” makes it hard for me to rest and “do nothing”. Well, I am realizing that I am missing valuable moments of this ride, because I am to fixated on accomplishing things, rather then enjoying the moment.

Even though it’s hard, I am going to consciously try to slow my life down a little bit and enjoy the beauty that surrounds me. Taking more time to enjoy the cities, parks, and farmlands that I have been riding through will be a good start. From there I hope that it well spread into every facet of my life, which will hopefully lead to a life of higher fulfillment and contentment. Here is to living a little more like Epicurus.

I caught some Dumb and Dumber in my hotel room. Talk about relaxing!

Last day to donate!

I am coming closer to finishing my ride, but the donation period for the greenhouse is coming to a close. If you are interested in donating, please click here, before it closes tomorrow night at 12 am.

My sincerest thank you to everyone who has been following my blog and who have donated. This experience has been incredible thus far! It’s not over though, I will continue to post blogs as I finish the ride and will use this site to show the progress of the greenhouse.

Sincerely,
Stephen Tolpinrud