Conclusion
Traveling is an excellent way of exploring not only places but also exploring yourself. I find that people have a common desire to travel. Of course it is nice to settle down and surround yourself with what is familiar, but I strongly encourage you to do one thing: poke your comfort zone. This phrase was actually a name for a Ted Talk event but I really like it. Poke your comfort zone. This means to go out and try something new. Do something that would surprise others and maybe even surprise yourself a little. The world is full of opportunities and people tend to limit themselves. Of course it is nice to stay in your little comfort zone and being prepared for the next event. But all I am saying is that there are so many things floating around outside that comfort zone waiting to be popped by your untainted finger. And traveling is a great way to reach out your palm in this grand and mystical place called earth. And by doing so, being able to find comfort in an uncomfortable place.
"Poke your comfort zone."
My hands got dirty experiencing new things (also since I lost my soap bar somewhere in Oregon). I stood on a pile of oyster shells, biked through meth towns, ate fish burritos, ate expired refried beans, hitch-hiked across town, and met people I'll never forget. Let's get down to the some basic stuff. I slept in a tent for about 35 nights in 35 different places. It was a challenge to settle down and 12 hours later pack up and find a new settlement. I soon got used to it but I lost that feeling of 'home'. Home turned from meaning a place that is safe and permanent, to a place in the near future that will hopefully get me through the night. This added some stress but also lots of excitement. There were several times where I felt extreme pain and exhaustion. Biking up several high elevation hills with an upset stomach for 70 miles broke me down. But this pain was new to me. It was something I don’t feel often and because of this, I valued it. The pain was telling me in every way to stop and discontinue or take a break while something inside me told me I better not stop. This internal battle inside of me was ME. And every battle I won over and endured proved something to myself. It felt great. The moments where I felt I learned the most were time when I was most uncomfortable and in pain. It made me want to act. It invited me to try to understand why I was feeling these honestly quite odd feelings. And finally putting a purpose to my suffering and enduring it in order to add something to who I am as a person.
Self-Identity (Crisis?)
"I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel all alone."
I had started this trip solo. After graduating high school, I felt like I needed a break from society. I found that in high school, one can easily be unnoticed. And with the desire to avoid feeling lonely or uncool, we tend to create a superficial image of ourselves in order to be noticed. This included me and I felt I needed some time to be alone. I thought that if I secluded myself from others that I would get closer to seeing what kind of person I really am. But on day four I met my first fellow biker (Oren) and we became good friends. Then we continued and met Guillaume, Boyd, and other bikers that we traveled with on and off. I was always with others and my time alone did not really occur. But after talking this out with my cousin after the trip back in LA, he pointed out that meeting strangers and creating a relationship is a perfect way to see the kind of person you are. With strangers, I don’t have any pressure to create a superficial self. I can be whoever I want to be because they have no prior judgement of me. I am not in any type of role of a person. So however I interacted with strangers kind of portray what kind of person I am with others. Meeting all these new people in a way meant finding new things about myself.
Dwelling in the Present
Throughout this trip, I felt I had nothing to lose. I was living day by day and I kept focused on what I was doing which makes everything feel so real. I've experienced living thinking about my past or future and I lose everyday to something that isn't as important as the actual present. Traveling to a new place derived me to focus on my surroundings because it was always changing and I was encouraged to see, feel, taste, touch, and hear everything around me. Every moment sparked new feeling and it was reviving.
Humanism
With all these new feels and rhythms, I learned new things and confirmed others. Along the road I met nomads, construction workers, chocolate shop owners, hobos, and even pot farmers. Before this journey I expected to see a huge difference in people of the West Coast. I remember feeling isolated in a small city in Minnesota and not knowing anyone from outside my territory. I thought that maybe Washington people or Californians had some major differences and acted and portrayed themselves in unfamiliar ways. But I learned that all the people I met had a common ground. I felt a strong connection that all people are in search of similar values and goals in this confusing and mysterious life. I found a recurrent sense of 'goodness' in people. My faith in humanity jumped up a few levels especially when somebody would go out of his or her way to help us or simply strike up a nice greeting of encouragement. It was the small things that really portrayed this good. For example, while enter the city of San Diego, a local biker offered to lead Guillaume and I through the confusing city. He said that while he was touring once a man had done the same thing for him and he was returning the favor to us. This brought sense to me to return his goodness to someone else. Doing good deeds and small acts of kindness causes a domino effect that can travel from person to person. But this doesn’t require to receive kindness first; you can spread it on your own. Everyone struggles in this life so why not help ease these sufferings?
While traveling with the group of bikers, we relied on a book on the Pacific Coast Route. It had maps and it told the plan of the whole day. In the beginning, our next stop was a place called Twin Harbors. This was when I was just with Oren. We were both hungry and tired and really looking forward to this town and thought of maybe even spending a rest day there. Besides eating the food, I was really let down. Twin Harbors turned out to be a ghost town type of place and while we were doing our laundry, two guys in a truck had attempted to steal our bikes. After this, I learned to drop my expectations for the next town. Finding a balance between expecting reality and expecting what you want can apply to anything you are about to do. This opened my mind by not narrowing down on what I want something to be and instead let whatever happen happen. From the words of Tyler Durdin, "Let the chips fall where they may". By applying this, I was not let down and instead I fulfilled my experience without bias.
There were many moments and aspects of this trip that made things more clear to me. Many of these things I already feel like I knew, but forgot even the simple concepts. This trip was by far a craziest things I’ve ever done in my life. It was out of my comfort zone and I experienced things I normally would not do. But I would do it all again. My route from Canada to Mexico was just one route. One skinny line down the earth. There are much more places to explore and so many things out there that can really open the mind. This trip is not only something I can look back and remember for the rest of my life, but it is now a part of me and I will bring it along everywhere I go. I can tell you only so much on the beauty of venturing out of your comfort zone. It really is a concept that can only be understood if you actually pursue it. Follow your calling inside. The only thing stopping you is you. Happy travels and thank you for reading.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Experience
Such thrill.
Much learned.
So enlightened.
Wow.
Such thrill.
Much learned.
So enlightened.
Wow.
