What sort of things do you do to help pass the time on your bike? Do you have a radio?
I just finished cycling through the southern cone of Texas. The area is made up of a bunch of small towns, one next to the other. Most of my time on the bike is in transit from town to town, so I'm riding for two to four hours a day. I don't need much entertainment. Every once in a while, I listen to the conversations that I've recorded on my MP3 player. Consider it studying on the fly.
I make a conscious effort to be present wherever I am. I pay attention to the changes around me: the cityscape, the highway, the flora, the fauna, that sort of thing. I meet a lot of people as I go, and I spend a lot of time at fruit stands and garage sales. This is all to say that, no matter where my cycling venture takes me, I’m always connected with somebody or something.
Are you in touch with the outside world other than through your blog?
I have a cell phone, and I use it often. I call my parents every night to let them know where I'm sleeping. I normally make a slew of calls each day to set up the next meeting in the next town. When I’m really lucky, I find a library and send out a few emails, read up on current events and track down more contact information.
About your parents: what do they think of the trip?
My parents are concerned, to say the least. They would tell you that they are fully supportive of the project but don’t like the method of transportation. I see the two as one and the same, but they don’t really care for that argument. My parents know first-hand how dangerous the border can be, and that’s to say nothing about the border on a bicycle. If I didn’t call them every night, I don’t know if they’d ever be able to sleep.
Why blog?
The blog is to help everyone else sleep at night. Or put them to sleep. It all depends on your perspective, I guess.
The blog is to share this experience as I go—to allow you to play along from home. The border is dynamic. From one day to the next, border towns change. Communities make news. By writing about my experiences as I go, I’ll also be able to track back and update you on what is happening with particular people in particular places. You’ll be able to see the border change through people and their continued stories.
Why did you start a second blog (The Bordered Mind)?
I started a new blog because of issues with voice. Blandly stated, I figure that there are two ways to be critical: one, intrinsically within the more literary, travelogue text on voluntour1951 and two, more overtly and directly in an argumentative forum. For a while I was trying to blend the two into one blog. The mish-mash of tones led to some real problems in story telling and analysis, so I made it easier for future readers and myself. Voluntour 1951 recounts mainly my reflections, while The Bordered Mind will one day become a collaborative base for discussion.
On a side note, I set up a photo gallery on the Voluntour 1951 site as well. The gallery is primarily a forum for playful, at times meaningful anecdotes about cycling, camping, etc. Stuff that goes about on the periphery of my more formal interactions. It’s worth a read.
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