Getting ready for a spin in France – 2015

Any journey requires preparation.  Not just packing a suitcase.  Not merely consideration of logistics: car; plane; bicycle…  Significant journeys require expectations: anticipated discoveries in the inner landscape of the mind and spirit.  How will this travel event enrich my understanding of an unforeseen part of the world?

2Wheels2Travel is about transformation – preparation, experience, reflection, and gratitude that travel is possible.  Thresholds can be crossed.  New insights forged in the crucible of an odyssey, no matter how straightforward or simple.

Part of my preparation for a bike trip in France was some assistance to an old friend, Frank Barham, whose monumental journey this month (May 2015) is a unique trek on a unique set of wheels.

Playing jazz harmonica

Frank as harmonica musician

Frank, a musician and paraplegic, decided to share his music along a 302-mile journey from Atlanta to Savannah in recognition of the 25th Anniversary of the ADA – the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Three hundred miles in a manual wheelchair is more than a simple odyssey – it is a challenge for body and spirit. The purpose of his trip is to raise funds to help provide financial assistance to people in need of wheelchairs.

It is a profound reminder that travel need not be centered on personal transformation – it can be strenuous service to many people.

See Frank’s site and follow him on Facebook and/or Twitter.

Frank_and_Bike

And, when biking uphill, think about pushing uphill…