These past few weeks have provided me with the privilege to constantly admire the beauty of this country, but I am consistently (and rather abruptly) reminded of our ever-present, greedy, colonial American ideals.

“She’s a wildflower,” said Arvil from Kentucky, “a real free spirit.” This friendly stranger was telling us a story about a friend of his while we all shared a moment on a bluff of the Oregon Coast. This got me reflecting….

A cross-country bike trip sounds like the adventure of a lifetime, but how will it ever compare to the landscape that is nearest and dearest to my heart?