Bikebikebikebikebikebikebikebikebikebikebikebike bikebikebikebikebikebikebikebikebikebikebikebikebikebikebike

Fellow Migrators,

Since we parted it's been a wonderful trip. I was having an amazing time in Chico, but I had to heed my warnings and not get sucked in too fast. I have too much to fulfill here in Santa Cruz to be trying to integrate myself in another community... for now. And I had another calling to finish off some other Karma. So I rode two hundred thirty miles in three days, up over mount Lassen at 8,511 feet, and to Headwaters in Mt. Shasta. The Outdoor school there has brought me a long way, but during my time there this month it was clear to me that I must seek out other teachers, experiences and friends and visions in this life.

While a part of me wanted to ride another 500 miles over the mountains and down the coast to my home, I was tired of touring alone. Highway 89 was nothing short of terrifying, with a 20 miles section of no change in scenery, no bike lane, and semi trucks passing at 70 mph. I missed the camaraderie we had on the ride, I missed having to stop for no particular reason, and I missed the random acts of complete ridiculousness that seemed to occur around every bend in the road. When I tour alone I wake up in the morning and can't think of anything to do other than ride 80 miles through 95 degree heat. It just wasn't quite as much fun. It was a good experience for sure, but it only enforced the notion that I cannot do this alone.

I hitched a ride back to Santa Cruz and arrived on the 17th. Since then I have built three gardens. I've gotten so much done and been so purposefully inspired that I can't even comprehend it. Massive shopping trips, cleaning, organizing, smoking, drinking, talking, thinking. Inspired by conversations I've had with all of you I'm thinking of ways to reduce my waste, to be the change I want to see in the world.

The Cabrillo College Bicycle Co-op is starting a week from today. Currently the shop consists of three donated bikes, some shelves, some tools, inner tubes and u-locks, a few stands, and a few people. I'm going to be building workbenches and organizing the space over the next week. Over the semester I'll be helping to run the shop, and teach people that YES, they CAN commute by bicycle and be happy, and that they can also repair and maintain their wonderful machines. Turning the vision and inspiration I gained during Wheeled Migration and at the conference into reality. This is quite a big commitment for me, especially on top of my heavy course load for this semester. But in doing so I will be pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone and growing in ways I never thought imaginable.

As per the title of my post, I am planning on attending Bike!Bike! (http://www.bikebike.org) from September 25th to 28th, in San Francisco. Bike!Bike! is "an annual conference of community bicycle projects from around the country (and abroad) who come together in order to explore and affirm our common values; to create networks for sharing tools, organizational structures, funny stories and new skills; to inspire and invigorate ourselves to continue the work we do in our many communities; and to meet athletic strangers." I would love to see some of you (hell, all of you) there.

I rode by the ocean in Capitola the other day, and there is still a "WM" with a heart around it in the bike lane. It certainly isn't over yet. In fact I feel like I'm just getting started.

Much Love,

-Blair