Greeting the "Gateway to the West"

A week ago, we left the comfortable shady lanes of Broad Ripple in Indianapolis, IN, and pedaled onward into the sun and heat, which I might add is only intensified by the pavement on which we ride. We were not the only crazy bikers out there, however! As we biked on away from the city, we soon discovered hoards of bikers passing us in the other direction, all participants of R.A.I.N, (ride across Indiana) a 160-mile cycle tour from one side of the state to the other. We got a lot of inquisitive smiles from the riders, some cheers, and a few shout outs of, "You're going the wrong way!"

It's always wonderful to see other cyclists on the road or discover communities with biking events or strong biking awareness. In Bloomington, IN, we passed a large sign informing drivers that cyclists have the right to the entire far right lane when going down that particular hill into the old downtown area. THANK YOU, BLOOMINGTON! And Indianapolis... and St. Louis, MO, where we have now landed, are all cities that have invested in expanding streets to include bike lanes or have created trails specifically for biking, running, and walking. Another thanks goes out to all the courteous drivers who provide adequate space for passing cyclists, or respectfully wait until it's unquestionably safe, or simply have an understanding and uphold that cyclists have a right to "share the road." In Illinois, we did encounter the majority of drivers thus far with exceptional respect for providing plenty of space on the roads for bikes and cars to coexist on the same roadway.

The time between Indianapolis and St. Louis has also been glittered with moments and meetings that have reminded us of the spectacular diversity that exists here in America. While in southern Indiana, we stayed with the Waglers, an Amish family whom Narelle knows well. Now, you might be asking yourself how a traveling girl from Australia ends up knowing an Amish family in the U.S. Well, a few years ago while Narelle was living in Michigan she expressed to a friend, Hayley Joyell Smith, that she admired the Amish and how they lived their lives in simplicity with respectable hard work and stellar skills of craftsmanship. Hayley's professor happened to have connections with an Amish family, and after a series of phone calls and inquiries, Narelle soon arrived at the driveway of the Waglers with her backpack in tow for a pre-arranged visit of several days. Since that initial visit, Narelle has made return visits and has become a welcomed part of their extended family. For Carmen, however, this was the first connections established with anyone of an Amish community, and it was a truly unique and joyous experience to live with them for a full day and a half.

The Amish to outsiders may seem as if they are only living in the past, in that they do not embrace those things that most of us simply cannot live without, but what they value and keep strong in their traditions are ideals that have been lost in today's pop culture of ipods and internet. They value FAMILY. They value real face-to-face conversations, sharing meals and worshiping together, naturally home-grown food and hand-made crafts. The children of all ages play together... THEY PLAY... OUTSIDE... games that they have created by using their IMAGINATION. They are growing up active and healthy! And both adults and children take responsibility for contributing to the greater good of their family and community through their work and acts. The Amish are a beautiful and unique part of the greater American diversity, and I encourage those of you who know nothing about them to take a deeper look... and take notes.

In the hours before arriving at the Waglers, we sought refuge from a passing thunderstorm in the overhang of an gas station general store. During the downpour a man from inside came out to check on us. We later discovered he was the owner, had lived in the U.S. for only eight years, and in that time he had gone from working at food stands on the street on Chicago to owning and operating seven different gas station marts across the Northeastern United States. "Anything is possible in America," he said with honest enthusiasm. "With a little hard work, you can have anything you wish for in America... anything is possible."

A few days later, we happened upon the Knox County Fair where we wheeled our bikes through the muddy fairgrounds in search of fried elephant ears or ice cream when we met a representative of the armed forces there at the fair. His booth displayed an elaborate array of flags honoring various branches of the military. In the short time that we spoke, he shared that the "Ranger" flag was there for a remarkable young man from the area who had died serving his country in the line of duty. He excused his voice for breaking with emotion. We respectfully listened on in silent gratitude.

It is encounters like these that remind us, America is composed of a beautiful array of diverse individuals with unique stories, and it is a country that is full of opportunity and freedoms that so many other places in the world are without. Here we can worship as we wish, create our dream jobs and be our own boss, or like us, be two young women who can choose to independently travel on bike from one coast to the other in the name of a non-profit charity. Some may argue that there is still progress to be made here, and in many respects that is true, but the gift is that we can fight for those rights and manifest them through our efforts.

As we crossed into Missouri over the Mighty Mississippi River, swollen with rushing flood waters, we paused to reflect on how far we've come and what is yet before us. The famous Gateway Arch against the St. Louis skyline marked our "Gateway to the West." Just as many traveled westward in history past, long before us here, we are yet on a remarkable journey into new and unknown territory.

Our short but wonderful time in St. Louis has given us a reprieve from the remarkable heat wave that has been honing down on the central and mid-west states so far this summer.
And even though the mercury was rising higher than the flood waters, a dedicated group joined us in Forrest Park of a picnic fundraiser on Saturday. A huge thanks goes out to all that joined us there and to those who made donations to help us reach our goal.

From here, we will start biking due west along the Katy Trail and reach eastern edge the pinnacle state of our journey: KANSAS.

Our next mail drop will be with Sandy and Darrell Sturdy at the following address:

(Carmen or Narelle) c/o The Sturdy's

1108 West 6th St.

Lyndon, KS 66451

Please send ice cream. :o)