Home At Last
How long will we keep traveling? What does home look like? These are questions that have been weighing heavy on our minds for the last few months. Since 2009, when we first sold everything to hit the road, we’ve been mentally on the move, stopping in cities for periods of time but never feeling settled. We gave up on the traditional concept of home as a collection of rooms to store your stuff. Home, for us, became each other -as long as Laura and I were together we were at home. We were happy with that definition and it kept us going even as we camped between sand dunes, froze our tails off, and rambled around the bottom edge of the world.
Today we got off the bus in Portland, the end of the line after three weeks of visiting family and friends after returning from New Zealand. We spent a few days with my family in Los Angeles, a few days in Palm Springs with Laura’s dad, a few days with friends in Santa Monica, a few days in Corvallis with Laura’s mom, and now… here. Home. Definitions are fluid because we change as people. For us, home is also where your community is. It is friends. And it is something we’ve sorely missed.
We’ve decided to put some roots down in Portland. Of all the cities we’ve visited, Portland draws us back every time. It is an exciting city to be a cyclist and we’ve made many great friends here. It is also a hot bed of cycling innovation and thinking. The dream of constant travel is alluring and we’re so thankful that we got a chance to see what it was like for ourselves. We’ve learned that for us, travel is a different life, not a better life. You experience so much, but it also exacts its cost.
So that begs the question, what now? We’re switching gears from being bicycle travelers to being advocates for bicycle travel. There are so many plans and projects that we dreamed up while on the road that are difficult to grow while constantly moving. We will still go on trips and continue to film, photograph and write about them; the only difference is that, at the end of it all, we’ll have a home base of operations. I’ve always looked at things through an advocacy lens on our travels and it has been fascinating to witness what works and what doesn’t. It’s time to connect the dots. It’s time to bring together the different ideas we’ve seen about promoting cycling, bicycle tourism and travel – and make our contribution.
So stay tuned folks. We many not be actively traveling at the moment, but the wheels are always moving forward.
(Keep our adventures going and the site growing! If you’ve enjoyed our stories, videos and photos over the years, consider buying our ebook Panniers and Peanut Butter, or our 2012 2012 calendar or some of the fun bike-themed t-shirts we’re designing.)
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Welcome home!
Just curious – did it go equally smoothly gate-checking your Bromptons on the return journey?
Got my first flight with Brompton coming up, and it’s overseas (US-Japan-US).
Well i for one will look forward to updates, and further adventures of yours sedentary or not. Some friends of ours we met though our blog, recommended yours, and i’ve been glued to it ever since. I love your writing style, loved the videos, and think you’ll both figure out what this next phase of life looks like.
i’m not a big commenter, but avid reader, and wanted to de-lurk to say hi and well done!
Thanks for sharing and hope you continue to share. I’m a dreamer myself but need to start doing. Hard though.
ernie
Hope to see you in PDX. I’ll be there this weekend for bike show and VeloCult Grand Opening!
All my favorite bikey-people live in Portland. I definitely must visit someday. Good luck with new adventures!
welcome home!
Hi there from Japan. Great to be able to call your partner ‘home’ but even better when you have your larger support group ie. friends around you. And Portland-based on my travels I think there is no where better for bicycle orientated people in the US. Look forward to what’s to come next from you guys.
It has been a pleasure to watch your adventure, adapting to each bend, realizing your dreams. I love my Zombie Apocalypse t-shirt. Keep all of your great energy and advocacy coming!
what a beautiful love story is this,when i read this “as long as Laura and I were together we were at home”
halaluiah!
love you both!
loveANDréLOVE
Glad you guys ended up back here! Can’t wait to hear more about your adventuring, even if it’s within the city. 😉
I’m just starting to gear up to start riding my bike to work again. Thousands of people here do it — I just need to get off my butt. :\
Hey, congrats on taking the next big step in your lives. Maybe we’ll drop you a line next we’re in the PacNW.
Let us know when you want to open a consulting office in NZ!
Cheers, Aaron
Thanks Aaron. Great meeting you while we are up in Christchurch. Definitely zip us an email if you’re in the PNW.
R
[…] Less Pedaled is finally “home” in Portland after almost 3 years of […]
Soon you’ll discover why it’s “a hot bed of cycling innovation and thinking”. It rains so much there that it’s all people have to do around there is think because they can’t ride as often. 😉
Welcome to Portland. When summer comes, and it will come to Portland, be sure to consider heading out to the Clackamas River past Estacada for bike camping. Tons of great roads, camping spots and beautiful scenery.
–LS
It must feel quite different…settling down. Are you buying a house or renting an apartment?