What do you get when you take two burned-out school teachers, their 8-year-old twin sons, and a brand new bicycle built for three? I can’t speak for others, but in our case, the result was a whole year filled with magic.
I’ll never forget that day – the day my husband, John, came home after a particularly rough day in the classroom and said, “Nancy, I’m tired of this. Let’s quit our jobs, buy a triple bike, and take off with the kids.” Never one to sit back and let life pass me by, I jumped on his plan wholeheartedly.
Three months later we were ready: our teaching jobs had been quit, the big bicycle had been purchased, and my old bike rebuilt. Our bags were packed and good byes said. There was no turning back; there was only a year of adventure ahead of us. A year to pedal at will, turn on a whim, and explore sunsets without end. Ah yes, we were ready – ready to tackle this great continent of ours with our children, ready to live and experience and grow beyond our wildest imagination. Ready to be pushed farther than we had ever been pushed. And ready for magic.
On June 18, 2006 we pedaled away from our home in Boise, Idaho. John rode the “stretch limo” (bicycle built for three) with our boys, Davy and Daryl, while I followed along behind on a single bike. Anticipation, apprehension, excitement, and a little bit of dread filled our thoughts on that summer day as we wondered just what kinds of adventures we would find. It didn’t take long to find out.
Those first few days went by in a blur. We pedaled when we felt like it, took naps under trees when tired, and reveled in the idea that we had a whole year ahead of us; 365 days of life in the slow lane. Sure, we sweated like pigs climbing hills in 105Ú heat, and our bums screamed in agony at the injustice of being suddenly forced to spend hour upon hour in the saddle. But slowly, surely, we fell into a rhythm which worked for all four of us: young and old, big and small, energetic and not-so-energetic. Chaos-filled days where we couldn’t remember where anything had been stashed gradually morphed into days where everything had its place, everyone had their jobs, and we were a team working seamlessly together toward a common goal.