Epilogue
To mark the end of this adventure, I made this found poem out of lyrics from my favorite songs which kept me company through countless hours of cycling, riding public transportation, writing, and generally enjoying life.
The horse that you shall ride upon will be of the wintry gray
And all the birds in the trees… singing so happily
Where the barkers call the moon down
There’s a rider on the road
There’s calamity waiting to unfold
Skywatcher rule today
Time for dinner eat my beans
Too much oil not much green
It’s a different kind of victory
When you’re not sure what you’re playing for
Doing the math to the time zone you’re at
Was an unseen part of the plan
And all roads lead to Tranquility Base
Where the frown on my face disappears
Love the city but not the slum
See the world it’s overrun
See the buildings hide the sun
All the children have no fun
This is the world we live in
And these are the names we’re given
Stand up and lets start showing
Just where our lives are going to
Locked inside this cage again
Where evil reigns and people like to win
It may sound sweet but we won’t like the end
‘Til we shine brightly from the light within
If you find yourself a villain in the story you have written
It’s plain to see that sometimes the best intentions
Are in need of redemptions
And it’s one two three
On the wrong side of the lee
What were you meant for?
If storms are breaking over great escapes
Boy, we’ll find out how to make it with the rain
Ocean water kinda deep
See the world in green and blue
See China right in front of you
See the canyons broken by cloud
For as as I live
I feel deep within
I’m alive
I know it’s my time
I’m alive
Offa Rex, ”The Gardener”
Supertramp, “The Logical Song”
Collin Meloy, “Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect”
The Decemberists, “Starwatcher”
Simon Van Gend, “Am I the Worm?”
Ripe, “Brother Sky”
Death Cab for Cutie, “Little Wanderer”
Styx, “Boat On The River”
Genesis, “Land Of Confusion”
Infected Mushroom, “Artillery”
Death Cab for Cutie, “You Are A Tourist”
The Decemberists, “Rox In The Box”
Woodkid, “The Great Escape”
James Blake, “Mile High”
U2, “Beautiful Day”
Guts, “Rest of My Life”
Thank you to my family for always supporting me and helping my dreams become reality. You taught me to live my life my way, at my pace, with my own priorities. That foundation gave me the freedom and strength to craft these last two years into a journey from which I will forever draw inspiration, courage, perspective, and joy.
Thank you to Emma for being the most patient and loving girlfriend I could ever hope for. Thousands of miles apart through crappy WiFi signals and inconvenient time differences, you were always there for me.
Thank you to all the amazing people I met along the way who’ve made this trip everything I had hoped and more. Safe travels, friends.
Finally, thank you to everyone who followed along with this little blog. I hope reading it gave you at least a small part of the enjoyment I found in writing it.