omgBOSTON!

by Amy

WE’RE IN BOSTON!!

It’s official: we made it to the East coast by bike. The final three days were soaked with a cold, steady drizzle that made us prove just how much we wanted to complete our full 3500+ miles of biking. We were fortunate enough to find some warm places to stay on relatively short notice, including the Leicester Unitarian Church and the Village Congregational Church in Cummington, MA.

Boston greeted us with some of the tightest roads and most aggressive driving we’ve had the whole trip. Luckily, we are expert cyclists at this point and can dodge traffic like it’s nobody’s business.

Our first host in Boston was Sean, who works for Bikes Not Bombs and lives in a housing co-op. Thanks to a consensus decision by his fabulous roommates, we were treated to showers, a warm supper, and a few couches and lots of floor space. We spent the evening drinking and reflecting on the trip. Our plans to go out were tempered by the rain that was still pouring down and our group’s general feeling of never, ever wanting to be wet again.

The next day was full of tours and group events, starting with a driving tour of the second largest food distribution center in the U.S. The center is in the city of Chelsea, just outside of Boston, and we were escorted by Katherine who serves on Chelsea’s Board of Health and has been working with the produce companies to retrofit “reefers” (refrigerated trucks) with electric engines that pollute less than the diesel they currently use. Chelsea has a high population of immigrants and refugees, and a high concentration of pollution and industry. It’s a classic case of environmental injustice and community members like Katherine are trying to work with the companies and government to turn this around.

Last night we were treated to a dinner of soup, salad, and bread at the home of a few local activists and spent the night in a house lent to us by a couple who is the friend-of-a-friend-of-a-family-member. It’s ridiculous that we’re still being given so much post-ride, and we couldn’t be more grateful to have a beautiful home on the outskirts of Boston to relax and organize before splitting up and going our separate ways.

I won’t attempt to speak for everyone, but I will name a few themes that stand out in my mind as I reflect on our cross-country adventure.

Each day, we rely on a diverse and complicated food system made possible by people with all manner of beliefs, lifestyles, techniques, and values. Any discussion of food issues- whether it cover local, organic, industrial, hobby, food sovereignty, etc.- must incorporate the voices and perspectives of each and every one of our food producers. It’s no good for a movement or revolution to be concentrated or accessible only to a small number of like-minded people. This is obviously not an original thought, but one that perhaps needs to be more strongly incorporated in order for more substantial change toward healthier, more local food.

Another theme is the incredible generosity that we’ve been lucky enough to find in every state, every town, and every home that has hosted us. All across this country we have shared meals with folks who take time out of their busy day to prepare and serve a meal for a dozen extra people (no small feat). Many of these hosts also welcomed us into their homes to sleep, shower, and relax. I can’t describe or quantify just how much support we’ve received over the past eight weeks, but suffice it to say that I am astounded at the open and loving character of so many people and that it was an absolute pleasure to meet and visit with each of our hosts.

I’ll wrap this up with one final observation- since this is getting long and I’m sure others will be posting their final thoughts on this blog eventually, too. Biking across the country is a challenge, but doing it with eleven other people is a lesson in communal living, cooperative work, and self-sacrifice. It is difficult to live in such close quarters with so many other people- most of whom did not know each other at the beginning of this trip. We certainly had our share of spats, misunderstandings, failed communication, and conflicting priorities. But in the end- we made it to Boston in good health and on friendly terms. I think this is an understated success of the trip and one that we might soon forget- the challenge of living and working toward a common goal that just happens to be as physically and mentally intense as biking across a country.

A beautiful country, at that.

So, so long, folks- thanks so much to all of our supporters and to those of you who have commented and followed our ride.

Here’s to biking! And good food 🙂