DAY 104 | Russia | How To Move The Stars | A bicycle ride around the world

How To Move The Stars is the day by day retelling of a bicycle ride around the world. Start from the beginning to get the whole story. 

My adventure was a modern day epic, a solo, self-supported bicycle ride spanning 38,000 miles across six continents. There were moments I barely survived, and times I cried tears of joy, but mostly, this is a story about the thousands of people I met along the way.  I moved through their cultures, and dramatic landscapes. I ate their food and slept on their land. I was constantly arriving to the open arms of strangers who were excited to help me achieve a feat that few could imagine. I did this for years, immersing myself in the world and meeting the people who live here. The story I returned with is a snapshot of humanity, captured in a lived experience. Thank you for joining me on my journey.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
May 28th, 2013 Into Russia Last night a few drops of rain blew
in my hammock bobbed up and downas the trees flexed in the wind.
I laid in the darkness listeningto the whipping rain fly until I
had the good idea to hang my water bottles from the corners
of the fabric. The extra weight tension the

(00:21):
rain fly and muted the worst of the flapping.
I was so proud of myself. After 3 1/2 months of trying
different things, I finally figured out how to get a quiet
night's rest. This morning I biked into the
2600 year old port city of Kirch, which sits on the Bank of
the Kirch, straight between the Black Sea and Azov Sea.

(00:41):
Like untold travelers before me,I was there to catch the ferry.
I pushed my bike onto the deck of the boat along with a dozen
vehicle and a small crowd of people.
I felt deep relieved to be putting the Ukrainian drivers
behind me. As the boat left the dock, I was
filled with excited anticipationto arrive in Russia.
Attention. Nervousness came over me as the

(01:03):
boat passed to Bowie, marking the border.
I feel the same way entering every country.
Stepping into the unknown is always daunting.
I pushed my bike onto the far shore and stepped into the back
of the customs line. A man my age tried talking to me
but didn't speak English. A woman nearby sent her 10 year
old son over to help translate. He didn't speak much English

(01:26):
either, but I explained to him that I was from the United
States and on my way to China. Everyone standing in line was
watching our interaction. When the boy relayed my words,
they collectively nodded their approval.
The boy's mother gave me a handful of chocolates, an older
man gave me a pen, and another guy gave me a bottle of water.

(01:46):
The guy who gave me water then walked me outside to the border
control officer checking vehicles.
He talked him into letting me skip the line of people and go
through with the cars. The border guard was clean cut,
younger than me, and had a machine gun hanging from his
shoulder. He's both serious and friendly,
and I was surprised to be addressed and fluent English.

(02:07):
We went through the paperwork together, then he stamped my
passport and wished me safe travels.
I thanked him, then peddled intoRussia, feeling at ease after
the warm welcome. Late this afternoon, I pushed my
bike to the back of a farm fieldto hang my hammock.
My view looks out at the Azov Sea in the setting sun.
Small waves are lapping against the shore below and birds are

(02:30):
singing in the trees. I'm out of water, so I've been
drinking the sweet red wine given to me in Moldova.
I'm a few cups in and feeling a wonderful sense of contentment.
I'm exactly where I want to be. The physical challenge of
crossing the land has faded away, along with every mountain
and hill. To overcome the flat terrain

(02:51):
requires little more than persistence.
This part of the journey is a tradition of exploration from a
time when tepid oceans were crossed at the pace of the wind.
Lessons are in those long, slow miles, each one chipping away at
the psyche a little more. Russia will be my trial of
meditation. Ahead of me is a 4600 kilometer

(03:12):
plane of farmland, one of the longest stretches of persistent
landscape in the world. I'm learning that a physical
prowess is needed to achieve a summit, but a mental fitness is
necessary to cross a valley. As I pedal into this flat
expanse, I will try to remember moments that move one's soul can
happen anywhere. I will cross these still waters

(03:34):
and I will learn those lessons.