Pedaling for Peace

On April 15, 2012 I started riding my bicycle cross-country from Jacksonville, Florida in voluntary support of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) and the work of author and Peace Leadership Director for the NAPF, Paul K. Chappell. By July 4th, I had covered over 1300 miles to just west of Luling, Texas where a major mechanical failure brought this first stage of my cross-country journey to an end. After storing my bicycle and trailer with my aunt and uncle in Weatherford, Texas, I flew from Dallas to Santa Barbara, California to attend the NAPF First Annual Peace Leadership Summer Workshop. I then lived and worked in Santa Barbara for several more months before I returned to Jacksonville and sold off the rest of my possessions that I could to help fund a continuation of my journey. Starting June 8, 2013 and ending August 9, 2013, I rode from Weatherford, through 400 miles of the central Texas hill country, including Austin, Texas, back to Luling. It was at this point that a friend of mine invited me to work for a brief period in Pennsylvania before flying me back to Santa Barbara where I continued volunteering for the NAPF as well as for the Santa Barbara Bike Coalition. As of August 9th, 2014 I began"Stage III" of my cross-country adventure, this time heading south from Santa Barbara to San Diego and then east to El Paso, TX. It was there that illness, winter weather, and diminishing resources brought that leg of my journey to an end. After staying with another friend in Columbus, GA for several months, I moved "back home" to Kentucky to stay with my dad for a while and build a better "resource base" for future endeavors including review and further tracking and primitive survival skills training at Tom Brown, Jr's Tracker School , and a possible longer tour of the east coast, northern tier, and north west coast back down to Santa Barbara, CA.


Wednesday, June 22, 2011

We Interrupt This Blog Series for an Important Announcement

Hi, Everyone!

I know there are some new people starting to view this blog as well as others who know about it and who may be eagerly anticipating my next post on "Food Basics Part II" mentioned below.  That post is "in progress," however, Right Now I'm going to have to focus on getting my stuff ready to sell at Harper's Ferry Flea Market this weekend, June 25th. (For more info go here: http://www.harpersferryfleamkt.com/)

In addition, just so everyone knows, this is ALL pretty new territory for me; i.e. blogging here, and especially including images.  I'm still learning my way around the site itself and figuring out how I can make the most of it. Consequently, these first few blogs are the tougher, more time consuming ones, and I just don't have a lot of time right now, given the other things I have to get done before I actually go on my trip.

Furthermore, I'm still on my old, Familiar, PC and operating system.  Pretty soon, even That is all going to change when I get my iPad.

In other words, just like my actual riding of my bicycle, this is all kind of starting in "low gear" and it might take a while for me to build up some speed and momentum.  But I trust that with my Awesome Blue Turtle Powers of Slow and Steady Perseverance...I will ultimately be successful! : )

I do appreciate All of the Support I have received from my current friends and associates and the new ones I am starting to meet.  I will do my very best to Do What I Say I'm Going to Do; and in that way, not betray the trust you have in me, and not betray The Life Impulse that brought me to this point in the first place.

No doubt, there are some challenges ahead, New Challenges that will require different kinds of adaptation from me.  And even if it appears daunting at times, as I said, I am going to do the very best that I can to meet those challenges with courage and humor. : )

Thanks again to all of you who have offered your support and encouragement.  Thank you for Believing in Me as that makes all the difference in those moments (though relatively rare), when I begin to wonder "What the heck am I getting myself into?!"

But, here I am...and it appears the only way "out" at this point is "through." In other words, I'm just going to have to Go Through This and see what happens!?  Although I might have some idea of what's to come, the Future is as much of a mystery to me as it is for anyone who might be reading this blog.  All I know is, right now, I have to get my stuff packed up for Harper's Ferry and once that is done, there will only be five more days before I will be On the Road!

WooooHooo!!! : ))
Posted by Lori Bell at 7:32 AM

1 comment:

  1. Anita SchumacherJune 26, 2011 at 8:50 AM

    Hi Lori -- it was nice meeting you yesterday at the flea market and reading your blog. I'll be really interested in your travels and daily lifestyle on the road and will follow along with you! Wishing you all the best :)

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