We spent the last few days riding along the Delaware, crossing back and forth between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We’ve gone from the woods, to farmland, and now we’re dipping into the suburbs to Philadelphia. The weather’s turned sticky and humid, and everything’s a little bit more lush. It’s starting to feel like we’re somewhere really new and not just on a regular weekend jaunt outside of Brooklyn.
I’m so used to the idea of bike touring that it’s easy for me to forget how odd we look to most people. Bike travel is funny that way – you’re a public spectacle, but that visibility (and vulnerability) also makes other people open up. I’ve had more conversations with strangers in the last week than I think I’ve had in my life, and the vast majority of people have been very kind.
To catalogue some random acts of kindness so far:
- A store owner gave us a very fancy can of salmon
- A couple in a car invited us to glean apples off of their tree
- We ran into a big community BBQ fundraiser for a charity and were invited to stay for free BBQ and music
- A family welcomed us to camp in their yard, as well as to relax, share a beer with them, and socialize
I feel lucky that this trip has given us the opportunity to have experiences like that.