Out and back

My nightly accommodations

Air travel is not my forte. When I was packing for the student admit weekend at Quest University, I made sure to leave all my liquids behind, but in a moment of pure stupidity, I decided I might as well take my pepper spray. I knew that I was possibly going to walk 7 kilometers to the bus stop at 2:30 AM on my way home and you never know who or what you'll encounter at that hour in rural British Columbia. In fact, I did see a rather large black bear that morning while I was waiting for the bus after taking a taxi with two other students. Not that pepper spray would have been even the slightest bit helpful if I had run into a bear on my walk, but it was at least a somewhat reasonable precaution.

Except that I was flying Vancouver, not biking, so I had to go through security. And that didn't go too well. They immediately found my precious pepper spray. One security personnel had to call in her superior who took me to yet another security officer who detained me while she contacted higher ups to determine my fate. My particular pepper spray unfortunately contained tear gas which the security officer-mistakenly-took as a sign that I might be possessing military grade tear gas. So I sat on the table by the officer's desk for another twenty minutes as a Homeland Security officer made came over to give his decision and another security personnel informed me that I ought to sign up for personal defense classes. I didn't bother to explain that I'm not going to be in one place for a long time. In the end, it all worked out, and the rest of my travels went smoothly, but the event reminded me why I like bike travel so much better than air travel.

The mountains are the backdrop of Quest

As did my night in the airport. I slept very little, ate spaghetti with fried garlic and tomato sauce (which I made at the Camelbackpackers Hostel in Phoenix-camelbackpackers.com-where I was able to stay through a wonderful warm showers host who runs We Cycle USA-wecycleusa.org) for breakfast at 2:30 AM, and spent two hours pouring over my maps while the employees of the fast food place I was stationed next to gave me funny looks and a fellow airport beneficiary dreamed the night away. Despite the rough night, I managed to make it through the rest of the day of travel, exploring Quest University, and meeting my hosts, though I did fall asleep at 7:00 PM and missed the open mic night.

All in all, my stay at Quest was very pleasant. Quest was created in 2006 by a group of professors who wanted to design a true liberal arts college that could prepare students to thrive in the 21st century's dynamic work force. The result is a college which has a foundation program spanning a wide variety of disciplines and two years, followed by a two year concentration phase during which students pursue answers to questions (sort of like their major) which they form at the end of their sophomore year. Classes are taught in 3 1/2 week blocks so students only take one class at a time, and there are no lecture halls or departments. Thus, Quest has been able to effectively create an intriguing multi-disciplinary approach to education. I like the ideas behind Quest, and I did enjoy my time there, especially the long afternoon I spent bouldering in their climbing gym and the evening cabaret performance put on by current students. However, it felt very isolated from the rest of the world and I couldn't see myself going to college there.

WATER!!!

British Columbia, on the other hand, is definitely a place I want to spend more time in. Its majestic snow capped mountains that rise into the clouds are stunning. The second I stepped off of the airplane in Vancouver, I could immediately taste the moisture in the air and it made my heart sing. I drank in the cloudy, rainy days in British Columbia joyfully, and when I went for a short hike on some of the many mountain bike trails surrounding Quest, I stumbled upon a stream with the cleanest, purest, most delicious tasting water I have had since I left home. All the clouds and rain in British Columbia invigorated my withering soul, giving me strength to return to the parched Midwest where the only rivers are canals and most tap water comes from miles away. It truly is a disaster that has already happened.

But I am learning to love the desert too. The longer I spend here, the more I see in its bleakness. I am now in the land of the Saguaro cacti and red, brown and gold streaked mountains that climb proudly into the open sky, revealing striations in the rocks that formed them so long ago. There is much more than meets the eye here; I am constantly discovering new species of wildflowers and I am often surprised by the wildlife that crosses my path. Last night, I slept by a dirt field and listened to a coyote call to neighboring dogs while I watched the moon and stars. Rain is so rare that it is safe to leave the fly off my tent at night and my clothes out of their zip lock bags.

Since I left Phoenix, I have climbed into the mountains. Biking from Tempe, where I was lucky enough to spend a restful evening with a warm showers host, to Superior, another awesome warm showers host, was an easy ride. And a good thing too, for yesterday was my longest day yet, 85 miles including one treacherous climb over a 4,600 ft. pass. I rose early and biked straight through the day, only taking a few very short breaks, but I made it to Fort Thomas by 4:30 and found a place to camp by 5:00. It was a hard day, but it proved to me that I am getting stronger. From here on out, I will be biking continuously for a long time, and it is encouraging to know that my legs are able to handle more than they could at the beginning. I can't navigate airport security, but I can bike, and that is completely fine with me.

Love, peace and exploration,
Sonya

PS. My mom told me that I re-posted my Etsy blog from a while ago. I was trying to edit the blog about Prescott from my phone, and I guess when I published that, it sent out the Etsy blog some how, the app isn't particularly good. Sorry about that!

PPS. I have pictures but I can't upload them on the library computer, so I will post them later.