What do you feel before departure?

Morning of June 4th, 2007. Midnight has already passed and there still clarity on Anchorage’s sky. I can’t sleep. The anxiety surpasses me. So many years of preparation and dreaming and in a few hours they will transform in reality.

Thousands of questions search for a answer in my head: will the bike hold the excessive weight that I carry? How do I get rid of things? Will my legs hold on? Will everything fit on Maira? Will it be maneuverable? Will I be able to climb with such a load? Will all these chilling stories I have heard these days about bears become reality??? I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t recognize that such an enterprise didn’t scare me a bit…

The global map gets smaller and confines one to an even smaller one. The one of the day by day, of a few kilometers. From planning to ride thousands of kilometers I ask myself if I will be able to finish the first kilometers to the town of Palmer. The smallest things start to take their real dimension.

A tremendous emotion takes over me thinking about the long road taken and about all the people that helped me to get here. The effect is immediate: The load is lighter, the road is a descent and the wind is on my back…

Just a few more hours.  The wheel is already spinning.

What will be the lucky charm to start? There are two songs that make me think of this trip for a while and they don’t stop from raising the hair of the back of my neck and getting my eyes wet. “Sea” of Jorge Drexler and the theme from “The Motorcycle Diaries” I’m far from being a “Che”, but as it happened to him, I’m sure that I won’t be the same when I get back.

The happiness and joy have mixed up with all the doubts that assault me. It’s a bit strange. In a little bit I’ll be climbing back on the bike, this time on a great odyssey, to experiment once more that feeling that got to me the first tome and brought me to this point on the road: Freedom.

Are you coming with me?

A few more words…

This time, words of acknowledgements.  Because I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for all the people that trusted my craziness and supported me without a doubt so I could start living my dream!!!

There are many, too many people that one way or another collaborated and brought me to the extreme northern point of the American continent.

In this final stage in particular, I didn’t’ want to miss the opportunity to express my eternal gratitude to my “brother” Marco Fania, who along Emma and Tommy, they hosted me in their home as another son. It was to the point that Emma even tried all this time to convince me to stay in her home and not to do such a crazy trip. Only a mother can show such love!! Without them I wouldn’t have been able to make the transition before the trip.

To Sebastien: for his unconditional friendship, loaded with huge pride in knowing that he is going on the same path, starting his own trip around Quebec these days.

To the Sedna crew, that gave me their love and friendship these last weeks: Amelie, Mariano, Francois, Stevens...thanks!!!

And to the Kullberg family: They opened their home doors and helped me here in Anchorage with everything I needed in these days before departing. Rick, Kris, Max, Bjorg: Thanks from the bottom of my heart for you hospitality and unlimited generosity.



The support words

In the hardest moments and when it looks like the climb is impossible to surpass, the words of support from friends are the ones pushing us to continue. I wanted to share with you some of the many words of support that Y have received these days that made me so good and keep doing it every time I read them…

 “Courage is to do what your fear. There cannot be courage without fear”
Angel

“Let the wind always blow to your back. Let the road elevate itself until it reaches your feet. And… let the devil know that you have left half an hour after you have reached heaven”
Johnny

“Emotion is what brakes frontiers and prevail over distances”
Natu

 “To the world and its people, to travel and its surprises, to life and its magic"
Kathy

“Your trip gives everyone else the courage to realize their own madness! Let that knowledge lighten your load and speed up your riding”
Trevor

“When you feel alone, just look up to the moon. She observes us everyday. Then, you won’t feel so far away”
Amelie

“To ride great distances you never have to ask directions to those who don’t know how to get lost”
Catherine

“The challenges are going to take you far away. Let the loved ones bring you back home”
Susana

The Bicycle will fly someday.
Everyone’s bicycle.
You will see.
It’s growing wings.
They are real.
The child wants it to fly,
And it will fly.

The child will go in the air
To by some bread;
Will go around the bell tower
of dove and of mortar.

The child and the dove
Over the city
The child accompanying the white goose
That will be seen.

It’ is growing wings
Come take a look.
Look like the Iris from the fields.
Don’t think badly
The wings are afraid of something.
They are afraid of us.
 Perhaps
 
As soon as men
Gain peace
Everyone’s bicycle will fly.

The one that sleeps at the cinema's door
Will fly.
The one from the postman
Will fly.
The one from Queen Gilliermina 
Will fly.
Mine and yours
Will fly.

Above the smoke and the cables
You’ll see me.
The bicycle will have only one name:
Freedom:

 The angel from the water
Won’t go anymore.
Wide street from the sky
To watch.

Flowers that we never saw
Here and there.
There will be time to watch.
How much lost time
There is.

As soon as men
Stop making war
The world’s bicycle
Will fly.

Every town will have a cycling track
Where the children will ride.

From there they will fly.
They will go around the ocean.
If there were none,
Over the wheat field
They will go where there will be one
And will come back.

To go and come back
Will be like to sing.
Because the bicycle will have true wings.
The one from the postman, the one from Queen Guillermina.
Nobody will fall.
It’s only just a matter
That men win peace.

Domenec