Jeremiah Watt Cycling around God's Creation

BLOG 11-Life behind Bars, the end

By Jeremiah Watt-saddlemaker on August 29, 2017

So, what did we learn on this journey, a solo cyclist and some avid reader followers. Lets walk thru and see if we come to the same thoughts and realizations.

Yes, i had to get out of bed and add this because ai forgot and its maybe the most important realization of the trip. During this whole solo cycle adventure I was covered in Prayer by friends and saints some of whom I do not even know. That counts for alot to me and I do want too acknowledge that and say many thanks in return, all pryers are appfeciated. Then there is that group who keep me entgused simply by way of letting me know that they aee reading and enjoying every page and picture in the blog process. Knowing that for many this may be as close to another country as they get, I am thankful to give you a road side report and to have you along for the ride. SO THANKS FIRST OF ALL TO THE BLOG FOLLOWERS AND PRAYER WARRIORS.

#1 – We handed out 100 cards for Christ, were any saved or fall of there knees right there and confess thier lives over to Christ. No, none in front of me. But as my Pastor friend Mike constantly reminds me we are simply sowing seeds and may not be around to see the crop mature, nor the harvest.

#2- Mileage for this trip was approx. 5,832km or 3,645 miles so not quite as far as I had expected. My detour away from Romania is what took some of the miles out of the trip. That detour for sure saved my knees a little, and that was something badly needed.

#3- total time in a hotel room this trip was a little etravagant, with the total being 17 days not counting all but 2 days here in Istanbul. Will have to work on my manliness and ruggedness a little more. Think I will buddy up with some of those heavily bearded hipsters from Frisco and take a few pointers and renew my pledge to become more manly…………or maybe I will just get on the advil before I leave next time????? Zero stays in any camp grounds, only wild camping or hotels this trip.

#4- Explain “Life behind Bars” I have been asked. So, here it is in a nutshell. Life behind bars certainly carries that first thought notion of prison time, whixh I have never done. But there is an underlying sentiment that life is a precious gift and we want to harbor and safeguard it so we can enjoy the opportunities the Lord makes available to us. But more than that, Life behind Bars means just that, life as seen from behind the handlebars of a bicycle. Its the freshest, most honest way to really see a country and meet people. Lastly would be the largest extent to which I applied the title to this trip, all of us are guilty of living a life behind bars. While the bars are indeed invisible, they are there, for me, for you, for everyone. Those bars are formed by the media, in every format as they foster hate, fear, misunderstanding and distrust. All in the name of selling articles, tv shows, movies and yes even slanted and biased news. 5hose bars can be formed by our religion as well, as we harbor ill will and distrust of one another all because of our difference in faith. I keep reminding myself again and again, something Pastor Mike keeps pounding into my head…….we are to be Love with Skin on……..and that is so true. MATHEW 5:44 applies well in this spot. We suffer from bars of ignorance, just simply never walking across the street to meet the new nieghbour is something we are all guilty of, but how about another country to see what it and its people are really like. Firsthand knowledge will always trump rumor and innuendo. Lastly we observe our world thru the bars of ignorant education. Our kids know so little about the real world that fills in the rest of the globe that is a really sad state of affairs when some secondary school age kid can rattle off 5 city names within Canada when I ask him. And it has been shown that quite a few at college level think Europe is actually a country. I conclude that just plain old geographical ignorance may be the largest bars out in front of any of us. For me, this and any other travel that I do, is to give me a better appreciation for that place I call home “AMERICA”. and secondarily for me to better understand my new friends and the hardsgips that they have to endure.

#5- Images taken this trip have hit 7632 with my Camera and Phone in combination. S well as 61.5mg of video shot on a Go Pro. Total images used on my blog is 678…..so, I got a few extras laying around.

#6- GEAR REVIEW.

My Surly LHT vike has once again be stellar. My Schwalbe tires, also once again preoved to be totally bullet proof. Not one single flat or slow leak down on this entire trip, and I did hit some road surface that is super tough on tires. Brooks saddle, the B17 model also preoved superb. My Ortlieb Bags and handlebar bag are just the best. If I had a complaint it is with my tent, I love everything about it except its ability to stand in any sort of wind. The tent is an REI Quarter Dome T2 version. Other than that I had basically szero reasons to be unhappy with any of my gear choices for this trip.

SO, WHAT COMES NEXT??????

THINK I WILL WAIT FOR GOD TO SPEAK TO MY HEART AND THEN ANNOUNCE.