Vienna Prague Final Reflections

This is Tim writing again on the plane ride home. I wanted to capture a few more thoughts about the trip on paper while not struggling with typing on a blackberry.

John did a great job of leading us through a variety of passageways including:, bike paths, county and country roads, highways and sidewalks, farm lanes and dirt roads, and even a snow lined loggers trail near the Czech boarder. As we biked along, we could not go very far without seeing one of two things; deer stands (for hunting deer) and religious shrines. There were all kinds and sizes (of saints, crucifixes and many of the Blessed Virgin) and looked like they have been there for a long time.

Riding through the countryside, small towns, and villages was delightful and even peaceful. It was amazing how pristine the homes and farmsteads were. There is obviously an engrained cultural pride of neatness in this part of the world. You could easily see differences in the affluent versus the more humble abodes, but not when it came to being neat and tidy.

A highlight of the trip was the magical element we got from experiencing the beautiful surroundings on a bike. As John has mentioned before and Harry Wray, one of his professors from Depaul, so aptly describes in his book “Pedal Power,” you just see the world differently on a bicycle. The natural flow and randomness of our riding order had us taking turns leading and lagging and haphazardly pairing up in all possible combinations when we were in the more remote areas. This allowed for wonderful conversation and an ability to share the environment together.

I wanted to note Will’s quip to Mike Kneafsey, who is one hundred percent Irish. What do you call Irishmen in the Czech Republic? Chex Mix.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to US Empowered Foundation, especially while we were on the trip. It was inspiring for all of us when we would learn of those donations via blackberry updates. FYI Will received an email from a guy he met in Vienna saying he was so inspired by John and Will’s trip that he was telling everyone he met about it, leaving their blog address on bulletin boards in all the hostels where he was staying, and planning a ride of his own to raise money for charity.

In closing, I came away with even greater respect and admiration for John and Will and the monumental task they are undertaking. This is an experience they will remember forever and an affirmation their ability to accomplish whatever they set their minds and hearts to.