Another year has passed; 365 days, 52 weeks, 12 months, and all spent doing exactly what we both love doing; traveling, meeting new and exciting people, having brilliant and ridiculous experiences, and being amazed at every turn by what the road put on our path as we continued to pedal our bicycles further south. Two Thousand and Eleven was a good year, an excellent year. We were both sheltered and fortunate, and we were able to – for at least a little while – live outside of all the turbulence that dominated the year in other parts of the world. We got to focus on what we wanted without distractions or dogmatic structure; without being swept away by the ever-changing tide of the 24-hour news cycle; without rules; without judgement, but with purpose. We got to slow down and think, focus, get back to basics, and live free in the moment. What has all this freedom taught us?

New Years Eve 2010; one year ago in Guadalajara, Mexico. We spent the beginning of the new year with a different group of cyclists who had become our travel family. It still remains incredible how quickly long-lasting friendships are formed when traveling on a bicycle for long periods of time; the connection is always immediate because we all share something and intuitively understand each other.

Wild camping is one of the most rewarding experiences of bicycle touring. Lying in our tents, snuggly in our comfortable cocoons, and being awoken early in the morning by the sunrise accompanied by the sounds of nature, makes you look forward to going to bed at night.

People are people wherever you go. Everyone has their issues, prejudices, and hang-ups, but we are all trying to navigate through life basically in the same way in search of security, recognition, and love; trying to protect, and leave a better world to our children.

Love is found everywhere…

and although it might sting sometimes…

love is the what defines the human experience and secures the bonds of friendship; cherish your relationships.

Food is good! The empanadas and taco’s in Mexico, the roasted guinea pig in Colombia and Ecuador, the ceviche in Peru, and the asado’s in Argentina and Chile. It’s a good thing that we work up quite an appetite riding a bicycle so we can sample all the delicious treats Latin America has to offer.

Kids are awesome! Never judgmental or cynical, always curious and inquisitive; kids are just awesome and have the unique ability to brighten your day with their laughter and unassuming ways.

Dogs, on the other hand, are one of the cycling tourists worst enemies; always ready to attack and bite our ankles.

The other is traffic; sometimes thundering past so close we have to stop and thank our lucky stars no serious accidents have happened yet.

Motivation is found in unexpected places during the trip; if you stop and pause long enough to see it. That inner flame that drives people towards any big goal, that pushes them further when they’re thinking about giving up; that flame needs rekindling once in a while. So we stop and pause; we give that flame some air by appreciating and admiring our position, and realizing that these are the moments that count. It’s the journey, not the destination.

Sometimes the journey is its own reward; when we travel through a particularly beautiful area, or…

have a particularly nice view.

Sometimes pushing on; looking for our own physical and mental barriers feels great.

Both on and off the bicycles.

We found out that the worse the road, the better the memory…

because the rewards after experiencing hardship and suffering have a way of staying lodged in the mind.

Meeting people less fortunate makes you feel humble and grounds you in reality.

But all Americans; in the North, the Centre, and in the South, are hospitable and generous towards us travelers on a bicycle. People open their hearts and their homes; inviting us in to be part of their story and their evening meal. Without fail we experienced hospitality in all walks of life, from the rich to the poor; sharing is caring.

Isolation from the world is therefore never the answer because happiness is only real when shared.

That is why we are in this together; from start to finish, 20 months… Happy 2012!