Part 1: Where the Magic Happens

The Venn diagram is one of the most beautiful diagrams, for it represents the magic that happens when we combine our interests.

As you may recall, a Venn diagram is a visual way of showing relationships among separate groups of things. Each group of things is represented by a congruent circle. The circles are overlapped to create regions, or "intersections," representing commonalities among the groups. These intersections are powerful; they are where the magic happens. The greater the number of intersections, the greater the magic.¹

Where the magic happens.

On February 1, 2012, I attended a talk given by John Scurlock. Called "Heart of the Distant Mountain," John presented aerial photographs he had taken while flying over the Cascade mountains. The photographs in John's presentation were amazing. But more amazing was the story of how John became an aerial photographer.

The Guy Who Is Living My Dream

Meet Jeff Kruys. He is, without a doubt, a crazy guy on a bike.

Jeff, a crazy guy on a bike.

Jeff has biked more than 70,000 miles! And that doesn't count the numerous trips he's done without an odometer on his handlebars.

Legacies of Bicycling Divas

Once upon a time there was a woman named Annie Londonderry. Her real name was Annie Kopchovsky, but that's not important.

Annie Londonderry was a bitchin' bicycling diva. This is Annie, alongside her trusty steed:

Annie Londonderry, a bicycling diva.

Our bicycling diva, Annie, set out to prove that a woman could ride around the world on a bicycle. (Thomas Stevens was the first man to cycle around the world. He spent two years accomplishing the deed on a penny farthing, completing his journey in 1886.)

The year was 1894. Annie left her husband and three children to girdle the world around.

Alastair's Lessons

Alastair Humphreys rocks my world.

For one, he has a gnarly name.

For two, he is an adventurer from England who spent four years cycling around the world. (Oh, and he also ran 150 miles across the Sahara desert, walked and pack-rafted across Iceland, and rowed across the Atlantic Ocean.) <Insert salivation here.>

But cycling around the world is Alastair's baby, as it was his first adventure. Alastair wrote a book about his journey, called "Ten Lessons from the Road."

Alastair learned a helluva lot of lessons during his four-year journey. So why does he only include ten lessons in his book? Because life is short. Because each day we inch closer and closer to our deathbeds. Because we can't spend too much time theorizing. We just gotta do it and get on with our dreams!

Bob Is Famous!

Meet Bob.

Bob & his Surly Long Haul Trucker.
(From Bob's Facebook photos.)

I met Bob earlier this year. We both signed up for a bike maintenance class at Wright Brothers Cycle Works. When we rolled our bikes into the first class in January and noticed that we both had Surly Long Haul Truckers, Bob and I instantly bonded!

Mamihlapinatapai

Imagine two people at the end of a first date. Each wants to kiss the other, but neither wants to make the first move.

This is "mamihlapinatapai." Each person wishes that the other will offer something that they both desire. But both are unwilling to offer it themselves.

Addicted to Porn

I have a confession to make...

I am addicted...[sigh]...

...to porn.