My focus as our trip across NY nears

Here’s what I’m listening to these days.

Shawn Stevenson’s podcast, The Model Health Show.  I feel like he is smart, grounded, and provides a valuable perspective (including episodes related to the virus or social turmoil).

Shawn’s from Ferguson, Missouri. And as the experience of racial profiling and more has come to dominate the news, I appreciate Shawn’s experience.

The most challenging podcast I’ve listened to recently

The Hidden Brain’s episode titled “Playing Favorites”.  It talks about treating people that we can relate to in a special way better than we treat others. As it says in the episode description: “If we do a favor for someone we know, we think we’ve done a good deed. What we don’t tend to ask is: Who have we harmed by treating this person with more kindness than we show toward others?”

Bicycle and more – Ryan Van Duzer’s YouTube channel

Ryan Van Duzer’s Youtube channel, which focuses a lot on bike touring but is much more. I was listening to Ryan Van Duzer’s Youtube live conversation with his friends DeeDee and Priti, who have a podcast called The Bali Effect, which I haven’t listened to.

As I write, Ryan is interviewing Kevin, a cyclist of color, about what it’s like to bicycle tour. Bike camping, and how it has changed him. Why is it that you don’t see black people camping, or skiing?  It’s a limiting mindset causing people to miss out on a lifetime of awesome experiences.

They are talking about how white the outdoor industry is. But they are also talking about the best moments of their lives.

Meanwhile, what I’m working on

I’ve found that collaborating online with a friend is a great way to make progress and have fun. It helps me to share the learning experience.

I’m doing a little preparation each day for the trip. And I’m talking about making maps.

And as a family, we’ve been getting out

The above photo is from Washington Crossing Park in NJ.  We’ve had some great outings, like disc golf at Fort Washington State Park, walking to waterfalls at Ringing Rocks County Park, archery at a friend’s home, and just sitting in our backyard.