Reaching the End of an AMAZING Adventure

I have reached the end of an amazing adventure. I have learned so much about South, about people, about the Civil Rights Era, about current racial relations, and about myself.

There is something quite lovely about traveling-- getting outside of your familiar environment. And for me, there is something very special about traveling by bicycle. If I had been doing this trip by car, I really do not think that I would have met the people I met, or had the kind of experiences I had on the road.

Also, there was something quite empowering for me in doing this trip by myself. When I had a flat, I fixed it. If I went the wrong way, I turned around. When someone came up to talk to me or offer me help in any way, it was my intuition that I relied on to keep talking to them or accept their help.

So I did do this trip on my own, but I absolutely relied on the kindness and generosity of others. I have so many people to thank-- from people who welcomed me into their homes to librarians who let me use their computers and led me to information about their town, to strangers who bought me breakfast at diners, to drivers for giving me lots of space on the road, to principals and teachers who welcomed me into their schools. And there are so many other people too. Thanks everyone!

Right now I am in Silver Spring, Maryland visiting my Mom and Dad. And later this week I'm going to Boston to visit my Aunt Lorraine and my grandmother, Mima. I will be coming back to Seattle on May 1, and I'm looking forward to catching up with friends and with students too!

When I am back in Seattle I plan to do a lot more writing about this trip-- particularly about my experience learning about the Civil Rights Era and current racial relations in the South. I am pretty grateful to the Seattle School District not only for the time to take this trip and others this school year, but also for the time ahead to write about my experiences. I will be coming back to teach for the District in the fall of this year.

Is this the last posting? Nah. Just the last one for a couple of weeks. Till then--all the best, Dear Reader!