“This machine, your body, is stronger than you think. Trust it.” Rock, one of our hosts in Rygate Montana told my Cycle the Rockies cohort this on our fourth day on the road. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. Little did I know that in a few hours, as we battled twenty-five mile per hour headwinds, those words would be the only thought occupying my brain.
My experience on this field course has been filled with unexpected and eye-opening moments of laughter, joy, frustration and sadness. The more I experience, the more my world view grows and changes. My interactions with guest speakers, instructors and peers are shaping how I approach both my struggles and achievements. It is through these experiences that I have learned that only through joy and laughter can you change the world. Without this positive attitude, nothing gets done.
After meeting with so many inspiring guest speakers, it has become clear that to have any sort of success, is to have joy in the work you do. In Roundup, MT we met Elizabeth Wood, who was part of the 1970’s renewable energy movement. She told us to “make sure it’s fun […] no matter what the good work is or how important it is.” In saying this to us, she, perhaps unknowingly, lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. I felt free to explore my interests and passions instead of feeling immense pressure to find the most prudent or luxurious path. Wood told us, “if you are doing the right thing, things will work out.”
These sentiments were echoed a week later, when we spoke with Cole Mannix and Derf Johnson. Mannix, the co-founder of Old Salt Co-op which is centered around supporting Montana beef producers, told us over dinner that even if we don’t see major changes immediately, it is essential to wake up every day and do what you believe is right. Mannix and many other ranchers saw a problem with beef production in Montana, and they all committed to try to make a difference. They followed their passions, and by doing so, have spread the word about regenerative systems across the state of Montana.
On the other hand, Johnson, of the Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC), spoke to us about the nonstop work of lobbying, and fighting for positive environmental change both in Montana and on a federal level. When one of my classmates asked him how he maintained motivation in a field that is so draining, he responded, “Enjoy the work.” When faced with a seemingly endless uphill battle, Johnson maintains a positive attitude towards his position. These speakers and many others have demonstrated that across many different sectors, you can make a positive impact on the environment as long as you enjoy what you do.
It is not only these amazing guest speakers who imbue hope in me. My cohort does as well. In the most difficult moments of our bike rides, they make me laugh. Even in the most extreme conditions, when we battled those headwinds on day four, we tried our best to uplift each other. At our lunch break, fifteen miles into our day, when I was running low on water, and could barely hold my bike up against the fourty-five mile per hour gusts of wind, we still joked together. We shared Skittles, encouraged each other, and laughed about the sulphuric water we drank. As we began the second leg of our journey, we encouraged each other, and Rock’s words rang out in my brain. It was the encouragement and cheers of my cohort and hosts that became a tailwind stronger than the endless force ahead of me. It was on this day that my Cycle the Rockies cohort truly became a team. We needed each other to make it those thirty miles to Harlowton. We rotated leaders and drafted off of each other, collectively sharing the burden of breaking the wind and the benefit of drafting. As we rotated we screamed encouragement to each other, and when we finally reached the first gas station in Harlowton, I felt a fierce joy in our teamwork.
As I bike more, I start to see the road as my own life. Ahead, I see a path laid before me, it dips and rises in ways I don’t expect, and often contains unforeseen difficulties. But more often than not, it contains pockets of unexpected joy as I clear a hill or stumble upon an unexpected view. Finding these moments of joy or comradery make the difficult miles well worth it. The road goes on, no matter what, but it is the people you surround yourself with and the joy you pursue that make all the difference.