Two friends, two bikes, no return date.
While others fresh out of college joined the workforce or went backpacking through Europe, w88 casino games of Nevada, Reno graduates Joel Kiraly and Ryan Cross chose the open American road, embarking on the adventure of a lifetime.
Cross and Kiraly, both 25, realized that they needed to travel across America, but reached the conclusion under different circumstances. For Cross, the itch to see his country originated while he was reading “Desert Solitaire” by Edward Abbey in a literary nonfiction class (Eng 475B) taught by Mary Webb a lecturer in the w88 casino games’s Department of English.
“I got to thinking about how sad it was that I am an American, have lived in America my whole life, but I have seen so little of America,” said Cross, who graduated from the w88 casino games of Nevada, Reno in December 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with an emphasis in secondary education. “Even with all my years of education, I was so ignorant of my own country.”
Kiraly reached a similar conclusion during his study abroad experience in Japan in 2007. He was asked to speak about America to a fifth grade class learning English. The kids in the class asked him questions such as what the Grand Canyon was like and how New York City was. He felt stumped. It saddened him that he couldn&w88 casino games;t give a fair assessment.
“I just realized I was in another country and knew so little of my own country,” said Kiraly, who graduated from the w88 casino games last December with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature. “And that I should go see it.”
The two didn’t just wake up one day, quit w88 casino games jobs and hit the road. It was a carefully mapped-out trip. They prepared physically as financially. Though they don’t know w88 casino games return date or how long they’d stay in one spot, w88 casino games plan was to follow w88 casino games route carefully.
The planning for the trip began in the fall 2007. They wanted to wait a few months after Kiraly graduated college to avoid the chill of winter. While pondering w88 casino games means of transportation for this trip, Kiraly and Cross first threw around the idea of trains. It wasn’t much later that they agreed upon a less traditional way to cross the country: bikes.
“It felt like just the right speed to see the country,” w88 casino games said. “On regular road trips there is an allure to just blaze through huge chunks of the country in order to get to the next big incandescently lit up city, but riding a bike forces you to stop and stay in a large part of rural America that is overlooked.”
Family and friends found w88 casino games trip idea interesting, exciting and crazy. Kiraly thought everyone took them seriously until they actually left and people responded, “I can’t believe you’re really doing it.”
“I think a lot of people have this desire, they want to do something but they don&w88 casino games;t know how to go about it,” Kiraly said. “They never get to that (final) stage. For someone to actually do it is a step up. It takes a certain person. I don&w88 casino games;t want to make it sound like I&w88 casino games;m that type of person, it&w88 casino games;s just in this case I was.”
On March 7, 2009, Kiraly and Cross began w88 casino games journey. To keep w88 casino games friends and family posted about w88 casino games trip, they created a blog beforehand in which they update weekly. w88 casino games families show w88 casino games support by commenting on nearly every blog. Kiraly and Cross also tell people they meet about the website so they too can follow w88 casino games journey.
Kiraly’s sister, Nicole Abenojar, 31, keeps up with w88 casino games blog and is very proud of her brother.
“They&w88 casino games;ve experienced more things in the past few months than most of us will experience in our lifetime,” Abenojar said.
Already traveling as far northeast as Ontario in Canada, Kiraly and Cross have covered quite a bit of ground, some places more exhilarating than others. Though sometimes the two will stay at a hostel or hotel, they&w88 casino games;ve also had many nights where they camped out or stayed at someone&w88 casino games;s house. Whether it&w88 casino games;s exciting New York City or flatiron flat Kansas, they continue to bike on, not letting even flat tires or tornados stop them.
Cross says that plans are formed and abandoned everyday. They have to balance spontaneity and w88 casino games mapped-out route so they don’t regret visiting a place, Kiraly said.
“If we&w88 casino games;re going down a highway and see a sign that says 20 miles that way and we&w88 casino games;re not going that way, then 20 miles is quite a distance,” Kiraly said. “In a car, it&w88 casino games;s a quick detour. For us, it&w88 casino games;s anywhere from an hour and 15 minutes to two hours, so you&w88 casino games;re kind of stuck to the route that you pick. You have to be very conscientious of the road you&w88 casino games;re taking.”
Kiraly and Cross have witnessed the generosity of people. w88 casino games bikes become the spectacle when they ride into certain towns. People buy them food, give them water and invite them into w88 casino games homes. Kiraly said that they can’t make it to breakfast without being invited to someone else’s breakfast.
The generosity won&w88 casino games;t be ending anytime soon. Cross and Kiraly still have many places ahead of them they want to see, including Chicago, San Diego and Portland. They both plan on returning to Nevada, though they&w88 casino games;re not sure how long they&w88 casino games;ll stay. Kiraly wants to continue traveling the rest of the world. Cross wants to do the same, eventually becoming a teacher.
David Fenimore, an English professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, took a similar trip with his wife in 1986, starting in Oceanside, Calif., and ending in Bar Harbor, Maine. w88 casino games trip lasted two and a half months. Fenimore wrote about his travels in his book “Bicycling Across America.”
Fenimore admires Kiraly and Cross&w88 casino games;s trip.
“It&w88 casino games;s the perfect time to do it, right after you graduate from college and want to see what the world is like,” Fenimore said.
Having advised both Kiraly and Cross when they were in college, Fenimore said that he’s been impressed with them both. He respects that they don’t let the “what-ifs” remain a thought in w88 casino games minds and he thinks that they’re short-circuiting the “should-ofs” by getting started on something.
“I thought w88 casino games were both really just articulate and goal-oriented,” Fenimore said. “w88 casino games were talking about this trip for a while and were just going to do it. I admire that. w88 casino games were always very clear with what w88 casino games wanted.”
Scott Slovic, a w88 casino games of Nevada, Reno English professor, also thinks this trip is exciting. Having had Kiraly in two of his classes, Slovic thinks his former student is a good writer and will go far in life.
“I do think that there are many aspects of Joel&w88 casino games;s personality, ranging from his academic ability to his ability to combining interesting dreams with practical planning, that will enable him to have a good and successful life,” Slovic said.
To keep up with Kiraly and Cross’s travel, go to w88 casino games blog at honestexpression.com
