I biked 333 miles alone on the C&O Canal and GAP Trail in five days this October.

As I’m learning how to record myself while biking, manage video storage, color correct, edit, find music and more, I’m realizing that I am comparing myself to other YouTubers who have been doing this for years and possess skills that they’ve crafted over time. I’m reminding myself just to post- I don’t have to make things perfect, because if I try to, I will never post anything at all.

So cheers to a mostly silent film. Cheers to figuring it out along the way. Cheers to listening to the sounds of nature rather than overlaying each clip with some random music. Cheers to keeping things simple, learning to be okay with mediocrity, and becoming comfortable with being flawed.

I biked the entire C&O Canal and GAP Trail in 5 days with three nights of solo camping (one of which was wild camping) and one Warmshowers stay until I arrived in Pittsburgh. My first host offered to drive me back to DC since she already was planning to go there later that week, which ended up extending my trip by three days.

I spent a great portion of my trip thinking about Israel, Palestine, genocide, antisemitism, colonialism, bullying, harassment and sexism. I had a great deal on my mind during this trip, none of which I knew was coming my way until I was bombarded with online harassment and the news from the attacks on Oct 7th. Bikepacking is one of those wonderful things where there is nothing to do aside from bike from Point A to Point B. This leaves ample free time just to think. To wonder. To listen to podcasts. To talk to friends (albeit, only when there is service and the wind isn’t too loud). To question your beliefs and understanding of the world. To wonder why some people take one side while others take the opposite side.

I learned a lot on this trip, and not just about how beautiful biking is in October.