What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.

174: Daniel biked across the US

Apr 19, 2024

Daniel biked across the US from San Francisco to New York City, depending on strangers for food and shelter. His journey was captured in a documentary showcasing encounters with kind people, struggles through tough terrains, and heartwarming connections. The podcast delves into his emotional journey, unique sleeping arrangements, encounters with locals, and acts of kindness amidst hardships.

01:15:24

Creator website

Episode guests

Daniel

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Embarking on a biking journey across the US without money or food showcases human reliance on kindness and sense of adventure.

Filming a documentary while biking enabled capturing authentic moments and interactions, enriching the storytelling experience.

Interactions with diverse individuals during the journey revealed shared human experiences, emphasizing kindness, vulnerability, and societal disparities.

Deep dives

The Inspiring Idea Behind the Journey

The podcast episode highlights how the guest, Daniel, embarked on a remarkable biking journey across the United States without carrying any money or food. This profound adventure was inspired by a book Daniel read about hitchhiking across America and showcased his desire to connect with people and the land. Daniel's journey was driven by a sense of recklessness and a profound recognition of life's uncertainties, stemming from personal experiences with loss and a search for human connection.

Introduction

2min

Journey of Personal Discovery Through Biking Across America

6min

Unconventional Sleeping Arrangements

14min

Biking Across Carson Pass and Encountering a Wise Sicilian Man

8min

Encounters on a Cross-Country Biking Journey

14min

Journey Across America: Unexpected Encounters

9min

Acts of Kindness in Hardship

15min

Exploring the Depths of Family Connections and Self-Discovery

4min

Supermarket Terror: A Morning Turned Nightmare

7min

I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of human endurance. What are we actually capable of doing? It’s almost always a lot more than we think.

At some point, I want to do a long distance bike ride. So far, the longest I’ve biked in a day is about 50 or 60 miles. And that was right here in this area, so afterward I went home and slept in my own bed.

But I’d really like to bike from here in the Tampa Bay area, across to the other side of Florida, the east coast. It would probably take me like 3 days. I love the idea of that kind of adventure.

But my guest today, Daniel, had a much bigger idea. His plan was to ride his bike across the entire US - from San Francisco all the way to New York City.

And – he started this ride without carrying any money or any food. He was going to depend on the kindness of strangers all along the way.

And that’s exactly what he did. But that’s not all – he recorded video all along the way. And he turned that into a documentary that’s won a ton of awards. So we get to see him struggling to bike up mountains, and across long stretches where he saw no one, and through some scary neighborhoods.

But my favorite part, and what made Daniel’s journey so magical, are the people he encountered along the way.

Daniel’s website:

https://www.weareallinthistogethermovie.com/

Contact Daniel by email: WeAreAllInThisTogetherMovie@gmail.com

Daniel is also in our podcast Facebook group:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook

Documentary We Are All In This Together on Amazon Prime -

https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-All-This-Together/dp/B0CLBBN833/ref=sr_1_1

Daniel on

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/the_travelin_dude/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TravelinDudeProductions/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheTravelinDude

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/174

Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

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