Ep. 40 - Jenny Schmidt, bikepacking along the Border

In this episode I meet up with Jenny Schmidt at Rocky Hill Ranch to ride bikes and record a podcast. She had just completed a solo bikepacking trip along the US/Mexico border from California to Texas. For her this trip was about grappling with her own mental health and an opportunity to learn first hand about the issues surrounding the border and the wall.

When we recorded this episode on Feb. 25th we had no idea that when she flew back to her home state of Washington that she would soon find herself in the epicenter of America's battle with the Coronavirus. As I listened to this episode it was eye opening to realize what a different world we were living in only a month ago. It was actually refreshing to remember back to that day and relive the simplicity of going for a mountain bike ride with new friends, recording an episode in @vanordeath, and then going out to a restaurant for tacos. All of those things are on hold now as we hunker down and wait.

I've been reflecting on how connected we ALL are. This virus has shown that the actions of one man in Wuhan, China can have a huge impact on the entire planet. In this case, it is a negative impact, but it's opened my eyes to the realization that we really are in this together, that our actions do matter, that one person can make a difference. There is so much we can't do right now you may feel helpless, but I'm encouraging everyone to realize how impactful their actions are and to be mindful of what you do and how you treat people and our environment.

I am going to take advantage of this "down-time" by recording and releasing as many episodes as I can. The Bikes or Death Podcast: NOT CANCELLED.