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My name is Dean Shaff, and I'm going to spend the summer biking across the United States. This adventure stems from my desire the explore the world around me and to push myself hard. Despite spending most of my life living in the US, I feel that I don't know my own country well. Growing up in Minnesota, my dad took me on long, sometimes grueling bike rides through the Mississippi and St. Croix river valleys, introducing me to the joy of experiencing landscapes and people on a bike. I've since taken my love of biking to other parts of the country, and to other parts of the world. I've biked in the Bay Area with my family and I've also spent time biking in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, where I go to school.
(Biking along the California coast! Starting from the left: me, making a goofy face, my dad Tom, my brother Jim, and my 'uncle' Dan)
(Mountain biking at sunset in Abu Dhabi, UAE)
Biking is for me a unique and intimate way to interact with the world around me: fast enough to cover relatively large distances in a small amount of time, but slow enough to appreciate the changes taking place in the land around me. By spending some of my nights with locals, I hope to experience not only the natural scenery of my country, but also the regional culture.
I hope that this journey will provide me with insight about the place that I call home. Additionally, I hope that by pushing myself physically and exploring the nation I can gain some insight about myself.
What is my route?
I'll start in San Francisco, and work my way across the American Southwest to Colorado. After crossing the Rockies, I'll point myself straight east, pedalling across the Midwest and Appalachia, eventually ending up in Virginia.
What will the money be used for?
-Lodging (camping in state and national parks, and the occasional hotel/motel)
-Food
-Bike supplies. A working list is here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RmcjgCzta6HVkeSEpz_FSu0mNH-fVWN9RkHzTpiMmt0/edit?usp=sharing-Any funds donated beyond my goal will be donated to the American Stroke Association. Check out their website at http://www.strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/.
Thank you for helping me out!
(Biking along the California coast! Starting from the left: me, making a goofy face, my dad Tom, my brother Jim, and my 'uncle' Dan)(Mountain biking at sunset in Abu Dhabi, UAE)Biking is for me a unique and intimate way to interact with the world around me: fast enough to cover relatively large distances in a small amount of time, but slow enough to appreciate the changes taking place in the land around me. By spending some of my nights with locals, I hope to experience not only the natural scenery of my country, but also the regional culture.
I hope that this journey will provide me with insight about the place that I call home. Additionally, I hope that by pushing myself physically and exploring the nation I can gain some insight about myself.
What is my route?
I'll start in San Francisco, and work my way across the American Southwest to Colorado. After crossing the Rockies, I'll point myself straight east, pedalling across the Midwest and Appalachia, eventually ending up in Virginia.
What will the money be used for?
-Lodging (camping in state and national parks, and the occasional hotel/motel)
-Food
-Bike supplies. A working list is here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RmcjgCzta6HVkeSEpz_FSu0mNH-fVWN9RkHzTpiMmt0/edit?usp=sharing-Any funds donated beyond my goal will be donated to the American Stroke Association. Check out their website at http://www.strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/.
Thank you for helping me out!