Peddie
Bicycle Touring 2011: June 7-13, 15-21
Riding Backroads into the Country. Testimony
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// Bike Ride 2011
Interest Form
Hayley Klein '10: The
Peddie School Bike Trip 2008 had me at hello. I'm not sure what my naïve and
utterly inexperienced self imagined the Bike Trip to be while reading Mr.
Clements' catchy and informative e-mail more than five months prior to the
actual trip, however, today—ten days, five states and over two hundred and
fifty miles later—I can say that the Bike Trip lived up to each and every
single one of my expectations. Venturing into the world of having to be able to
pitch ones own tent, cook an entire meal for more than fifteen ravenously
hungry teenagers (and seven adults), and bike thirty plus miles in ninety
degree weather, I bid my goodbyes to my computer, cable, Facebook, family,
home-cooked meals, and—above all else—air conditioning. My priority was no
longer Hayley. Instead, I had to work with twenty seven of my classmates in
order to reach a different destination each day as well as establishing a
living arrangement that we could all benefit from and enjoy. Every day I was
presented with a new physical challenge: one thousand foot inclines that
stretched for miles and seemingly never-ending mountain ridges with miniscule
downhills. Additionally, I was faced with physical obstacles that were equally
as challenging, including the willpower that it took to either get myself up
the slopes or the confidence that I had in myself to call it a day and board
the bus. One of the major and most exciting aspects of the Bike Trip were the
friendships that I created and strengthened. Spending ten days with twenty
seven of my classmates taught me a great deal about their lives, personalities
and ambitions, as well as my own. I discovered that befriending new and
seemingly unlikely people should not be scary, but gratifying and fulfilling.
The Bike Trip gave me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and leap
into a world where no one worried themselves nor competed with fashion,
schoolwork and popularity (an opportunity which is rare to come by in this day
and age in high school). Our main priority was to see and learn about aspects
of our country that we had never taken the time to notice before, while having
a ridiculous amount of fun in doing so. The Bike Trip is an experience that I
will treasure and take with me throughout my entire life and I would do it
again in a heartbeat. I encourage every sophomore to take part in this incredible
journey in the years to come and I thank all my teachers and classmates who
helped make this trip as educational, beautiful and fun as it was!
Jordan Glaser ’11:
On the sophomore bike ride, I had an incredible time! When the bike
ride began, I was very nervous about being able to ride over ten miles at
one time. I had never done anything like the bike trip, but was looking
forward to experiencing a part of the country I'd never been to. When the
bike ride began, I thought, "Ok. I know four people here, I've never
talked to most of these people, I'm camping with them, AND I'm biking
about thirty miles a day! Why am I here?!" The trip started and I
soon realized how wrong I had been. I soon made friends with people I never
thought I would ever talk to. These friends became closer as we pushed through
challenges on the bike together. The moment I remember that changed my
perspective on not just biking, but life, was when I got to the top
of the first huge hill. Not only was I rewarded with a
"half-lunch", but I realized I could overcome great challenges. I
have always been the kind of person who is ok with not succeeding, but after
the bike trip, my perspective on life has changed. The sophomore bike trip was
one of the greatest things I have ever experienced. I never thought a bike trip
would change the type of person I am, but it definitely did.
Taylor Goode
’09:
On the Sophomore bike ride I had an AWESOME time. It was such a unique and fun
experience. Everyone on the trip became close friends and formed bonds that
will last forever. It started my summer in the best way possible. The trip not
only tested me physically but mentally as well. I learned a lot about myself
and my peers. It was also an opportunity to learn and experience new things.
Going on the bike trip was easily one of the best decisions I ever made and it
inspired me to try new things whenever possible.
Samantha Myers ’11:
Because I never thought of myself as very athletic, I had never thought
that I would go on the Sophomore Bike Trip ’09. At first,
I thought the BikeTrip would mainly focus on the athleticism of the
students and whether we could complete physical challenges. I
thought that the students would be competitive with one another when cycling,
worrying about if they were in the front or the back of the group. I
pictured the faculty always giving us directions and making sure we didn’t
misbehave. I also thought that the only learning we would do would be when we
stopped at places such as Gettysburg and Washington D.C. I was
completely wrong.
I was correct about the physical
challenges. Cycling for miles and miles is not easy
work. But there was no tension between the students caused by
competitiveness. Rather, encouragement from many. And if
you needed to board the bus at lunchtime after a hard morning, you wouldn’t be
frowned upon by the group. Instead, you would find them giving you
respect for making the decision. The faculty became friends with the
students, mentoring them and speaking to them as their own
peers. And the students admired the faculty for their hard work and
impressive skills whether working with the cooking crew, replacing flat tires,
driving the vehicles, or leading the group of cyclists. There was
rarely any misbehavior or need to punish. Everyone became friends. And
before I went on this trip, I would have never expected it. It
certainly was a great thing to see, and something that I will always
cherish. I was able to see a personal side of the faculty that as a
day student, I usually didn’t get to see.
On this trip, I learned so
much. Pages of writing cannot describe how much this trip opened my
eyes. Every single day of riding was a new experience. I
would have to say, going through the Amish country really did it for me. I
finally realized all the places I was riding through, all the things I could
see much clearer on a bike than in any other
transportation. There were no distractions when I was riding
a bike. No constraints, unlike a car. There was no air conditioning. Instead,
I could feel the summer weather and the temperature changes. My view
was not obstructed at all from windows or doors. I had a front row
seat to whatever there was to be seen. I didn’t have a radio or my
iPod on full blast. I could listen to the sounds outside of the
animals or busy streets. I was by myself for the most part, unable
to use a cell phone or really communicate with people. I was able to
have time to myself and experience these different areas that I never
experienced before…and I knew I probably wouldn’t ever get to experience like this again. All
my senses were peacefully simultaneously working as I rode my bike.
Speaking of all the things that I did
not use while riding my bike, there were many daily material objects that
we were deprived of when we were off the bike. We slept in
tents every night. And the tents weren’t just ready for us when we
arrived at the camp sites. They had to be taken down and put up
every morning and evening. Our dinners had to be cooked with minimal
kitchenware. And when the dinners were made, everyone had to be
considerate of each other and watch their own servings so that everyone could
receive an equal amount of food. It wasn’t like Peddie’s food
service where we could usually help ourselves to as much food as we wanted or
needed. I watched everyone so maturely share the food and give loads
of adoration to the cooks of the day.
Not having a T.V., washing machine, bed,
or a full size towel really taught each and every one of us to really be
grateful of what you have each day. Sure, they were simple things that you
could live without for ten days without too much stress, but it opened my eyes
to the larger, even greater things to be thankful for. Your family,
who you were away from... your home and your hometown…and your standard life
that didn’t present too many changes or hassles.
After leaving
this trip, I would have to say, the thing that I was most thankful for was the
ability, and opportunity to go on this trip. I was grateful for my health,
which was able to withstand the physical challenges this journey
proposed. I was grateful that Mr. Clements and the Peddie School
gave this opportunity to their students because I know many people from
different schools who would have jumped at the chance in a
heartbeat. I was grateful for the people that made the trip so
meaningful. And I was grateful for my family and friend’s
encouragement to go on the bike trip.
My parents continuously
remind me of the first thing I said to them after returning from
the bike trip: "After this, I can do anything."
Jill Skipper ’11: On the sophomore bike ride, I had an amazing time,
especially at night when everyone was all done riding and we had time to sit
down and really take the time to get to know each other. I loved when Jordan
would sit down and play the guitar and everyone sang with him. It felt like we
were a big family, and it was hard to leave everyone on the last day.
When the bike ride began, I thought I would only
have a few friends that were going, but midway through I realized that I
haven't talked to the mot interesting. most amazing people at Peddie in my time
in high school.
The moment from that ride I'll never forget is
when we stayed in Amish country. We stayed on a field of grass that looked over
3 or 4 farms run by Amish. This sight was the most gorgeous landscape I had
ever seen. When we got there the crew made dinner and the rest of us passed a
frisbee around and threw a football. Then we all watched JD and Jordan wrestle,
then JD and Coleman. We all were together in a beautiful area, and I felt like
I belonged there.
I learned not only to seize the day and take on
every experience possible, but also that if you don't take the experience that
each day presents you with, you have not lived to your fullest capacity
possible.
I never thought I would have talked to the people
that I did on the bike trip but now I have walked away with some of the best
friends I could have ever imagined.
I never put these ideas together before, but
now I realize that teachers can be cool. Every teacher on this bike trip took
the time to sit down and talk with mostly everyone. Mrs. Brown spent her time
cooking and teaching us. Mr. Clements was like the father of the trip and he
cared about each of the same amount. Mr. .Harris is not only a role model to
his children but is now a role model to me.
The image that lingers in my mind is how close we
all are going to be next year. I’m really excited now to see all of the people
who experienced this with me soon.
Ben Wilde ’09: The sophomore bike trip is the best way to start your summer. I had
a great time on the bike trip: it’s been by far one of my favorite Peddie
experiences, and its the perfect way to spend time with friends and get to know
your classmates and faculty outside of the classroom. After finals are over,
take a few days off, then put away your laptop, leave Lotus Notes and Instant
Messenger behind and ride through the countryside with PJC and your friends;
you won’t regret it. I’ll never forget winding down the mysterious roads of
Bailey Cookman ’09: Considering
that other than lacrosse I am not particularly an athletic person I was worried
about how I could handle 10 days straight of biking. Surprisingly, I had no
trouble at all. I thought it would be a huge physically challenging experience
but it was a combination of physical and mental that really challenged me. I
have an entirely new outlook after this trip. I got to know myself, friends and
teachers better. I can not even express the amount of memories and bonds I took
from this trip. Yes it was fun hanging with my friends and PJC at night hanging
around the camp fire or in a warm tent but my best memories come from my time
alone on the open road, biking and looking at the beautiful scenery. Half of
the time I was biking I was singing some random song in my head, but the other
half I thinking about my life and what's around me. It was an eye opening
experience and I would suggest that every sophomore go and have this adventure.
Caitlin Heim
’09:
I originally was not planning to go on the Sophomore bike ride, and when I
heard it mentioned and brought it up with my mom, she say something like
“You’re too busy”, “What about soccer?”, or “How much is this thing gonna
cost?” So the date to sign up passed, and I forgot about the bike trip and went
on with things. Then, one day, Mr. Clements sent an email saying “Sophs: One,
maybe two slots open for "Bike Ride 2007"”, so I brought the topic up
again and again met resistance. But this time I pushed harder; everyone else
was really excited about the trip and it sounded like a great experience, which
I wanted to be a part of. I finally convinced my parents to let me go, though I
had to compromise by leaving two days early. I didn’t know exactly what to
expect about the people who were going on the trip; I had some close friends
going on it but I wasn’t really close to a lot of the people going. It turned
out that we bonded and it was amazing how close we became in the span of a
couple days. The daily endorphins combined with the beautiful scenery and the
amazing people made the bike trip one of the best experiences of my life, and
one which I will never forget. I talked to Ms. Grubb prior to going on the trip
to see what she thought I should do, and she advised me to go. As I was
leaving, I remember her asking me if I thought I made the right decision and if
it was worth it, and I promptly responded “Definitely” knowing that I wouldn’t
have missed it for the world.
Emily Boudreau ’09: The highlight
of the sophomore trip was the scenery from the Amish country to
Mike Nyman
’08: On
the Sophomore Trip Bike ride I had the time of my life. It was easily the best
decision I've ever made. On the trip I bonded with everyone on it and made some
great memories with the people. The experience from that ride that I'll never
forget was camping out in the Amish country, and having a little Amish boy walk
past our campsite and join in to our frisbee game. The riding did not prove to
be as strenuous as I thought, except for a few days. I would never believe that
I would be going 40 miles per hour on my bike down a hill and survive. I
learned not only to work well in a group so we don't starve, but to appreciate
my friends.
Carolyn Gorajek ’09: It's
hard for me to even describe this bike trip because it was one of the most
amazing experiences of my life. Even five months later, I still find myself
telling everyone the hilarious adventures we encountered during the ten days we
camped out and got a taste of good old-fashioned nature. Before the trip
started, I was nervous because I hate being away from my family for more than a
couple days, and I also had no idea how the group was going to mesh together.
However, once we started biking and eating together that first day, I knew this
trip was going to be loads of fun. Throughout the course of the bike trip, we
never stopped laughing and had more than a few unforgettable experiences. The
scenery was absolutely breath-taking! I'll never forget riding along with my
friend on an old country road with nothing around us but hilly farm land and
magnificent trees. The people were incredible, the fun was never-ending, and
most importantly, the life lessons that were learned will stay with all of us
forever. GO ON THE BIKE TRIP! It was
amazing and I'm still trying to come up with reasons to do it all over again.
Matt Lennon ’09: On
the sophomore bike ride, I had one of the best experiences of my life. When the bike ride began, I thought it was
going to be tough getting up early every morning, being away from home for so
long, and riding 30 + miles most of the days, but midway through I realized
that I didn't need to be home relaxing because camping with my good friends and
riding my bike through the backroads were just as relaxing. The moment that I'll never forget is the
night we had to set up camp, make dinner, eat, and clean up in the pouring rain
because it not only showed how experienced we became at putting up our tents
and how to put our fly on correctly, but also showed our teamwork as everyone
pitched in to get everything done. I not
only became closer to my close friends who went on the trip, but became close
friends with the people I didn't even know that well going into the trip. I never thought that I'd be able to bike from
Hightstown to
Monica DeMartin ’09: On the
sophomore trip I had an awesome time! At the beginning of the trip I was
apprehensive as to whether or not I would be able to complete the trip, a major
obstacle for me was the camping aspect of the trip. However, after a couple of
days I learned what a fly was, how to work portable stoves and how to cook for
20 people. The moment that I will never forget is when we finally made it to
Washington, D.C., I had looked forward to reaching Washington D.C. the entire
trip, however when we finally arrived I felt that I had accomplished something
really great! I learned not only about the different ways of life of different
Americans, such as the Amish in Pennsylvania, but also the hospitality of
people along the way, such as the Amish family who allowed us to eat our lunch
on their front yard, having shown up completely unannounced. I never thought
that I would be able to bike from Peddie to
Bridget Lang
’09: At the beginning of
the trip, I knew everyone and was friends with them, but did not really see
them too much during the school year.
But, through camping out, learning to cooking, and traveling over 200
miles on bike to
Christine Lee ’08: The moment
from that ride I’ll never forget is discovering the reservoir of strength that
lies deep down within me. Almost everyone has read the children's story
"The Little Engine that Could" and knows that with the same
persistence, determination, and effort that the Little Engine put forth, one
can overcome challenges. It may sound quite simple, but reality is really an
amplified version of "The Little Engine that Could". To actually be that engine going up
the hill requires more than just "I think I can, I think I can". It
requires mental focus, physical endurance, wholehearted determination, and a
certain toughness. Nothing could have been a more personally defining
experience than the bike trip. I distinctly remember climbing up those hills
that seemed to rise endlessly towards the sky. A part of me (most likely my
burning thighs) kept telling me to stop, yet some other, unknown part of me
pushed me onwards. I remember the taste of sweat on my lips and the force of
cars rushing past me from behind. I remember how I would attempt to keep my
upper body relaxed by moving my fingers as if I were playing the piano. The
classical tune in my head, however, was easily drowned out by the pounding of
my heart. Arriving at the top was the
most overwhelming and rewarding feeling ever. I experienced the true feeling of
accomplishment, one that resulted from gritting my teeth and continuing to
pedal through the burn. I had discovered the depth of my strength and
determination. I had recognized the importance of dedication. But most
importantly, I had learned to take on challenges for that same thrilling
feeling of achievement. 280 miles later at the conclusion of the trip, I felt
more accomplished than ever...even more accomplished than the Little Engine.
Lauren Sokol ’08: Walking
up the steps of the Capitol building in
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URL: http://falconnet.peddie.org/faculty/pclements/cycling/BikeTrip2008-Testimony.htm