Monday, January 24, 2011

A Wayward Journey

Photo via Wayward Journey

The incredible family pictured above is two years into a journey that has taken them all the way from Alaska to South America -- on bikes!

Formerly just regular folks living the conventional American Dream, the Vogel family decided to leave their large house in the suburbs, their jobs, and their school, and set off on an amazing adventure: their quest is to cycle all the way from the Arctic Ocean to Tierra del Fuego. When they complete the trip, the Vogel brothers (who are thirteen now) will break the World Record and become the first children to cycle from Alaska to Argentina.

I am spellbound by the blog that documents the family's travels. I am so in awe of the strength, tenacity, courage and heart of these people! Here's an inspiring excerpt from Nancy Vogel, the mom:
"As I write this now from La Paz, Bolivia we are more than two years into our journey. We've cycled 21,000 kilometers through North, Central, and South America. Our boys are loving their journey and we see the joy in their eyes on a daily basis. They see beauty in their surroundings regardless of where they are - whether in the stark, barren desert of Peru with no trace of any living thing for miles on end or in the Amazon rain forest where the sheer abundance of trees makes getting off the road impossible. They love climbing off their bikes to explore unexpected Mayan ruins hidden off the side of the road or plunge into a waterfall-fed swimming pool. They delight in the magic in riding past bison, big horn sheep, caribou, iguanas, and vicuñas. Every day brings more unexpected surprises and we anxiously await what might be waiting for us around the next bend in the road."
I can't wait to start stoking my own wanderlust by following along online during the last leg of the journey. Inspiring. Way to live life to the fullest!

10 comments:

  1. Truly courageous & inspiring!!
    Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story.

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  3. Thank you so much! Ours truly has been a fabulous journey and we feel so privilaged that we've been able to take it. We are now about 2300 km from the end of the world - two more months to go!

    Nancy
    www.familyonbikes.org

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  4. i am so happy to see this! i've been following the journey of some friends-of-friends who are biking from the UK to Australia via Morocco and have become so obsessed with wondering if this could be possible with children! can't wait to dive into this family's story.

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  5. That is just amazing and inspiring. I can only wish to be that brave!

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  6. Wow, that's amazing. Can't wait to read more. That puts paid to my complaining about taking four kids skiing...

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  7. Ooh, I love family travel blogs. Thanks for sharing this one.

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