The Tuned In Academy

Shifting Gears

norcovfr3Our friends and family know that we just moved here about two months ago. I’m a Northwest native born and raised, but we’ve been around the world a bit for the better part of the last ten years. In moving here, we made a decision to leave our car in Arkansas with a friend. We did this for a few different reasons, mostly the convenience and cost-saving benefit of driving across the country with one vehicle rather than two. And of course, Jenna not having to drive at 8 months pregnant. But what excites me the most about this is what it leaves me with; the opportunity to simplify and shift from four to two (wheels).

I think this shift is important, and that it will prove to affect far more than just me, here are four reasons why.

  1. We came here to open up an academy that will help meet the existing needs of a community, not create new ones, nor to add to existing problems (like traffic and parking concerns).
  2. We opened up this academy out of a need that we have as well, a need to walk the talk; to live what we have been wrestling with and what I wrote of in The Tuned In Musician; to be more tuned in to the community. A major part of tuning in is to engage the community more. The reality is that we can see and engage a lot more when we aren’t going 30+ miles an hour. Because something I have come to realize is that speed is not just a matter of how fast we are going, but also what we are willing to miss, pass, or whiz by.
  3. Because of the economy, more and more people are finding it difficult (if not a major struggle) to afford gas and parking, especially in the city. Bicycle commuting offers a relief and a much more affordable alternative. Many students that we hope to train may not have an automobile and if they are children and teenagers, they may not be able to get a lift from their parents. Biking myself will help me and others as we add faculty, to better understand the needs of bicyclists. This will help us insure that the academy is tuned in to those who would commute and be a part of our community regularly by bicycle.
  4. Let’s face it, most of us could use a tune up on our physical health, and I’m primarily speaking of me when I say us here.

So, this is my public commitment. At least for me, as long as I am going solo (and don’t need to be carrying my children or others with me) I’ll be traveling by bicycle. This is a beginning of a new journey for me, one that will take place on two wheels. Maybe you will join me. It is also a commitment to the community that the academy would be a bikeable and pedal friendly one.

If you are a bicycle commuter and have stories and tips you would like to share, by all means, share them here with us. This begins a new category on this blog; bicycles. Feel free also to follow and connect with me on MapMyRide.

If you are new to the idea of commuting by bicycle here are a few excellent resources:

Riding Tips

Bicycle Commuter Essentials

Thurston County Bicycle Map

P.s. Thanks so much to the great people at Joy Ride Bicycles for hooking me up with a sweet, well fitting, and efficient ride. If you are looking for a new bicycle, they are the best in the Thurston county area.

 

P.s. Thanks so much to the great people at Joy Ride Bicycles for hooking me up with a sweet, well fitting, and efficient ride. If you are looking for a new bicycle, they are the best in the Thurston county area.

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