Biking Therapy

A few months ago, I wrote a post about my exhaustion from biking. It was about my biking to escape my problems. It was a pretty emo post. Heavily relying on any kind of escapism is unhealthy, and I seriously want to change that habit before I go home in seven months.

I recently went on a 300km bike trip by myself. It was amazing. It was killer and made me cry and left me with bruises all up my behind, but it was awesome. The five things I learned from this trip:

1. Don’t rely on just Indomaret food

Indomaret is like a 7-Eleven. There’s a ton of sugary food to keep you satisfied, but it’s not very wholesome. Eventually, the sugary goodness will get to you, and your biking performance will suffer. Similar to when we eat only junk food while studying for a test or pull an all-nighter at work. It just doesn’t work long-term.

2. Eat even when you do not feel hungry

This is the tip I learned from a previous volunteer. She was adamant about eating lunch before noon. She said even if we don’t feel hungry, our bodies need the good calories. I completely agree. There was a three-hour frame of time when I did not feel like eating anything. I was just too tired. My stomach felt full from all the water, and I was convinced I didn’t need to eat. What a foolish mistake. I started to have some weird spiral vision when I looked down. When that happens, it’s time to eat!

3. Don’t complain to mom (thousands of miles away) about Indonesian traffic

Considering that this was a bike trip by myself, I often became lonely. I called my mom. I asked her how she was, what she was eating. When she heard all the traffic in the background, she asked where I was. I do not like lying to my mom, so I told her I was on a bike trip. Alone. Bad idea. She has rarely supported my recreational activities, excusing long-distance biking as a “boy thing.” I knew she thought she was giving me good advice, but that just made me angry. But Alhamdulillah I am wise to her antics, and slyly ended the conversation on a good note. Regardless, having a conversation with someone that does not support the mentally and physically draining thing you’re doing is not a good idea. It would be better to converse with someone that can keep your spirits up and even kick your ass when you need it to be. 

4. Learn the different tire sounds vehicles make

I have wisely learned the different tire sounds of a motorcycle, car, truck, big truck, minibus, and big bus. Learn them. One second you’ll probably be too tired to look back and see how much you need to edge to the side of the road. Learning those sounds will save you the time and neck-turn energy.

5. Use the time to think of solutions to the problems in your life (don’t just escape them)

The one big problem on my mind was my World Map Project. I picked a wall at my school and started painting a huge world map on it with some students and teachers. The wall I picked is on the second floor balcony overlooking the rice fields, so I got a lot of good wind as I painted. It was an ideal art project experience. A few weeks in, we came across a snag in the process. My original plan was to forgo a blue sea background because I thought the frame was colorful enough and did not require the extra blue that could possibly overpower the calm color scheme I was aiming for.

Anyway, one of the English teachers was upset to hear I did not plan a blue background for the ocean. I tried to accommodate her and warned her that I’d be experimenting with different types of light blue that would not overpower the rest of the colors. I painted it blue the next day. She hated it. I told her it was an experiment and that I’d try again with a different shade of blue the next day. She kept complaining and it bothered me that she did not trust me to take care of this problem. For weeks she praised the work I’ve done with the students and other teachers, but she couldn’t trust me with this one hiccup?

Instead of escaping her and the problem, 50km into my bike trip I tried to plan my next steps: How to make the blue sea complementary with the other country colors and also How to blend the sea with my non-solid frame. I figured it out.

Overall, this past bike trip was great. I got a nice (farmer’s) tan and impressed those truck drivers with my awesome calf flexes. The only unfortunate thing is I immediately gained weight as soon as I got back to my village. My ibu yelled at how thinner I looked and bought all my favorite pastries. Ah! It’s good to be home.

Lastly, I’m planning another bike trip next March to Jogja if any of you want to join me. I promise I won’t eat only Snickers bars or cry hysterically during the trip.