Unbury Your Life
I got to meet Ben Nemtin at a conference last week. He, along with a group of 3 friends, created “The Buried Life, What Do You Want To Do Before you Die”.
The idea came from a poem they read, written over 100 years ago, called The Buried Life. These four guys were young, unsure of what to do in life, and had an idea to embark on 100 crazy adventures that most people would believe they didn’t have the time or money to accomplish until the end of their career. They made a career out of chasing their dreams.
They created the ultimate bucket list, jumped in an RV, bought a camera on eBay and hit the road. Their goal was to check off their items, and help others fulfill their dreams at the same time. Quite an exciting story!
Ben Nemtin and James Studinger
To See More With One Eye Than I Ever Did With Two
About a decade ago I went blind in my right eye. It scared the hell out of me, and my first reaction was thinking about all the things I couldn’t do anymore. Then I came up with a new Mantra – to see more with one eye than I ever did with two. Since then, I’ve climbed Mt. Rainier, done Ironman’s, hiked across the UP, canoed across the UP, biked around the UP, ran across the Grand Canyon, ran Marji Gesik, go to just about all my kids activities, excelled at my day job, and still shed a tear at the beauty of every single sunset I get to see. I have no depth perception, so you won’t see me jumping around boulders like a mountain goat any longer, but that’s about all my limitations have been.
Why do we so often feel we need to wait to do something we really love? One of the quotes Ben showed in his talk was from a psychologist, Tom Gilovich. “In the short term, people regret their actions more than their inactions But in the long term, the inaction regrets stick around longer.”
I don’t know if biking around the perimeter of the UP is or was on your bucket list. But if it’s anywhere close, come join us! The experience is a combination of being a kid again, exploring unknown territory through the freedom of a bicycle. And the realization that if you have the physical and mental fortitude to do this thing – there is so much you can do!
Using Our Routes for Virtual Events
Virtual events exploded in popularity since the pandemic. WAM (Make-A-Wish) is excited to be in person again this year, as are many other events. But there are still plenty of events that encourage people to get out on their bike and raise money for a cause. And some of the events, now returning to in-person like WAM, still have a virtual option available for people that might want to ride a different course or have a date conflict.
The UP is a fabulous and safe place to ride your bike! Please look to any of our self-supported events as a platform for you to fulfill your “virtual” ride. Or even join us during our supported event on July 29th through August 7th (or any portion of that). We are working directly with Lions Childhood Cancer. But you are always welcome to join us and raise money for anything dear to you.
Our route goal is and always will be to showcase safe scenic riding in the Upper Peninsula. We do our best to design routes that keep people off the main roads and showcase some of the amazing people and places the U.P. has to offer.
Have fun riding this weekend!
James Studinger