Through My Blue Eyes: September 2019

Synopsis

Through My Blue Eyes

An Odyssey on the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail.

Battling against a case of the blues and questioning his faith in God, Mark Furches undertakes a quest to restore his hope in all that is good in the world and to overcome his depression. Follow Mark along his journey, and see the sights that this great land has to offer. Mark rides his bicycle TransAmerica from the Atlantic coast all the way to the Pacific coast. During this bicycle tour, Mark travels through ten states including: Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California. This photo book showcases selected photos from Mark’s journey with the hopes that the reader can relive the journey vicariously. While reading this book, you will catch a glimpse of the extraordinary beauty of the land and grasp the freedom that is to behold out of the windows and walls of your home. May this book give a glimmer of hope to other people who want to explore, chase the sun, and experience this available freedom for themselves. All of God’s creation is miraculous, awe-inspiring, majestic, beautiful, and obviously there for us to explore. This land, the United States of America, was made for you and me. So, walk outside your door, search within by looking out, and take in God’s glory that surrounds. Hop on your bicycle, and go for the ride of your life!

Introduction

Through My Blue Eyes

An Odyssey on the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail

Introduction

Big boy sitting on Uncle Larry's lap in Johnson City, Tennessee.

All things move. All things born are born to move. The grass moves, the trees move, the clouds and winds move, the tides of the ocean move in and out, the birds of the sky move, the beasts of the land move, and the fish of the sea move. The moon moves around the Earth, the Earth moves around the sun, and undoubtedly, the sun is moving in space.

So, it is natural for humans to move also. If we sit still, we move by the breath in and the breath out. We move when we go to work. Some people do manual labor. These people move in physically demanding ways such as by digging a ditch or framing a house. Some people have office jobs. They move in various ways such as typing on a keyboard, giving a presentation, or simply picking up the phone and talking to customers. People move when they go to the gym. Some people run on a treadmill, ride a stationary bike, do aerobics, and some people move by lifting heavy weights. We move when we cook, we move when we clean, we move when we make love, we move when we dance, we move when we play, and we move in numerous other ways. If you are alive, you are moving.

It just so happens, sometimes, we are given an opportunity to move in a unique way. We just have to seize the opportunity and have the will power, discipline, and determination to carry out that unique movement. This movement becomes our music. This movement makes up the story of our life.

Back in 2011, I was given the opportunity to move in a different way. I was inspired by my brother, Jace. He had recently purchased a new bicycle to ride to and from school. He was going to Austin Community College at the time. The bike he bought was a pastel blue Surly Long Haul Trucker. This particular bike was made for bicycle touring, and it was the ideal bike for long commutes in the city of Austin. Shortly after he bought the bike, a car ran a stop sign and hit him while he was riding. He came out of the accident with scrapes and bruises, but no serious injuries. The frame of the bike, however, was bent pretty bad, and it was unrideable at the time. Jace ended up getting another bicycle, and he gave the bent Surly LHT to my dad. My dad took the bike frame over to a friend’s house. They were able to straighten the frame enough to where it was rideable again. I bought new parts for the bike, and this Surly LHT became my bike! All in all, I was ecstatic, and the bicycle was perfect. My first road bike! I couldn’t stop riding, and I fell in love with pedaling to and fro. My brother rode his bicycle a lot, so I wanted to ride my bicycle, too.

At the same time, I saw a documentary about a young man riding his bicycle across the United States. During the documentary, the main character said the experience was liberating and the most freeing thing that he has ever done. This documentary inspired me as well. Believe it or not, I was really depressed at the time, and I thought that an adventure across the country was exactly what the doctor ordered. I wanted to see America in its full splendor. I wanted to travel the highways, byways, and back country roads. I wanted to see the sights, hear the sounds, and take in the smells of this living, breathing country. This opportunity would be my “Fievel Goes West.” This land is my land. This land is your land. So, why not take ownership of the land and go on an adventure like the settlers of old? Why not travel west like Lewis and Clark? Why not pretend that I am a cowboy riding across the United States on a steel blue stallion?

So, I started moving. I began training by riding longer and longer on a weekly basis. After a few months of training, I finally got up the courage to ride from my home in Pensacola, Florida to a campground outside of Mobile, Alabama. At the same time, I learned about the Adventure Cycling Association and the bicycle touring maps they offer to adventure cyclists. Out of all the maps in their selection, I settled on the TransAmerica Trail. I had faith that I could do this trek. This was my destiny. I just had to move by taking one pedal stroke at a time. If I could move, persevere, and never look back, then the journey would unfold like a movie before my eyes.

Taking one move at a time towards my goal, everything began to fall right into place. Immediately following the premiere of PenVM Issue 3 (a local skateboarding video that I directed) my dad and mom drove me up to Tennessee. I visited briefly with family. Then, my parents and I drove up to Yorktown, Virginia. The bike ride started at Victory Monument in Yorktown, Virginia. 97 days and 4,500 miles later the ride would conclude at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. The odyssey was unforgettable, an experience of a lifetime, and the most liberating thing I have done in my life. By the end of the journey, my depression had gone away, and I was a new young man.

The following photos capture some of the sights and people I met along the journey. I am forever grateful to God and my family that I had the opportunity to go on this epic bicycle odyssey. The movement of this journey, and my renewed faith in God and humanity undoubtedly saved my life. God bless you all, and always move onward.