“Mr.
Giraldo, why cycle across America? For what reason, for what
purpose?”
My
motivations are numerous, simple and complex. As a sportsman, it is
for the joy of the ride. As an adventurer, it is for the many gifts
of discovery. As an author, it is for the experience that enables me
to share the story with others. As a student of anthropology,
it is to quench my never-ending thirst for knowledge. As a history
teacher, this crossing will grant me a better understanding of
our American Journey. It will allow me to witness first-hand, the
lives of ordinary and extraordinary Americans, as I travel across
our majestic country. The most important reason of all belongs to
the educator within me. To my former, present, and future students,
I seek to deliver a lesson in commitment. I wish to teach about the
value of establishing meaningful goals in life, preparing
thoroughly, and working consistently towards achieving these goals.
My intention is to prove to my students the astonishing power of
ideas coupled with the raw force of human action. Ideas, by our
hand, become realities. What we attain in life is in great measure a
product of our own will and dedication. “We are what we repeatedly
do. Excellence is not a single act, it is a habit.” – Aristotle.
