Finally Home!

December 6, 2010

Santa Cruz, California

Our "Welcome Home" gift from Santa Cruz was this lovely sunset

So after 81 countries and 8.5 years of adventuring the planet I'm finally back home and settling down in Santa Cruz. I imagine that the word "settle down" will be far less "settled" than the average bear but my days of living for months on end out of panniers are over for the foreseeable future. I've already got trips planned for 2011 to Nicaragua, Uganda and Europe but the home base back in Santa Cruz is where I'll be landing in between adventures.

My son Luca and Cristina were out from Spain for 1.5 months of adventuring and are finally back safely in Spain. If all goes well I'll be out there for the holidays. Around that the next step of this adventure is sharing it with the world via the feature film, TV series and my book. I've got a studio on the west side for the video stuff and a shared house on 36th ave just steps from world class surf to keep me connected to the creative energy of Mother Nature :)

So 2011 will be all about getting the creative juices flowing, settling in, surfing, riding, planting some roots and spending as much time as I can with family and friends. Thanks for all the support over the years and I'll blog on the re-entry process and the creative process. Stay tuned...so far, piece of cake :)

My temporary home at 36th Ave at Jack O'Niel's place as I wait for my house to be ready

Luca ready for a day of adventuring the redwoods

Enjoying the last days of our adventure with Luca n Cris

The very last miles of the Peace Pedaelrs expedition--a rainy one in San Diego

But, as always, the rainbow followed me all the way home to San Diego

Below is a photo album of the last miles and re-entry into the Bay Area. Cheers ;)

Southern California Blog

November 10, 2010

Rollin' the Cali Coast near Santa Barbara w/ Cris n Luca

We have been totally blessed since our launch out of the Bay Area. First the Giants enter and win the World Series while we are there. Then the nasty weather clears the first day of our ride to pure sunshine and has not really left since! The waves have been world class, the company of riders just enough to keep it interesting but not too many to take away from my family time with my son Luca and Cris in from Spain.

We're rolling into the So Cal scene and the fun starts in Huntington Beach where we'll roll in on the 16th and be hosted on the beach at the Shorebreak Hotel as the surf is getting just right for a few days. We're doing a video screening and fundraiser the 17th at Corona del Mar at Port, more info on this is at http://bit.ly/OC-Party.

The views our OC Host the Shorebreak Hotel. Perfect!

We're rolling from Huntington Beach to South Carlsbad before doing our final ride into San Diego on the 20th. We have a full day of fun events planned for the family and friends of San Diego and more info is at http://bit.ly/SD-Event. Anyone is welcome!

That's about all I feel like reporting right now. I'm spending every possible moment with my son Luca, Mamaciata and Cris outside my riding and surfing. It's really a family celebration down the coast and some pics of our first week or so on the road are at http://bit.ly/peaceride1.

Good to be home!

Peace,

Jamie

Blog from Eugene, Oregon

Happy Halloween from Oregon!
My last guest rider Willie on the PacNorWest adventure

It’s official! I’m officially retiring as a full time globetrotting Peace Pedaler. In fact, I just rolled the last miles of the ride from Seattle to Eugene and will now be making my way south with my son little Luca on as many of the miles as possible in this little trailer.

Little Luca says "Thanks Burley for the new toy!"

Pictures are worth a 1000 words so enjoy a taste of the Pacific Northwest journey for now at http://bit.ly/usa1-pics. Get on the newsletter list for the latest journals in your inbox here.

I'm on my way to my best friend Rich's wedding where I'll be changing out my stinky riding clothes for a stylin' a tux as his groomsman on this special day. Go Rich! Lots of changes in my life and the lives of most of my peeps--very excited about it all! Luca and Cris arrive the 20th or so and we'll roll the Bay Area adventures together and head to San Diego on the Peace Ride. Feel free to join us. More info on that here.

Live Big, Give Big, Love Big :)

Jamie

Blog from Vancouver Island, Canada

Home Sweet Home! Styled out by the Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino, Canada

I chillin’ in the 5-star Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino after a glorious first week in Canada. I could not have asked for a better start to my last international country Peace Pedaling. Country 81 started off with a perfect reuniting of FOUR Canadian Peace Pedalers I met on FOUR different continents! Yep, I lucked out to be hosted first night in Canada by Vanessa I met in USA in 2003 and her boyfriend Rob on their waterfront crib. Vanessa and I rode together in Africa in 2006.Then had a super chill Sunday brunch with the 2^nd partner in crime Kellie I met in Korea who came over for Sunday Brunch on the water followed by dinner with the 3^rd Peace Pedaler met in Africa named Natalie. What a weekend!

Reunited! And it feels so good!

Natalie hosted me up I Whistler where I reconnected with my childhood troublemaker Dave Marion and family. Natalie could not resist when I told her I was cycling up the Sunshine Coast and worked some magic in her schedule to do a 2-day ride up to see the 4^th Canadian Peace Pedaler Eilish who I met on my European tour in Wales. Eilish’s parents hosted Natalie and I and I stayed hunkered down there waiting for a storm to pass three nights until pedaling two days to Tofino where I just happened to meet the managers of Tofino’s finest hotel and they agreed to host me here while I soak up some surf, salt air and delicious mother nature. Eilish will be riding with me down the coast to Victoria later in the week.

The Last Days of Summer on the Sunshine Coast with Nataie. Perfect!

The lovely Murphy Family treated me like a son for 3 days in Powell River

Honestly, I’ve stayed in 5-star hotels before but NEVER like this. This is MY KIND of 5-star since I stare at the best breaks in Canada out my huge window and listen to the surf pound all night long! I can even take a bath and hear and see the waves! If you ever come to Tofino and want to treat yourself to a taste of luxury perfectly balanced with nature this is it. A few days of this and I’ll pedaling out like a cannon ball.

Yes, that's the surf break just outside the window!

The Canadians are just as friendly in the country as they are out on the road. I have to say I’ve met the most gracious, kind, outgoing and genuine folks here than my whole trip (a few countries in Europe are close runner ups ;)). Everywhere I go I am stopped, greeted with a smile and people are just so eager to make sure I’m okay and, of course, curious what this bike is all about.

I’m loaded to the brim with gratitude and peace. Looking forward to seeing my crew soon in the States!

Big ups from paradise!

Jamie

1st Blog as a Father, Sabadell, Spain

Me n Baby Luca at about 5 hours old.

It's official. I'm a father. And I'm loving every moment. The wait was, well, long. Cris and I spent a month together playing with lil Luca in the belly until 10 days past his due date he finally came to the other side with a 12+ hour adventure ending in a 3.16AM c-section. It was rough, but perfect.

I'm not in much of a mood to write the details, but some pics are at http://bit.ly/luca1 . I can just say I'm on top of the world and this is the best day of my life. I would have never imagined the end of my global adventure leading to such a epic finale...wow.

If all goes as planed, Luca will be on the last section of the world tour at the California Peace Ride. Hope some of you can come meet him. He's a special soul, this is for sure!

Off to cuddle Luca!

Jamie

Blog from Barcelona, Spain

My last ride in Latin America. A solo meditative ride of Lake Aticlan, Guatemala

I have to pinch myself to remind me that I'm not dreaming here. Yep, the ride is almost over! The 80th country of Peace Pedalers was just completed and I'm now here in Spain with past guest rider from Argentina Cristina awaiting our first baby boy Luca. He's due any day now. Since landing we've been styled out in every way. This is just too much:

1) Spain wins the World Cup the day I arrive for the first time in history. Spirits are high.
2) Cris and I are totally hooked up with a free mack daddy pad in the mountain town of San Llorenç, with rivers, mountains and fresh cool air out of the hot city.
3) The baby and Cristina are totally healthy and all is looking golden for our baby boy Luca's birth.
4) The locals from the Bike Tolra Shop and local club have loaned me both a road and mountain bike with full kit to enjoy world class road and mountain biking right out my back yard.
5) Mamacita is due in a few days to join the fun and celebrations with Cris' amazing family who somehow totally love and accept me and our totally non-traditional relationship.
6) The logging and rough cutting of over 700 hours of footage is on schedule for our TV and film work
7) Sponsors are all still showing excellent support to the finish line
8) The water project Operation Agua in Bolivia is building the water holding unit for the community and will likely receive funding from a Japanese NGO to finish the project!
9) Good Hope School has nearly 200 students and will be graduating their 2nd class this winter
10) The list goes on...blessings abound.

So that's the latest. I also have put a photo album of the last 80 countries of Peace Pedaling for your enjoyment. I smile every time I watch this. Hope you do to :)

Jamie

Blog from San Diego, CA

My last Latin Ride, Lake Aticlan, Guatemala

My latest motto: "The Flow Knows". Signs in my life were loud and clear that it was time to wrap up my Latin adventures and head east to Spain to be with Cristina and little Luca, now 8+ months in the cooker. It all started with a big rainy storm at the end of my El Salvador trip the carried on into Guatemala. This put my "schedule" way off track and made many of the back roads I was hoping to ride pretty messy. From there it was bike issues signals, Angels like Manuel telling me to turn back to avoid robberies and it ended with a final guest rider who summed up my 8-year, 80+ country trip: "We're all human". More later...I'm all good, on the way to Spain. Big ups from San Diego.

Binks