I spent two and a half years of my life, most of my money, two gallons of blood, a squared mile of skin (blood and skin left road side across America), a rib and a hunk of my scalp on this project. I have suffered a concussion, hypothermia, near drowning, bone bruises, soul crushing loneliness, home sickness (for a home that no longer existed), insect attacks, heat exhaustion, hail, snow, pouring rain and fatigue. Fatigue beyond what I though was possible to endure. I was shown kindness by people who live in gated communities, by street people in Baltimore, by toothless old men in panhandle Florida, by crazy young Hispanic women in West Hollywood. I biked through the evergreen forests of northern Maine, the streets of Manhattan, across the George Washington Bridge, through the twisting urban sprawl of New Jersey, the back roads of Virginia, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the pecan plantations of Georgia and the Florida Keys. I have seen the fog of my breath on cold Maine mornings, sunrises in coastal Carolina and sunset in Key West. I slept behind an abandoned hunting camp in Maine, a forgotten church in Louisiana, and in the empty dessert of West Texas. This is my story, true and from my heart. It is a story of hope and inspiration. A tale of how to go on when it feels like there is no point in going on. A chronicle of my journey across this country, and through my depression.
About the Author: At the age of 53, Ed set out on a journey of discovery. He was determined to show that depression did not need to limit him, or anyone else. He planned to ride his bicycle from Fort Kent, Maine to Key West Florida. A challenge for anyone, but especially for a man who had never biked more than 25 miles in a day. In the end he never really stopped Ed biked to raise awareness of depression. After struggling with depression for years he decided to do something bold. "I would come home from work and just sit on the couch, I had lost interest in almost everything. I would be so angry at myself for what I thought was just laziness." said Ed. With the help of his physician, friends, family and medication he was able to improve his mental health. "I wasn't cured, but I was better." I decided that I wanted to show everyone that you could accomplish anything despite having depression". Ed felt that a solo trip of this length would show that you do not have to be limited by this illness."I also felt it would be great treatment for my own depression" commented Ed. He wrestled with flat tires, pouring rain, searing heat, hail, insect attacks, a near fatal fall off a dock in Florida, urban traffic and 10 staples in his head. He laid his head down in many places. An abandoned hunting camp in Maine, a church in Louisiana, in the houses of kind strangers, with friends, friends of friends, and with family. He has covered over 7000 miles and 21 states.