Pedouins

[Bike Chick]

Wow! No, I hadn't heard anything about them. I can't imagine taking 3 kids that age to the grocery store and they are going all the way to Alaska! How brave. Thanks for sharing this. I want to follow their journey.

[arielmoon]

Wow.

[kenyonchris]

This, to me, looks like a large slice of hell. Cold, dirt, kids (don't get me wrong, like kids, have a couple of my own, but dang), lather, rinse repeat. Give me a hotel room and a hot shower. But that's just me.
More power to em.

[owlice]

I must confess that I would like this a lot better if they were not asking other people to pay for it.

[Tuckervill]

I started reading the blog from the beginning last night. There is nothing in it about the kids being bored or what have you. When they get off the bike, they are usually smack into something new and exciting in their environment, and they make friends very quickly! That ability to hook up with others easily seems to be a trait of the other kid-tourers whose blogs I read. I'm sure it's not all fun and games all the time, but the parents seem all about joyful living, and I think that's very possible with little kids.

Karen

[Brandy]

Thank you for posting this!

I emailed offering a place to stay, after seeing this post here. Imagine my surprise when my phone rang yesterday morning and it was Bill. We talked for a short bit and he was very thankful for the offer and we will keep in touch as the Pedouins get closer to California.

[Melalvai]

Brandy, that's awesome! I hope you get to meet them. They will reach New Mexico tomorrow! It seems like they have been in Texas forever.

I've been thinking, a lot, about what Owlice said. At first I wished I hadn't mentioned that they started all this with only $300 (what probably prompted her comment). But the next thing I did was donate on their page. I've been meaning to anyway.

Owlice, I'm not directing the following at you, you are welcome to your own opinion. Thank you for your comment because you made me think. Here is the result, for what it is worth.

I'm willing to pay more than I care to admit for Netflix, cable tv, internet access (some is work, most is social & entertainment).

I find the Pedouins blog highly entertaining. I talk about their progress with my friends and family. It's similar to tv series: what will happen next? When will the next episode air?

And even better than a tv series, I admire them so much. I get so tired of hearing how people can't do things, or won't allow their kids to, because it's not safe, whether it's play outside, play in the dirt, walk to a store after dark or bike down a street. The Pedouins represent the opposite of that crippling cultural fear. Simply by taking this trip they are doing advocacy work.

You can't put a price on that. By donating I'm paying for entertainment and inspiration and supporting a cause.

We pay entertainers solely to entertain us. The Pedouins are just trying to live through their year. They're not going to get rich, like the actors and movie stars.

That's why I'm ok with them asking for money to get them through this year. If they had waited until they could afford it without donations, they'd never start. Or they'd belong to a social class that I wouldn't relate to. Actually? I appreciate the chance to be a tiny part of their journey.