I spent Sunday evening at my cousin Michal’s house in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington DC. It was a very enjoyable evening and the perfect place to start my journey yesterday morning across the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail.

I often feel that people under appreciate their family and what family means to you. My family on my father’s side is quite small. Today only four cousins remain from that first generation Hungarian American family. My cousin Michael is quite an interesting person. She is well-traveled and well educated. She has a spirit of adventure that I admire.

It was especially nice to be able to engage in conversation with her on Sunday evening and Monday morning before I set out on my tour. We often forget about family members that are not close to our homes but live in distant places. On Sunday evening and Monday, I learned that a simple visit to a family member while on a tour is a wonderful thing.

I mentioned in a prior post that this bicycle tour is a tour of discovery and learning. This short visit was certainly one of those experiences. When you get to have a one-on-one conversation with a person for an extended period of time, you appreciate their background and what life is given them through the years.

Although I am a newbie exploring the world internationally, I admire Michal’s spirit of adventure with a lifetime where she was able to explore the world for both work and pleasure. It invigorates me to know that even at my age I can explore the world both near and far with the spirit of adventure that she shared with me.

“I’m a storyteller; that’s what exploration really is all about. Going to places where others haven’t been and returning to tell a story they haven’t heard before.” James Cameron

Tom Bilcze
Exploring life and the world