Interview with Linda Myers

Name: Linda Myers

Family? (Who stayed home or who came with you?): Husband Dave (my companion on Experience Plus! trips), two adult children, a daughter, and a son (who have accompanied us on two Experience Plus! Trips).

Age (be as vague as you wish!): 64?

Where are some of the places you’ve bicycled with ExperiencePlus! or with other groups?: I've been on eight Experience Plus! trips to Italy, the Canadian Rockies, France, Denmark, New Zealand, Greece, Spain (Andalucia) and most recently the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Our ninth trip will be to Ireland in August.

Where does your love of the outdoors come from?: Moving to California many years ago gave me the opportunity to explore a whole new part of the country I had never been in. I reveled in all that California has to offer in the way of natural beauty; from the mountains, to the redwood forests, to the ocean. We spent a lot of time in the outdoors camping, hiking, biking, and traveling with our children. Being in the outdoors became an important part of my personal well being.

Where is your favorite travel destination?: I have thoroughly enjoyed all of our trips in Europe. Since I've been to Spain twice in the past two years, I would have to say that it has gained a special place in my heart.

Describe your perfect day outdoors: My perfect day outdoors would be getting out in the early morning of a summer day on my bike with my husband and some friends; feeling the fresh morning air on my face, the rhythmic movement of my pedal strokes, the road beneath me, and the beauty of the passing scenery in the morning light. Cares and concerns melt away as we ride along and I feel the joy of just being alive. We stop for breakfast or coffee or lunch (or maybe all three!) and enjoy the warm companionship that comes with sharing this ride together. We would visit, catch up on each other's lives, and anticipate future rides together.

Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know: That I am going to be taking a singing class this next semester at our local community college! I have always wanted to take some voice lessons, but I don't think most people know that.

Do you have any movie or book recommendations?: Recent movies I have enjoyed were "Wordplay", "The Queen", and "Little Miss Sunshine". I really enjoy travel writing, perhaps because it allows me to vicariously go to places I may never go. Since I just cycled the Camino de Santiago, I have read several books about the Camino both before and after the trip. Two of my favorites are: "On and Off the Road" by Jack Hitt and "Pilgrim Stories: on and off the road" by Nancy Frey. Other travel writing I especially enjoyed are "A Woman's Path (Best Spiritual Writing)" and " Wild Writing Women: Stories of World Travel". I also enjoyed "Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Kazon set in Barcelona. For light fun reading I've enjoyed Lauri King's Sherlock Holmes mystery series the first of which is "Beekeeper's Apprentice".

 

What’s your favorite ride or hike in your hometown?: My favorite ride in our area is up and over Mt. Diablo. Mt. Diablo is a local landmark and easily visible from many parts of the Bay Area because it rises sharply from sea level to almost 4,000 feet. I see it rising up from a distance as I am riding toward it and I am always impressed that in a few moments (and many huffs and puffs later) I will be at the top.

What's one outdoor activity that you would like to take up?: I would like to try snowshoeing.

What's one outdoor activity that doesn't interest you in the least?: Golf

Describe the greatest adventure you've yet to take: I have always traveled as a tourist. I would like to live in a different country long enough to have the local baker or coffee shop recognize my face and perhaps make some new friends. Part of this adventure would be to learn the language of the country well enough to be able to communicate with the local people.

 

What question do you wish we had asked, and how would you have answered?: I wish you had asked: Why do you like to travel? My answer would be that traveling allows me to nurture an adventuresome spirit that doesn't always find expression here at home where I am bound by my various roles and responsibilities. All of my senses are stimulated as I take in what I see and hear and smell and touch. Cycling on a trip only enhances this sensory stimulation. I feel alive and free and excited to greet each day with its new experiences and unexpected surprises. I come back home feeling full and enriched.