My decision to ride a bicycle from my home in the Pacific Northwest of the United States to Israel may appear to be foolhardy to some people. But to me, it was a logical decision based on the following four facts: First, travel is my deepest passion. I simply love to travel to far-flung places, meeting people along the way, listening to their life stories, opinion, fears, and joys. Second, I love riding a bicycle because nothing gives me more pleasure. I enjoy being outdoors, pedaling down a low-traffic road under a sunny, blue sky-lost in my thoughts and thankful for my good health. Third, I wanted to visit some American friends and relatives whom I had not seen in over one year. Fourth, an Israeli friend invited me to visit him in his country, plus I had never been to the Holy Land about which I had read so much. In this book I share with you many true stories about this long bicycle journey: how I prepared for the trip, some of the mechanical problems that I experienced; how I coped with inclement weather; who I met along my route and how they affected, changed and inspired me; a description of some fascinating places I visited; some personal dangers I encountered and how I dealt with them; what I thought and felt during moments of joy and sorrow, and what I learned about life and especially—myself.
