Bicycle Love Response

To start i'm not quite sure what people would consider a "fun fact" about me, but I guess I will go with the fact that I am a die hard Red Sox fan. I have been to Fenway three times and each time it gets more magical.

I believe the theme of our first travel story "Bicycle Love" is one of growth and independence. Goodspeed begins this trip as a sort of starting over point for her life. She had recently graduated college and broken up with her long time boyfriend. The theme of growth and independence is exemplified through the journey she partakes in. At the beginning she starts off completely unsure and afraid, and by the end she feels as if she is one with the bike. The bike takes her on a journey that teaches her about independence and growth, about being alone but not feeling lonely. The journey was never about reaching a destination but about finding her true self, it wasn't about where she got but how she got there. Goodspeed went through many mishaps along the way, which just contributed to her growth as a person.

An example of Goodspeed's language that I liked is her blunt honesty. A lot of the times while traveling people believe that everything has to be perfect, but in reality that is far from accurate. Goodspeed's balance of honesty and her humorous tone creates a well woven story. For example, she says "Anywhere would be better than where I was. I was beginning to hate the Bad Boy." She does not sugar coat the fact that part of her trip was absolutely terrible. Although, towards the end her attitude changes "the terror had burned off, like calories, during the three-week ride. The bike-which at first made me feel vulnerable-now empowered me." Another part of Goodspeed's language that I really liked is that she adds in French sentences throughout the story. They are particularly interesting because she never translates word for word, but her snippets of translation and the context of the story allow for the reader to understand what is being said, it adds flavor to the story.