Pilgrim 2001

This is a web page for Pilgrim 2001, also called Pacific Eastward, being the traveling by Avram and Elijah Brown on bicycles from Oregon to Maine in the summer of 2001.

Pilgrim 2001 Home Page

The interviewer is their father Dwite Brown.

Interview with Elijah

August 20, 2001. Elijah telephoned from Steubenville at about 8:30 p.m. California time. Dad asked these questions on the speaker phone during supper, with Mom and Avram listening.

Dad: Are you glad you did it?

Elijah: Yes, very glad, and I don't think all of the lessons I learned, and all of the meaning of the trip will be unpacked for a long time. It will be a long time before I sort through all of the experiences and really -- oh, I'm tired -- I really comprehend how much it applies to life and how great of an accomplishment it was.

Dad: What did it teach you?

Elijah: Maybe three main things:

It's possible to set big goals and work at it and accomplish them by taking small steps.

There are many good people in America, hospitable, caring, who would go out of their way to help others.

You have to -- it's just a great analogy to life. Some days are hard, some easier --overcoming frustration, that's the way life is.

Dad: What lasting impression do you carry with you, from the ride?

Elijah: All the friendly people we met, all the encouraging people, and racing to reach the Atlantic on the last day.

Dad: Would you recommend it (a major bicycle ride) to others, and what kind of people?

Elijah: Oh yeah, I would recommend it to people who want to really change their life, and build a lot of confidence in themselves, and just enjoy the beauty of the country.

Dad: What would you have done differently, knowing what you know now?

Elijah: It's hard to say. I would have tried to write more, forced myself to write more if possible I guess

Dad: What advice do you have for others who are contemplating a ride?

Elijah: Be prepared to face your limits. You get really tired and hungry and you have to mentally prepare for that. You have to know yourself beforehand. You will be hungry and tired, at those times you can't just drop the ride.

Dad: Anything else?

Elijah: It's good to have this interview now. At school memory is quickly fading during RA training (Elijah will be a residence advisor this year). I haven't talked about the ride.

A priest wanted to hear back from me 15 years from now, because by then I will have fully understood the meaning of the ride. There's a lot of depth to the ride that I've sort of lost.

Pilgrim 2001 Home Page

The author and web master is their father Dwite Brown.