Changing Perspective

Same photo as six days ago, just more pretty!

Six days ago, we rode from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, to Auld's Cove. Today, we retraced that same route in reverse, from Auld's Cove to Antigonish. This is the only time on this bike tour that we will need to revisit old steps. What a difference between the two rides! The last time I passed over these roads, the weather was "cloudy with strong winds up to 40 mph, and the chill was bone-deep." Today, it was sunny, with little to no wind, warm enough to take off my jacket, and simply beautiful! The ride felt so much easier and more enjoyable. I remember the chilly, wind-blown undulating hills, the stormy views of the coastline, and the gas station/coffee shop where we huddled to stay out of the wind. Today, those hills felt joyful, the views were gorgeous, and we breezed past the gas station/coffee shop without needing or wanting to stop.

A beautiful countryside

As we rode today, I reflected on how lovely the Canadian countryside is. There was no trash by the side of the road (okay, maybe an occasional Tim Hortons coffee cup), no homes surrounded by cluttered yards, and no discarded machinery or junk piled up. It’s truly amazing. If anyone needs to dispose of old items (furniture, wood, metal, toilets, cabinets, mattresses, etc.), they simply place them in a neat pile at the end of their driveway, and the garbage collectors will pick them up. It’s part of the services Canadians receive for their taxes. Brilliant! Even the tiny, ramshackle old houses or motorhomes present themselves as clean and well-maintained, with nicely mowed yards.

While we encountered many homes like this during our cross-country bike journey in the U.S. last fall, there were numerous instances in rural and urban America where the opposite was true. In some cases, I was appalled at the conditions in which people lived. You never see that here, in Canada. The people obviously care and are cared for in return. How refreshing!

On this Canadian bicycle journey, it has been very rare to see homelessness, "tent communities" (except for nature campers), public drug abuse, or mentally ill individuals wandering around. I think about how much we witness these societal issues in America. It would seem that how a government runs a country does matter. It would seem how people are raised to respect others, be friendly, work hard, and treasure nature also matters! On this Apology Tour of Canada, we find ourselves immensely grateful for all that Canadians are and what they represent: Good people, good life, good neighbors.

A joyful ride.