Riding With The Swallows

Alcohol was a few shots, then a bottle, then a prison. When Rick was at his physical, emotional, and spiritual bottom, his brother called. “Don’t leave your children a legacy of alcoholism and self-destruction. You know what that did to us. Leave them a legacy of recovery and hope.” After connecting with AA and a couple of hard-won years of sobriety, Rick called his family and friends. “I’ve always wanted to ride a bike across the country. Help me with some equipment and I’m going to ride from the Virginia coast to San Francisco.”

Sober, but with no money, no experience, sixty pounds overweight, and still smoking two packs of cigarettes per day, Rick embarked on his dream to ride the Trans America Bike Trail nearly 3,000 miles, over three mountain ranges, across the vast Plains, traversing the Great Basin Desert, from sea to sea. With guidance from the Twelve Steps, support from AA, and the kindness of fellow Americans, Rick opened to acceptance, to faith, to making amends. Having had a spiritual awakening, he takes readers on his magical journey of humility, forgiveness, and grace.