A Bicycle Adventure Built for Four
International Pedaled Powered Family Adventure
Episode #28 we speak with Nancy from a remarkable family who views the world as their home.
This is the second in a two part series, where both Miro and I both speak with the Vogel Family, also known as Family on Bikes. This family completed a multi year bicycle trek, starting in Alaska, traveling down the pan american highway, finally to reach their destination in Argentina. But this is not their only adventure together as a family and we learn that inspiration is a family trait for the Vogels.
This is episode #28, Part 2 of a 2 part series. Be sure to listen to Part 1 here.
“My invitation to you is to begin living every moment as though you are miraculous and deserve to live an extraordinary life. Fake it if you must and keep faking it until it’s real to you. The gift you will be giving yourself is a lifelong journey of discovery, one that is infinite and infinitely rewarding. Begin the journey. Today. This moment. Now.”
~ Robert White
In episode #28 we speak with Nancy Vogel of FamilyonBikes.org about everything from trip planning to preparations, education on the road and keeping your family healthy on an extended journey. Nancy also shares some valuable advice for anyone who may have some fear preventing them from following their dreams.
Part 1
Episode # 27 includes an interview between Miro and all of the boys from the Vogel clan including John Vogel, and twin sons Daryl & Davy who, as a family of four, rode their bikes from Alaska to Argentina over a 3 year time span, and broke a world record in the process.
Traveling and Learning
Nancy Vogel is 21-year classroom teaching veteran. In our interview, Nancy shares her thoughts on roadschooling. Additionally, Nancy writes extensively on her blog about education. Here’s an excerpt on her article about education:
Education = Learning = school
ed•u•ca•tion [ej-oo-key-shuh n] –noun
the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.
learn•ing [lur-ning] –noun
knowledge acquired by systematic study in any field of scholarly application.
It’s funny how we associate these two words with school. A brick building broken into classrooms filled with desks and chairs and blackboards.
School = education = learning Synonyms all three.
And yet – are they? What is education? What’s true learning?
I’ve talked quite a bit about our sons’ education in this blog – how we’ve allowed Mother Nature to provide most of the lessons; how we’ve trusted our sons to learn about the world around them. About how education is so much more than school.
Family on Bikes Latest Project:
20 Miles per Cookie- 9000 Miles of Kid-Powered Adventures
The family Vogal share their inspiration in their inspiring journey in their latest book.
It was a year of adventure, a year of fun. A year of good time and bad, of highs and lows, of good weather and bad. But mostly, it was a year of magic – together as a family.
“It seems that in the darkest of times, the goodness within humanity becomes the most evident. For the Vogel family – cycling for a year around the US and Mexico – those encounters with kindness came to represent their journey almost as much as their own personal growth.” ~Michael Turtle
“This book is a pleasure to read – for although it details a journey most of us won’t ever take, the life lessons can be extrapolated to any family. From cold, rain, muck, and headwinds, to the kindness of strangers and the extraordinary beauty of nature, the Vogel family kept on. Life lessons can be read here, without biking those 9,000 miles – keep your head down, don’t complain, keep going, work together, learn together, don’t push TOO hard, and enjoy the journey.” ~Jessie Voigts
“One prominent theme in this book is the “Road Angels” the family comes across. In a time when we are all adding a second deadbolt to our door, telling our kids to trust no one and monitoring every second of their lives on the web, the Vogel family learned to have a little trust in their fellow man. ~Keryn Means
Did it inspire me to take my own year long bike riding adventure with my family? Well….No. I don’t like riding my bike that much! But it did help me to understand that we continually underestimate ourselves and that whatever we can dream we can accomplish if we only believe in ourselves. ~ Amy Sztupovszky
Nancy is a confident writer that left me giggling throughout the book as she shared the ups and downs of daily life on the road. She shared a few memorable disputes with her husband (it was reassuring to know they are normal, at least in that way), and had me grinning from ear to ear when they came across Road Angels that lightened their load and made the journey more bearable and enjoyable. Americans and Mexicans alike went out of their way to bring sunshine to their days! ~ Alisa Lybbert
But I think most will agree with me about this, the most amazing thing about this story is simply that someone did it. That people leave their jobs and homes and BEDS with two kids and just get out there and live their lives to the fullest. This should not be surprising, but it’s really shocking. I feel like walking to my mailbox is a huge hassle most days. Much less camping out almost every night for a year in a tent with three dudes.Yet they did it, and they loved it. ~ Edification
This is the story of the Vogel Family’s first major family adventure – one year cycling 9300 miles through the USA and Mexico. Their sons were eight years old when they pulled out of our driveway in Boise, Idaho.
Find more information here.
Supporting Raising Miro
If you are able to support us financially we would be so grateful. We continue to raise money to keep us safe, and keep us out on the road. I continue to work a little remotely and we have started to earn a little income from our web site, but if you can support us with a donation, no matter the size, we’d be so grateful. Without you, we wouldn’t be able to continue our travels. We live frugally, stay with families & couch surf and volunteer our time and energies. We know this is all part of our experience in the world and are grateful for each and every moment.
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Podcast #28 Sponsor
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Thank you!
We want to take a moment to thank a few peoplewho have contributed to our travels. Your donations have helped cover our travel expenses and for that, we are so grateful! The people who have contributed to Raising Miro are: Ashley Hansen, Grandpa, Scott Van Pelt, Sashya Amee, Ivan Amador,Heather on Her Travels, Bradford Akerman, Tuan Vutran, Terrance O’Dowd, Eric Hammond, Chip Jacobs, Billy Horn and Sonia Kim. Thank you so much! Your support is heart-felt and much appreciated!
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Special Thanks
To those of you who have supported us so far on this journey, the donations we’ve received and the wonderful words of encouragement. Thank you all for your comments and feedback, and please keep them coming. Thank you Hanna for giving us a wonderful professional boost with the intro & outro, engineered by Hanna Jakobson, music “Multilayered Timbres” by Dr. Pimp courtesy of CC (creative commons) license. 
