Throughout my life I have enjoyed a deep connection with, and appreciation of the natural world and the incredible landscapes it has to offer. Being outdoors, and flooded with nature’s sensations, holds for me a profound sense of wonder, adventure, and freedom. As a young child I spent much time outside, playing Hide-and-seek and Kick-the-can with the neighborhood kids. Little did I know that the greatest liberation was yet to come – a two wheeled traveling machine that could take me far and wide and deep into the wilds of nature. Owning a bike was the ultimate emancipation. My world seemed to expand exponentially. In a flash I could ride from one end of town to the other, watching as the landscape whizzed by and reveling in the feeling of wind against my skin. I could ride out into the countryside to find a pond to swim in, or a mountain to climb, or a vista to explore. I remember my father, an architect, would bike with me out to the “old highway,” so we could sketch abandoned buildings. It was such a thrill to see the world around me materialize onto paper.