Bye-Bye New York (July 5, 2012)

So, today we left New York and came into Pennsylvania.  It was marked with distinctly worse roads.  The road in New York was nicely paved with a reasonable shoulder, the one in Pennsylvania was not.  However, it was good to leave on state and move into another.  It showed progress.  

The state parks in Upstate New York were quite good and we got spoiled.  We tried one “private” campground for the night and left.  It was a packed city of RV’s with no space for a tent.  It was also right next to an amusement park with screams coming from the roller coaster above.  It really didn’t feel that safe.

One thing about being on a bike and camping with a backpacking tent is that you are quite exposed and vulnerable.  Actually yesterday we got yelled at twice – kids from cars.  Nothing came of it, but they scared me.  (We also got a fellow give us a thumbs-up from a car.)  Some days feel safer than others.

We have traveled through a number of depressed and poverty stricken areas in Worchester, Pittsfield, Albany, and today in Erie, PA.  Actually, today’s neighborhood reminded me of West Philadelphia beyond 49^th street.  I lived on 46^th street for a year, and the first time Peter (my ex) and I went to the closest grocery store we were the only folks who were not African-American other than the manager who was White and looked at us like “what are you doing here?”  Riding through these neighborhoods make me acutely aware of race and class relations in the United States.  We are quite conspicuous and it is probably not safe for us.  I understand some of the reasons why in terms of what we represent, but it still makes me sad.

It is strange to be just passing through – all the time.  I have never felt like I fit in for many reasons.  For one, I grew up mixed race Japanese-American in a White Jewish neighborhood. I am also “alternative” in many ways.  People often stare at me and ask me “where do you come from?”  In some ways I am used to it, but not really.  In this context, it is even more pronounced.  But this time, it makes sense in certain way. We are travelers and travelers are not the same as those who have settled in a place.  We come and then go.  It is a perspective that I haven’t had too often in my life and it is a learning edge for me.