— Domani Spero

Richard Boly served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador in the 1980s. In early 1990s, he  joined the Foreign Service. He was posted overseas in Santo Domingo, Quito, Asuncion and Rome.  He became the director of the Office of eDiplomacy in 2009 and served there for over four years. He was a 2012 Sammies finalist for  creating “innovative social media and online platforms for State Department employees around the world to collaborate, share information and connect with important outside audiences.” 

Last year, he retired from the State Department.  Today, his title is simply pedaller-in-chief, as he bikes across the United States from WashDC to California. Here are his reasons for this adventure:

 

 

1. (romantic) In the summer of ’88 I was going to bike cross county from Portland, OR. The day before departure, my bike was stolen. I took it as a sign to quit putzing around and get a job. A month later I was working in NY, where I met my bride to be! In hindsight, I am soooo lucky my bike was stolen, but I still want to bike the US.
2. (selfish) Since 2007 I have gone from 175 lbs to 205. Time to reboot my metabolism!
3. (nostalgic) My mother was born in rural Kansas, my father in rural Missouri. I would like to have a glimpse into the country and people they came from.
4. (practical) My wife, Wendy, and son, Ian, can practice for what life would be like if I were abducted by aliens 😉
5. (appropriate) The day after I retired from the State Department, I began a consulting job. It was a great gig, but I felt like I didn’t really celebrate retirement. This will be a two month celebration.
6. (reflective) Short of becoming a monk, I can’t think of a better way to plumb your depths.
7. (aspirational) I really love having clear, challenging goals that I can have quick feedback on success or not. I will wake up every morning with a distance goal and by sunset will have met it (or not).
8. (quixotic) I am a volcano of ideas, but not a dreamer. The satisfaction for me is not in the dreaming, but in the doing – turning the idea into reality. Until I dip my front tire in SF Bay, I am just another Don Quixote.
9. (NOT bigger than me) I am not riding for any greater cause. I am just a middle aged white guy on a bike to see America.
10. (pulse) I live inside the bell jar that is the Washington, DC beltway. I am really looking forward to connecting with people on the outside.

Awesome!  Follow his trip via tumblr at  Pedal Quicker, Time is Catching Up (Just Another Middle-Aged White Guy, Rebooting with a Solo Ride from DC to SF) and via Twitter @Beaurichly.

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