What’s Next for Alchemy Lab?
I think we can all agree that riding a bicycle across a continent is a rather crazy idea. After seeing it through to the end, I found myself completely lost for words. In the last moments of my Crossing the Continent film, I even go as far as to say that “I had 3,000 miles to think of something profound to say, and nothing.” I thought that the indescribability of my adventure would eventually fade, allowing me to share the potent mixture of emotions with the world around me. A year later, and even after fully retracing my steps - this time in writing, the words still escaped me. Perhaps, there isn’t a way to truly express the almost spiritual sense of achievement that follows the completion of a near-impossible task. The closest thing that I can compare it to is the time I walked across the stage at my college graduation. The four years and thousands of hours spent learning were summed up by a single salute, a handshake, and a piece of paper. But even then, I was surrounded by my closest friends for those years and rarely had to endure any amount of stress or discomfort in solitude. On my coast-to-coast ride, however, I was hopelessly alone. I rode a bike 3,000 miles by myself, for myself. Not necessarily because I love to cycle, but because I love to follow through on my curiosity. I’ve become passionate about testing my crazy ideas that make even myself stop and say “What the hell am I doing?”. It’s those same ideas that make me feel most alive.
One of my close friends from abroad wrote me after watching my short film and unknowingly gave me my most crazy idea yet. The message was a single sentence. In typical European fashion, it was simple and to the point: “You don’t need to find words, the journey says it all for you.” With that statement, I realized that there is something more to the art of following through on crazy ideas. Something that transcends language and is relatable to everyone that bears witness. When someone heeds the call and does what their bones beckon them to do, those around can’t help but feel inspired and begin contemplating crazy ideas of their own. That’s how we come alive together. I want everyone to experience what that feels like.
Alchemy Lab is more than just a place for me to share my adventures. To tell you the truth, I’m not sure what the future holds for the business. But I know, for now, I want to use this platform to share stories that are bigger than just a goofy kid on a bicycle. That’s why Alchemy Lab has partnered with the Sierra Nevada Alliance (SNA) on my next big journey into the unknown. The SNA is a nonprofit organization that focuses on conservation in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Since 1993, they have been fighting to preserve hundreds of miles of ecosystems and educating the public on ways that they too can contribute to the preservation of our planet. Why the SNA? Because I’m going to be hiking 2,650 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail this summer, a journey that will take me through the entire length of the Sierra Nevada. It only seemed fitting that I would be giving back to the very wilderness that I’m surrounding myself in.
The vision that I currently have for Alchemy Lab is to create a space for different storytellers to share their inspirational endeavors. By linking these inspirational stories to nonprofits and their missions, and by utilizing the increasing sharability of these narratives through different social networks, we could reach an audience that covers the globe. In doing so, we would build a system that is mutually beneficial to both ourselves and the organizations that we work with. Additionally, we would be inspiring our community to follow through on their own crazy ideas. As they ask “what’s next?” for Alchemy Lab, they would also ask “what’s next?” for themselves. At least, that’s the idea. For now, all I can do is share my own stories as I strategize on what it will take to make this vision a reality. Will this idea change over time? Probably. If I’m being totally honest, I have no idea what I’m doing. This is undoubtedly the most terrifying thing I have ever done. It’s far more terrifying than the first moments of my transcontinental ride. It’s not the danger that makes it so, but rather the high degree of uncertainty and the monumental risk of failure. That being said, I trust myself to figure it out as I go. I made it 3,000 miles across the country with that mindset. Surely, I can do it again. Right?
