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A tandem bike ride can look like a quirky travel story from the outside, until you realize it can also be a moving, three-month workshop in courage. We sit down with author and podcaster Teri M. Brown, who went from not riding a bicycle in decades to pedaling a tandem from Astoria, Oregon to Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2020. Along the way, she and her husband Bruce camped through COVID closures, climbed real mountains that flatland training cannot prepare you for, and learned the hard truth about packing light: you do not discover what you need at your kitchen table, you discover it on the road.

We talk about the practical side of planning a cross-country bike trip, including why rigid day-by-day itineraries fall apart fast, how to choose flexible stopping points, and what happens when the wind turns, the terrain changes, or the tires go flat. Teri shares the moment in Montana when everything felt broken, and the rule that carried her forward: don’t quit on a bad day. That idea lands far beyond travel, especially when you are hungry, tired, angry, or scared and tempted to make a permanent decision in a temporary state.

This conversation also goes deeper than cycling. Teri opens up about leaving an abusive relationship, rebuilding self-worth through doing something wildly outside her comfort zone, and turning that new confidence into a writing life that includes award-winning novels, a memoir, a children’s book, and multiple podcasts. We also dig into another purpose behind the ride: raising over $35,000 for Toys for Tots to help more kids receive bicycles, proving that adventure travel and service can belong in the same story.

If you like stories about resilient travel, minimalist packing, healing, and bold reinvention, you’ll want this one in your queue. Follow the podcast, share the episode with a friend who needs a push, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find us.

Teri's Website: http://www.terimbrown.com/

The Teri and Edith Show Podcast: https://podcastindex.org/podcast/7458726

Online For Authors Podcast: https://podcastindex.org/podcast/6718184

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