MY BICYCLE COMMUTE
“So by riding my bike in the morning (...), I find that I arrive at school completely relaxed and fully awake. Compared to some teachers who seem stressed at the start of the day, I've already had my hour of biking. I think I'm a bit energized by the endorphins released while execising. I feel a bit high, but also very calm—I find it quite amusing. I see the students all worked up as they arrive, but I've already had my hour of biking (...) I think that makes a difference. And in the evening, I bike home again. Sometimes it's not fun—having to do that hour of biking again when it's raining and all that—but I see that it helps me de-stress. I arrive home feeling pleasantly tired. So there's this physical balance, this sense of relaxation.”
“And at the same time, it's a moment to myself (...) I've discovered that these two hours of riding my bike every day are precious times for me, where no one comes to bother me every three seconds. [At school] you always have interactions with students. Or when you're at home—my children are grown up, but you're interacting with someone pretty much all the time, with your spouse, with the children if they're there, or dealing with other practical matters.”
“My wife says to me, ‘But your school is so far away!’ I thought about it, and I told her, ‘It’s intentional.’ I want to maintain this distance because it’s like a buffer zone. Yes, it’s tiring, but it forces me [to keep a separation]. And then there’s a part of the route that’s very beautiful, along [the river]. Honestly, I’m lucky to be able to do this. I’m getting exercise at the same time as I’m going to work. I see that it really contributes to my overall balance… All day long you’re giving out energy. Well, this allows me to reconnect with myself. I have a little time to reflect.”
“Often, while riding my bike, I think about this or that child, their family, and my teaching.”
“The time spent on my bike is like a time for forced reflection—that's all you do, you pedal and you're forced to think, in a place where you're free. I'm not on the subway or in the car, getting annoyed about other things. It's different.”