"Since coming to England from Ethiopia eight years ago, I've lost parts of my cultural identity. I was stuck in a monotonous, isolated routine studying for a biochemistry degree at Imperial College London, without the family-centred lifestyle I was used to. Back in Ethiopia, I'd be surrounded by my aunt, grandparents, friends. So this year, I took 12 months out and moved to my uncle's house in Leeds. The change helped me try new things, like cycling:"
"My friends told me that it was made for a 10-year-old and donated an adult-sized bike to me. The bike had spent two years in my friend's garden, so it was in bad shape. I spent a month taking it to a repair shop. I also joined a project called the Hackspace it's a community-run workshop for makers and built a wooden bicycle. It's mostly made of recycled materials: I used an old flip-flop for the brake."
"My friends and family didn't think I'd last a mile. Maybe they had a point: the first three nights were terrible. I hadn't bought a tent to sleep in; only a tarp to cover myself. I'd packed light, relying only on one cotton shirt. The wind and rain were rough. During the months I was on the road, I was prepared for the worst."
Coming to England from Ethiopia led to loss of parts of cultural identity and isolation while studying biochemistry at Imperial College London. A year-long move to an uncle's house in Leeds reintroduced family-centred routines and encouraged new activities like learning to cycle. A charity-shop bike required repair, and participation in a community Hackspace led to building a wooden bicycle mainly from recycled materials. A suggestion to cycle from John o'Groats southward became a spontaneous, unplanned journey. Harsh early nights, minimal gear and scarce food contrasted with generous, often elderly strangers who offered help. The journey inspired fundraising for Age UK and Mekedonia.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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