Republic Monitor of Republic Missouri, by Amy Brant

http://republicmonews.com/articles/2010/05/12/news/doc4be9bf4eb8b50277371968.txt

‘To seek out new life…’
Cyclist plans to explore the world
By Amy Brant
Published:
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 12:18 AM CDT
Likening himself to the crew on the television show, “Star Trek,” cyclist Ari Gold of Las Vegas, Nev., has started his own “trek” to see the world. As with the show’s crew, “whose five-year mission was to explore strange new worlds. Seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before,” Gold is already rethinking his five-year plan after seven months on the road.

Gold said when he set out with just his bike, water, food, a few clothes and his computer, he had planned to cycle around the world in five years. But in the seven months he’s been out on the road, he’s only covered between 2,000 and 3,000 miles, as of his stop in Republic, Mo., recently. He began his trip on Sept. 1, 2009, and planned to make it through the North American continent in a year. Of course, not having any set schedule, he said he will probably designate two years in the United States and another two years in Asia, before going on to other countries. However, he said he has no plans to go to Cambodia or the Middle East because of all the fighting.

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“There are no rules,” said Gold. “I want memories worth living for when there’s nothing but memories left.”

Gold said he decided to set out on his trek because he wants to know the community, other worlds and other neighbors. He explained that he wants to be a living example that there are ways to survive and succeed.

“I want to let people know you can come out succeeding when things go bad,” said Gold. He added that he wants to make people be aware of their surroundings, show them how to be resourceful, and have determination.

Gold, a handyman who does odd jobs, left Las Vegas after having been unemployed for a lot time and getting divorced. He said he didn’t want to go back to working in the gaming industry, and the economy was going down faster than his expectations.

“My immediate plans for tomorrow are made of soap bubbles and butterflies,” he said.

He said he doesn’t have a role or place in the community, but he works hard to make a positive experience with each one.

“It’s a challenge to make people smile,” he said.

Prior to stopping in Republic, Gold has been to places such as Salt Lake City, Moab and Hanksville in Utah; Cortez and Dove Creek in Colorado; Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Roswell and the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico; Austin and Denton in Texas; Tulsa in Oklahoma; and Neosho, Mo. Yet the road hasn’t been without its fun times and its problems.

Gold said that in Albuquerque a group of third and fourth grade students interviewed him live on TV. Also while in that city, his original bicycle was stolen. A group of homeless people gave him a new one, although it was a smaller bike and didn’t fit him well. By the time he reached the Carlsbad Caverns, the bike had fallen apart. He spent two weeks in Carlsbad and worked for a place to stay.

Leaving there, he hitchhiked with his ailing bike to Austin, where he exchanged it for a another one at a community bike shop. Gold said community bike shops are neat places because people volunteer their time to fix and remake bicycles for kids and can also exchange bikes for others. He worked and exchanged his ailing bike for a more appropriate one. Yet five days later, he crashed that bike.

According to Gold, he is making his trek with no money and no support. Sometimes he is lucky enough to find odd jobs to do to make money. Churches are a good place to find these types of jobs.

After leaving Republic, Gold was to spend the night with some college kids he had connected with through the Web site couchsurf.org. Then it was on to Tecumseh, Mo., and the Villages of the Sky, where he had a job of building tree houses for a festival in June lined up.

Gold can usually make up to 10 miles an hour, but he stops at different places. And half of the time he camps on the side of the road or stays in people’s homes when they invite him to do so. When he camps out, he said he doesn’t use any fire for safety reasons. Only recently did he get a sleeping bag—a luxury for him—as someone gave it to him. He also has a tent now as well, another donation.

If he needs something, he uses his experience as a handyman to innovate his own creations to fill the need.

Gold said that while he had had a guy join him for part of the journey, he misses companionship and home-cooked food the most. The scariest part of his journey is riding at night.

“You can’t see but 15 feet ahead,” said Gold.

Along the way, Gold stops at different media outlets to get his story out. He said he does this to get public awareness of his journey and so that he can possible line up medical sponsorships for when he goes to the Orient. He is also working on sponsorships with small businesses.

Anyone interested in following Gold on his trip can do so through his blog at: http://biketoaustralia.roflforum.net/.