In the three years prior to becoming a Challenge Detroit fellow, I was a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) in Madagascar. These were some of the best years of my life. I learned a new language and culture, I met my girlfriend and dozens of other incredible people, and I felt like I was genuinely making a difference in the lives of others (which is a big reason why I became interested in Challenge Detroit).
I’m sure you can imagine how assimilating back into western culture after living in the developing world could be a struggle for anyone. PCVs often find it hard to talk about their experiences because really surface-level conversations don’t do justice to the reality of the third world or the volunteer’s experience. On the other hand, an in-depth conversation can unintentionally come across as preachy because we just want people back home to realize how lucky we are.
What a Detroiter might consider to be a major problem (either personally or politically) in his/her life would probably be a massive improvement for someone in Madagascar. Because of that, I sometimes struggle to comfort those who come to me with certain issues. Similarly, when I reflect on problems in my life, I need to constantly remind myself of what my friends in Madagascar deal with on a daily basis. The process provides a good reminder about what is important.
One of the bigger political issues in Detroit right now is that of transportation. Parking downtown is a struggle (particularly on weekends with the influx of suburban residents traveling to the city), the People Mover only goes to a handful of places within a few blocks of each other, the bus system is incredibly unreliable, and car insurance in Detroit is astronomically high.
Compare this to Madagascar where parking, travel, car insurance, and transit between neighborhoods could be an issue if people owned cars (this is not to say no one owns cars, but the percentage of private citizens who do is extremely low). Instead, there are taxi-brousses: the uncomfortable, overcrowded, over-priced, dangerous, and unreliable form of transportation that everyone must take should they need to go anywhere. Most PCVs in my region of Madagascar rode bikes because of the less than desirable transportation conditions.
I biked shorter distances (2km) to the local market, medium distances (12-25km) to see other volunteers, longer distances (72km) to attend meetings and go to the bank, and really long distances (250km) in what was one of the most memorable vacations I’ve ever been on. I loved biking and decided that when I returned to the states, I would try to avoid buying a car for as long as I could.
Riding with volunteers on a national highway in Madagascar
The reactions I have received from my American friends and my Malagasy friends have been, as you might imagine, worlds apart. I’ve sent pictures of my new bike to friends in Madagascar and they can’t stop commenting on it’s beauty, gears, cost, and weight. They are completely enamored with it.
On the flip side, when I tell Detroiters that I don’t have a car and that I bike everywhere I go, they usually pause for a second to process the information…..then ask…..”Why?”
The simple answer is because I enjoy it. The more technical answer that I imagine more people will identify with is that I can’t quite afford a car yet. I’m not that environmentally conscious, so no need to label me as a good samaritan who is trying to help reduce the carbon footprint. I don’t think friends and family would consider me to be “a Peace Corps hippie” so the fact that I like to be outside and active is just a coincidence. It’s really just a nice way to stay active on days when your schedule is too full to devote time to exercise.
To be honest, I thought more people would think my biking decision was cool because Detroit has become such a bike-friendly city (ex. Slow Roll, Tour de-Troit, Wheelhouse, The Hub, and Back Alley Bikes). Instead, when people find out that my bike is my primary means of transportation and that I don’t have a car as an option the conversation changes to reasons why this might be a bad a idea. Some of them include:
- Weather (specifically potential precipitation and the winter temperatures)
- The neighborhoods I need to bike through are too dangerous. I live in Southwest, work in Dearborn, and go to events closer to downtown.
- Costs of maintaining a bike through the winter
- Time management
I think this Challenge Detroit year is about how the fourth year cohort will respond to challenges both as individuals and as a team. It is also about how we can use those experiences to better ourselves and our communities.
I definitely don’t have answers to all of the potential problems I could run into while biking around this year, but the idea provides a sense of adventure that I don’t really get in a car. I challenge everyone who reads this to find something that will stretch your comfort level or test the status quo in your life. Even if people tell you it will be difficult or give you a list of reasons why it doesn’t make sense, try it anyway!