Into the Unknown
By Cyrus Kapadia
Imagine this. You are learning about the route you are going to take to bike to soccer practice for the first time. You feel nervous and stressed. You cautiously get on a bike, open the garage door, and bike out into a world you do not yet know, alone. For me, that's exactly what happened.
I have not been very independent throughout my childhood, and I started wanting to become a more independent person in the summer one year ago. My parents were also getting very tired of driving me to places I could easily bike too. And so we decided: We decided that I could finally bike to one of my soccer camps in the summer.
The first thing we did was make sure that I knew my way to my soccer camp. The field where the camp was being held was around 4.5 miles away, so I had to memorize a complex, but safe route to the field. I felt like I should be able to just go on my own the first time, but my parents made me practice with them. I quickly realized that this was an excellent idea. I definitely would’ve gotten lost in a few places if my dad wasn’t there biking right next to me. I felt comfortable after we went there and back, and I was finally ready to bike to soccer camp.
“How are you feeling?” Asked my dad, the next morning.
“I’m fine,” I replied. I ate my breakfast and then it was finally time to bike to camp. I got on my bike and watched as my parents waved from the driveway as I biked down the street, into the big and unknown world.
The cool breeze stung my eyes as soon as I was biking with speed. It made my eyes water, but I tried to ignore it. I had never before biked with a backpack as heavy as my soccer bag, and I was surprised when I first felt it weighing down on my shoulders. There are many crossings, but the biggest one is El Camino. As I stopped and pressed the button, I looked around at my surroundings. Directly behind me, a path leads down a winding street towards the Stanford mall. As I look around, I feel a knot in my stomach. This is the first time I have been to this crossing without my parents. The crossing man appeared, and I biked across. There are a set of train tracks that we always cross to get into town, and I have always hated them and been scared of them. I have always been afraid that I would fall, and a train would hit me, however silly it may seem. Luckily, I cross the train tracks with no problem, and bike into town. The route I am taking is relatively simple. I go down a street called Bryant for 4 out of 4.5 of the miles. Bryant is a street that is a bike route, which means that bikes are allowed on the road.
Biking down Bryant, I never have really looked at the scenery. I was always with a parent, and we would always be talking or doing something else. Without that, I had to find a way to stay entertained throughout the ride. As I looked through the scenery, I noticed how different the neighborhood is from mine. The houses are of different styles, and the landscaping is much different. I noticed more and more houses with a more modern look. I bike past one house that smells like a mix of pine and tar. It does not smell the best, but it woke me up. I look up and see that the first big light is coming up. It is the light where Bryant crosses Embarcadero, also where Castilleja is located. The light turns green quickly, and I am back on my journey. The next light is Bryant and N California. This light takes a long time, but it is a welcome rest for me. I did not know that biking 4.5 miles would be this tiring. The light turns green, and away I go. There are 2 more big lights until I reach my final destination. The next light is the biggest one. It is crossing an Expressway, and It almost scares me how big it is. It helps me calm down to know that there is a car that is crossing with me, so I won’t be the only one crossing and it will be easier for cars to see me going across. I cross with no problem, and keep going. I come to the place where there is a bridge, it is a pink bridge crossing a little river. The bridge is right next to El Carmelo school. I cross the bridge and realize how close I am to my destination. When I am so close, I feel like all the biking I have already done hasn’t taken the toll on me that I thought it had. I biked down to where I was supposed to turn off of Bryant, with newfound energy. I could see the school where the soccer camp was at that point. I almost yelled in jubilation, but held myself back. I biked into the school and onto the field.
I finished soccer camp, and prepared to bike home. I am not nearly as stressed as I was biking to camp, as I now know that I can do it. I get on my bike, and start to bike home. On the way home, I really reflected on how I did this on my own, and how I have done something I didin’t think possible a year ago.
Biking independently is important to my identity because I have learned more about myself and my surroundings. It is also important to my identity because I ave gotten more and more independent through this process.
