The adventure begins

Hi from Vancouver!
After having arrived in BC on the 15th and meeting up with Rob at the airport, we are ready to embark on our adventure. The picture shows us dipping our bikes into the Pacific ocean, marking the beginning of a coast-to-coast ride across a country that has always been a part of who I am, and yet I barely know. For how many days in my life have I sung the national anthem in school and not considered what it means to be Canadian? This trip is about learning Canada: its history, landscape, and people; its culture, values, and vision. It is three and a half months of considering what Canada can contribute to the world in these uncertain times, and of me figuring out what exactly it means to be Canadian. As my best friend recently rightly pointed out, I've never been much of a patriot, reluctant to use national borders to determine who I am. But prehaps there's nothing wrong with pledging some allegiance to a country, with using the word 'Canadian' in a description of yourself - so long as you support the meaning behind that description. My hope is that, by the end of the summer, I will know what it means to be Canadian, and I will be able to say 'I'm Canadian' without hesitation.
This morning, Vancouver; this evening, about 120km from here, Harrison Hot Springs, BC. From this point and for the next three and a half months we are official nomads of Canada. Here goes!