It finally happened. I’m in Pittsburgh, sitting at a desk in the Dirt Rag office, talking to the big man, Maurice. I’ve been here almost a week, and it’s still a little hard to believe.


Flash back to April: I’m at home in Corvallis, Oregon. It’s 9:00 a.m. on a Thursday and I’m on my way out the door. The phone rings.


“Hi, this is Maurice from Dirt Rag.”


Whoa. I had almost forgotten about that. Back in early March I had tossed off a resume and some writing samples in Moe’s direction, asking if he needed an intern anytime in the next year. Due to my inexperience, underqualification, and the fact that I hadn’t heard from him in the month since I sent my resume, I assumed he didn’t need me.


“When do you want to come work for us?”


We decide on November, and for the rest of the day, my mind is running on overdrive. Where am I going to live? How will my bike get there? Why the hell do I want to go to Pittsburgh?


Jump ahead to a month ago. Since the call from Maurice, things have slowly and surprisingly fallen into place. On October 11, I leave on a road trip—overnight drive to Downieville for the Single Speed World Championships. Moab for, well, Moab. A few days in Fruita and home again. A week to pack my life into a pair of suitcases and a messenger bag, and I’m on a plane, Pittsburgh-bound. Leaving the town I grew up in, leaving all my friends, trails, hangouts, family, leaving the familiar mountain of Oregon to go work for people I’ve only talked to over the phone, in a city I’ve only read about, with only my bike to get around on.


But with the help of some very generous and friendly co-workers, I’ve gotten settled into my apartment in the ghetto. I’ve learned the 9-mile route to the office and I’m beginning to learn to sleep comfortably on a couch with a sleeping bag and a few sheets. It didn’t really hit me until the ride in this morning, when despite the sub-40 degree weather and cars trying to brush me off the shoulder, I was on my bike, on my way to do something I love. It may not be glamorous, but I still feel like I’ve got it made.


Ultimately what this has been leading up to is a suggestion to everybody. This I cannot stress enough: Take some time to do something you’ve always wanted to do. Take chances, experience change, ride your bike, and above all, enjoy yourself in the process. You won’t regret it.