It’s raining. It’s two degrees celsius. The sun is still asleep, but the city is wide awake. I am standing in a concrete jungle, tower blocks to my left, a dual carriageway crammed with taxis and 7 a.m. disgruntled commuters to my right. Three layers of clothes, from thermals all the way to my tightly zipped ski jacket have locked-in my vital body heat. In front of me is my broken-seated, squeaky-wheeled bike rental. One week into my new years resolution to cycle 12km to university every day, and I am struggling to summon the motivation. The tube station is just a five minute walk away…
Five months later, I am cycling home from my final exam of my second year and I am ecstatic. All I could think about when I finished was the sensation of the cool summer breeze on my face as I raced through London in a t-shirt and shorts, sun rays shining through the trees of Hyde Park, passing the imposing elegance of Westminster Abbey and Buckingham palace. Pedalling for ninety minutes a day has allowed me to curate the perfect route. Skipping the chaos of Oxford street meant sacrificing an extra fifteen minutes, but the air quality may have negated any aerobic benefits I stood to gain. Instead, I opted for the ‘cycle highways’ of London’s Royal Parks- a quintessential British experience.
Cycling has changed my life. I have now become the one character I’ve always feared: after investing in my own road-bike (a terrifying experience to learn how to ride), I snowballed into a Lycra-clad heart-warming community of city-bikers. Being amongst a100-strong pack of cyclists queuing in front of Big Ben every morning and gliding in a pack down the River Thames, I’m in the beating heart of the city I have grown to love these past two years as a student. To try and become a global citizen, I step out of my comfort as a statistics student and listen to the BBC World News or The Economist podcasts.
Over time, I learned to wake up and think ‘Just Do It’. It’s hard work and being exposed to the elements has taught paramount of patience and a ‘singing in the rain’ mentality. But my newfound resilience and sense of adventure has armed me for my year abroad at NYU in New York City. Instead of Hyde Park, I’ll be whizzing through Central Park. Financial fortresses on Wall Street will replace royal palaces. I intend to conquer the Big Apple one cycle path at a time, doing my part for the environment with less hopefully inclement weather. Dollar-slices and donut calories will be swiftly burnt off as I traverse the Hudson River Greenway and I’ll keep up with the trials and tribulations of American politics by listening to the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Little did I know five months ago how a silly, somewhat optimistic New Years resolution could turn my life around.
