About

Me and my basket bike!  $60 new.  used it everyday for two years to get to and from school

Above: Me with my single-speed basket bike out in Japan.

 

About Me: I’m a 26-year-old English teacher. After spending three years teaching in America and Japan, I became frustrated by how little my students were communicating with people from other countries. Combining my love for travel with my passion for teaching, I decided to embark on a two year cycling/teaching odyssey that would use the internet to link together students in different countries.

Every three to four months throughout my ride, I am going to stop to volunteer to teach English for four to six weeks at a local school. When I stop to volunteer, I will work on projects that will link my students on the road with students from four schools back in America (three in New Jersey, one in Wisconsin).  Some of these projects are detailed on the Videos page of this site. 

In addition to the one month teaching stops, I will also make afternoon stops at schools along my route to give presentations about my ride and the people I’ve met along the way.

This is my first trip by bicycle, and before the start of the trip, I wasn´t a cyclist.  I’m using the bicycle as a tool to help me travel.  Bicycle travel is slow, cheap, carbon-neutral, relatively stress free (I never worry about missing my bus!), and, most importantly, it allows me to meet and listen to countless people I wouldn´t otherwise have the chance to meet.

Some priniciples that guide me as I travel and live: 

ANYTHING is possible with a bit of planning and a lot of drive.

Not pursuing the things you´re passionate about is a sin of the highest order.

All people are kin to all people.  Period. 

We are guests on Planet Earth.  We don´t own the planet or her resources.  We must act accordingly.  

**If you are an educator in one of the countries I’ll be passing through and would like me to speak at your school, please email me so we can try to arrange a visit: andrewedwardmorgan@gmail.com Thanks! **

About This Site: I hope that this site will adequately document my travels, feature student work, and allow other teachers to start multiculturalism-centered projects of their own by using some of the site’s pictures, videos, and text posts.

Pictures posted on the site can be viewed in larger sizes if you click on them. All pictures on the site can be viewed on my Flickr photo page.

If you want to return to the site home page at any time, just click on the words Teacher on Two Wheels in the header at the top of the site.

I hate spelling mistakes. You hate spelling mistakes. If you spot one on this site, send me an email and tell me about it so I can fix it. Thanks!

Responses

  1. Hi! Your presentation in Miss B’s class today was great! I think that it would be really cool to interact with other students from different countries! Good luck with your travels!

  2. I just wanted to say that I really admire what you’re doing. Your presentation was awesome and you got me thinking of starting a journey of my own after I finish school.

    Best of luck to you, Mr. Morgan!

  3. Andrew, your Father sent me your web link – awesome adventure ahead, I look forward to following the journey.

    Chris

  4. Andrew, rockin site! Best of luck and I’ll be checking your site to see your progress. :)

  5. Good luck! Maybe I’ll see you when I’m “hanging around” South America.

    Your friendly neighborhood
    Spiderman

  6. wooooooohoooooooo see you in panama mon ami!!

    best of luck to you man. I’m so excited for you!!

  7. When your done this you should do it in Europe

  8. Hey,
    I think your idea is pretty coooooool of trip. We are missing you.

    GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD LUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCK

    ENJOY YOUR TRIP.

  9. On your photos why did you bring Flat Stanley?

    Emily

  10. My email address is flowerpower0515@yahoo.com so if you want to email me your sure wecome to!!

  11. Hi Mr. Morgan I hope your having a good time did you happen to go hich hiking yet?

    Your friend,
    Taylor

  12. Hey Mr. Morgan I dont think you know me to well but you presented in Mr. M’s class a few weeks ago. Yeah I’m the same Taylor as the who said good luck at the end of my letter just this time I’m using my e-mail.
    I really hope your having fun. Mr. M was telling us how you felt lonely at times I say you should pull out flat Stanly!! I love all your pics to! Bye!!!

  13. awesome initiative, andrew…bravo!!! i really appreciate your work….keep it going…all the very best,man!n hey…try and visit india someday… you would sure be an inspiration to many kids out here in my country…anyways,i’ll be glued on to ur website from now on….well then,happy journey… ‘ve a great trip ahead!!

  14. Andrew!
    You started such a awsome project!
    Ganbatte!!

  15. Hi Andrew,

    It’s good to read about a fellow tourer who is doing it for a purpose. It will be really interesting following your adventures. I came across your site through a thread on Bike Forum. I’m an acquaintance of Perry and Lep in Houma, LA. I stayed with them a couple of years ago. I’ll have this site bookmarked as a favorite and also will post a link to it off of my website.

    Safe travels and you’ve got some prayer backing.

  16. Andrew…

    Very impressive adventure! I’m a 1999 grad from Cherokee – I spent a couple years in Southern Africa – if you need some contacts/places to stay in South Africa or Zimbabwe feel free to e-mail me.

    Good luck!
    Erin

  17. Hi Andrew!

    We love looking at your website…Lea misses you! As of yet…I have not seen any spelling mistakes! Keep up the good work and be careful and give Alison and David a big hug and kiss from us!!!

    Janet, Lee and Lea

  18. I really liked the wedding pictures!

  19. I’M A MARLTON NATIVE AND I READ THE ARTICLE IN THE CENTRAL RECORD ABOUT YOUR TRIP.IT IS SOMTHING YOU’LL HAVE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.ITS A NOBLE AND DARING ADVENTURE.I SEE A POSSIBLE BOOK IN THE FUTURE.I WISH YOU ALL THE LUCK AND GOOD FORTUNE IN YOUR QUEST TO BETTER THE LIVES OF OTHERS.I’LL SURF YOUR SITE AND SEE IF I CAN GUESS WHERE YOUR PRESENT LOCATION MIGHT BE.SOME PEOPLE MAY SAY YOUR CRAZY BUT I SAY GO FOR IT.YOUR A 25 YR OLD MAN AND NO ONE WILL EVER BE ABLE TO SAY TO YOU(YOU CAN’T DO THAT)BECAUSE YOU ALREADY HAVE.
    MIKE

  20. hey! my brother has been talking bout u all day! his name is chris and he goes to kamuk school in CR, i think u went this morning and told the kids ur adventures and vision, wow its really impresive to leave a mark in the world in order to do what God has send us to do.

    ok so God bless u and take care in your journey!

    xo
    Mel

  21. hey good friend just cking up on you and making sure thigs are good. old friend jay

  22. Not sure if my response got through!Brenda

  23. Dear Andrews,
    wonderful project.If its you or your friend or any other kind heart from the west,who love kids,visit our place,since we run two churches in poor agricultural labor dwelling colony protruding right into paddy fields in south India, we have readily built,1450 RCC building,adjacent to our church,so we will give it for a bike volunteer teacher,who can gather kids under roof or he visiting the colony,kids running after him/her,and listening him the english lessons,how nice its,welcome,send,we will honor them.
    http://www.orkut.com/Profile.aspx?uid=16352241549280353360

  24. [...] have been following Andrew Morgan’s bicycle ride from New Jersey through South America since he started about a year ago.  His travels [...]

  25. Totally rad, man, totally rad. You need a coffee table book deal. If you don’t already have one, find a literary agent and get one, the pics alone are amazing, and what you’re doing is super cool

    all my best, keep pedaling, TBW

  26. Hey man, hope your parents got their ok. I gave your dad the compass so hopefully it will keep you headed in the right direction. There are so many people all over the country that I have talked to. Especially at the Outdoor Retailer. And all are fascinated by your trip. I drove down your street and was like woah…I wonder what it was like for Andrew to start pedaling down his own street. Stay safe man.

    Joe

  27. Hey Andrew. Hows it going. I know you read a book or two along your way, and I remember you saying how you liked one in particular. Was it Three Cups of Tea? I can’t remember, and I wanted to pick up whichever book you read. If it was not Three Cups of Tea, Jess suggests you read it.

    Joe

  28. Hi Andrew. I can’t express how excited we are to meet you and have you stay with us in Santiago, Chile. Being able to talk with you in the midst of this journey and being able to help you in some small way as you try to make a difference in children’s lives will be a highlight of my time in South America. I’m looking forward to all your stories.
    Untell we meet, Brian

  29. P.S. I think I had the exact same bike when I was living in Japan. Funny

  30. Hi! I’m a 24 year old college student trying to decide between teaching and cultural studies. I just wanted to say it’s really encouraging to see someone integrating both of those passions! That’s really inspiring to me. Kudos to you, for seeing a need and making a change.

  31. An inspiring journey. Have a safe trip always :-)

  32. Andrew,

    What a great blog! I was just in Europe this summer doing a solo overland trip (by train) from Norway to Bulgaria. I can’t tell you how many times I thought, “This would be so much better on a bike!” So, hats off to you for setting off on such a grand adventure and not letting people tell you its impossible. Also, if you ever decide to do this again… the eastern side of South America is a completely different flavor to the west…. Brazil and Venezuela are absolutely incredible!

    Thanks for the inspiration!
    -Tiffany

  33. Andrew: congratulations for youe new adventure in Argentina.
    we are going to miss you in SEK school in Chile.
    The best for u

  34. [...] by Penelope Trunk lamenting the emphasis on perfect blogging soon after I read a blog whose author hates spelling mistakes.  It made me rethink my personal vendetta against typos and in the end, I didn’t change my [...]


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