On the road
By LINDSAY HICKS
Cherry Hill Sun
9/19/2007

Cherry Hill’s Andrew Morgan gets set to promote diversity among elementary schoolers on a two-year, three-continent tour, on his bike

In less than one month, 25-year-old Andrew Morgan will give up the luxuries of his home in Cherry Hill to embark on a two-year bike trip through Mexico, Peru, Chile, Sedan, Colombia, South Africa, Egypt and countries in between.

Morgan, an avid traveler and recreational cyclist, will carry with him nothing more than a waterproof bag toting a scant amount of clothes, water, a couple spare tires, a Mac PowerBook and other essentials. His mission: to connect students from a diverse range of countries and cultures, while feeding his passions for travel and teaching.

And when the certified English teacher pulls up on his Novara Safari touring bike, dusted with snow or sweating, and sometimes both, he will become an instant ambassador for the United States – living proof Americans want to learn from and about other cultures.

“Now is the most important time for Americans to travel, because of their reputation (abroad),” Morgan said. “We are not our government, and most of us don’t support what our government does. I’m definitely bringing that message with me, and I want to represent America.”

He plans to camp at least six days per week en route to month-long English teaching gigs in five or six different towns, and will take new friends up on offers to stay in the comfort of their homes or backyards. Morgan’s done his research and is seeking tips from blogging travelers to ease his mind about various fears, such as the safety of riding through certain areas and whether a less-than-complete knowledge of bicycle maintenance matters.

Contrary to the rugged life he will live for the next two years, Morgan will hold tight to his laptop computer for PowerPoint presentations and Internet access that will link classes in three New Jersey and one Wisconsin schools to others encountered on his month-long volunteer teaching gigs.

Taking part in the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program after teaching English for a year in Jersey allowed Morgan to become an active member of a foreign community, and exposed what little understanding kids have of different cultures. He became friends with fascinating people and drew inspiration from other teachers who value travel and share a tolerance of people from other cultures, all while saving money for the Next Big Trip.

Morgan backpacked through Australia at 20 years old, taught in Japan, visited Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and other countries, but sees his experiences thus far as nothing particularly extraordinary.

“I don’t think there’s really any unique thing I’ve done,” he said. “I’ve just always tried to value travel and incorporate that into my life. When other people were saving to buy a car or move into a nicer apartment, I always had a travel fund I was always throwing money into.”

The teaching odyssey would change that perspective, however, because no other cyclist he’s found traveled with the same goal in mind.

Representatives at publishing company Perseus Books Group agreed with the novelty and importance of Morgan’s idea. His education-based mission triggered interest from DelayingtheRealWorld.com, a promotion based on author Colleen Kinder’s guide for 20-somethings planning to choose roads less traveled after college. Morgan was selected over more than 500 applicants as the winner of a $3,500 grant.

Andrew embarks on the trip from his parents’ home in Cherry Hill, Oct. 12, and will ride to Buenos Aires, Brazil. From Brazil, he’ll fly to Cape Town, South Africa, and ride north to Cairo, Egypt. He has decided not to plot every route and stop along the way, opting instead for a freer, see-what-happens approach to travel.

He will update a running blog of the trip two times per week on the Web site he launched last week, and documentary filmmaker Landon Van Soest, the creator of Walking the Line and Good Fortune, will film his travels at various points.

Meanwhile, students at Cherokee High School and two schools in North Jersey will become a part of the process by working on various projects designed to link students in America with students in Guatemala, Argentina or wherever he ends up stopping. For elementary school classes, Morgan says he’ll videotape introductions from Spanish-speaking students in English for American kids to watch and respond in Spanish, using a Web site similar to You Tube.

Subject matter varies depending on the class: A fifth-grade teacher in New Jersey and Morgan will work together to teach geography and math, using coordinates on a map and the time it takes him to ride a certain number of miles every week; an American literature teacher in West Orange whose curriculum centers on racism will have the class converse with Morgan about perceptions on racial difference in the American south and elsewhere.

If all goes as planned, all students will come away with two common results: new friends and a better understanding of a culture thousands of miles away.

Log on to www.teacherontwowheels.com as Morgan glides from Chile down into Argentina’s open plains and encounters strangers of all the different minority groups living riverside in Sudan. And if you’re a teacher, log on to join the small collection of schools that will become active participants in his two-year journey.