You Are My Sunshine

August 22, 2022
Sean of the South podcaster Dietrich (Will the Circle Be Unbroken?) recounts cycling the Great Allegheny Passage and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath with his wife, Jamie, in this humorous memoir. While Jamie waited to find out if she had cancer, Dietrich promised her (and God) they would one day do “something big.” After the results came back negative, she coaxed him into taking on a cycling odyssey, though they were “more Krispy Kreme enthusiasts” than “outdoorsy people.” The author chronicles their escapades across four states and shares amusing anecdotes that include bruised butts, an encounter with aggressive turkeys, and getting caught in Hurricane Sally. Dietrich claims that “compared to other bikers, it had taken Jamie and me longer to finish the trail than it takes most people to finish a PhD,” but he keeps his winning sense of humor throughout. The author’s obvious affection for his wife endears: he recounts how she secretly submitted his first article to be published, and credits her for saving his life: “Before her, I was a suicide survivor, a dropout... with a considerably dim future.” The zany escapades entertain, but it’s the life-affirming reflections and conversations that set this apart, such as when Dietrich discusses the afterlife with a priest he meets along the trail. This inspiring volume will melt hearts.

September 1, 2022
A cancer diagnosis leads a couple to embark on a difficult yet rewarding biking adventure. When she found out that she had cancer, Dietrich's wife, Jamie, sought to do "something big." When they mistakenly received a magazine advertising a biking trail, Jamie considered it a sign and insisted that they begin training. The author, on the other hand, recalls thinking there was "no way in twelve hells I was doing that trail." Jamie won out. Dietrich shares details of their travels along the Great Allegheny Passage and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath, which took them from Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C. Along the way, they met many intriguing characters, several of whom shared their own life-changing reasons for taking the ride, and Dietrich describes the sense of camaraderie they often felt with strangers. In addition to the beautiful and, at times, frightening scenery, the ride offered numerous opportunities for personal reflection. The author shares painful memories from his childhood, including the reason for his aversion to the woods, and he chronicles his thoughts on his faith. Despite Dietrich's initial resistance to the trip, it proved to be a much-needed tonic. Although he and his wife intended to only ride the GAP, they were reluctant to end their journey, so they pushed on along the connecting C&O trail. Dietrich also recalls feelings of regret. "I have lived the majority of my life snug in the lap of strip malls....I was feeling a bit of regret...that I had deprived myself of the basic human right of being outside." Dietrich's sense of humor and openness to others add layers of richness to the text, though the offhanded sarcasm wears thin by the end. Still, the author cleverly illustrates the importance of maintaining relationships, keeping promises, and being true to oneself. A heartfelt and inspiring journey.

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