Life is Like a Bicycle
The comparison of life to a bicycle ride is rather strong: sometimes you have to climb steep sections before you reach the top, you may go down hard and shatter your bones and have to fight through endless hours, days, weeks, or even months, but in the end a promising opportunity will rise on the horizon which keeps your cranks turning. As soon as you overcome the pain, bruises, and hurdles there are many enjoyable ways to live and ride your bike while wearing a happy smile and keeping a positive attitude in your life.
![SONY DSC]()
Before I came to Canada for the first time in 2010, it felt as though I was fighting and attempting to force things and never getting anywhere but places that felt wrong. My sole motivation to go to Canada was just to escape and ride bikes. I did not consider the vast, and beautiful landscapes, friendly people, positive attitudes, and charm of the country itself. Thus, I really didn’t expect my life to change dramatically... After all this was just a bike vacation, right? Well, NO! Coming from a very low-context, masculine, and risk-averse culture in Germany I was convinced that FORCING my career was the right and only way. However, just as my bike skills slowly and steadily improved due to the incredible riding opportunities and community, my attitudes, behavior, and in fact my life was changing too.
![photo]()
One of the biggest lessons that I learned from Canadians was: communicate with joy and treat your conversation partner with empathy, helping others without expectations keeps yourself happy and satisfied, thus don’t be afraid of creating something new. Let me explain how this is connected to cultural diversity and what I learned from it: low vs. high context orientation of a culture says a lot about the way of communication. In Germany (low-context) one has to state his opinion, beliefs, and conversations in a straightforward way. For some this might even appear aggressive and somewhat intimidating. Whereas, Canadians, to some major extend, use high-context communication as well as low-context communication which leads to a more balanced and well-rounded communication. Keeping in mind the aforementioned cultural dimension and the fact that in Germany the way of acting and living is rather masculine, individualistic and goal-oriented this partly explains my drive for “only education turns into career”. As soon as I started meeting Canadian mountain bikers on the trail this view almost instantly changed. Seriously, I have never encountered such a helpful, friendly and passionate driven population. Two things became particularly important to me:
1. If you go out or you are working on a project, with friends it will always be a bit better, more fun, and more enjoyable
2. Believe in yourself and others, plus work hard and share your experiences/ knowledge.
![SONY DSC]()
In Germany we have a saying: “Wie man in den Wald hineinruft so schallt es auch heraus”. It might be translated as “What goes around, comes around” and that is totally true. Promising opportunities and careers are not made in one exam or subject they are created through a positive, balanced and passionate attitude towards friends, strangers, work, nature, and life! Although, I partly learned how to approach life I was not so sure how I should approach my future career. After having started my Bachelor program back in 2010, which is focused on business, relationship management and cultural diversity in global markets, one more cultural dimension helped me to answer this question as I visited Canada again in 2011.
The uncertainty avoidance of a country is stating how likely people are to take risk and accept uncertainty in their lives. In Germany it is a big move to open and register business. Until recently ( 2008 ) it was almost impossible to the mainstream since there was no affordable system like the Ltd. (a legal entity form from Great Britain, which can be founded with just 1 Euro) The cheapest option to open a business was around twenty-five thousand Euros. Considering, the credit and debit system in Germany, there is no way of borrowing the money from a bank without assets or having some sort of collateral. Thus, in general Germans don’t like risk or uncertainty. I believe that this, plus the high costs are the main reason why we have a shortage of entrepreneurs and small to medium sized businesses in Germany. Unlike Germans, Canadians are more likely to accept risk and go for their dream. The whole financial, economic and social system is more open to creativity and risk taking. I do not want to judge one over another. The point here is that both cultures influenced me in a positive way. Just like a bicycle ride with good friends and buddies, everybody wins by learning from each other. I learned to be more relaxed and just commit to promising opportunities while being alert and sensitive towards the financial risks involved.
![SONY DSC]()
After gaining so many good experiences, the immense learning curve, meeting close friends, and being able to ride in one of the most stunning places on earth I wanted to give something back to Canada and its great riding communities! I started my own business called CaTrailRide, a bike-ride travel agency located in Bavaria, Germany specializing in mountain bike trips to North America. The business has the mission to bring more European-riders to Canada, and promote the Canadian culture as a whole as well as the positive synergy of the cultural diversity of Germany and Canada. CaTrailRide only offers trips on sanctioned trails, that I have tested and are responsible considering nature, infrastructure and riding abilities. Thus, any of the trips CaTrailRide offers has a maximum of 10 people with 2 guides. Why do I mention this? Because I think treating people and nature with respect is far more valuable than anything else.
Bottom line: We all can learn from each other and enjoy the cultural diversity no matter whether it is a bicycle ride with friends or life in general.
![photo]()
Many Thanks to my family, friends, business sponsors and business partners for making this dream a reality.
Before I came to Canada for the first time in 2010, it felt as though I was fighting and attempting to force things and never getting anywhere but places that felt wrong. My sole motivation to go to Canada was just to escape and ride bikes. I did not consider the vast, and beautiful landscapes, friendly people, positive attitudes, and charm of the country itself. Thus, I really didn’t expect my life to change dramatically... After all this was just a bike vacation, right? Well, NO! Coming from a very low-context, masculine, and risk-averse culture in Germany I was convinced that FORCING my career was the right and only way. However, just as my bike skills slowly and steadily improved due to the incredible riding opportunities and community, my attitudes, behavior, and in fact my life was changing too.
One of the biggest lessons that I learned from Canadians was: communicate with joy and treat your conversation partner with empathy, helping others without expectations keeps yourself happy and satisfied, thus don’t be afraid of creating something new. Let me explain how this is connected to cultural diversity and what I learned from it: low vs. high context orientation of a culture says a lot about the way of communication. In Germany (low-context) one has to state his opinion, beliefs, and conversations in a straightforward way. For some this might even appear aggressive and somewhat intimidating. Whereas, Canadians, to some major extend, use high-context communication as well as low-context communication which leads to a more balanced and well-rounded communication. Keeping in mind the aforementioned cultural dimension and the fact that in Germany the way of acting and living is rather masculine, individualistic and goal-oriented this partly explains my drive for “only education turns into career”. As soon as I started meeting Canadian mountain bikers on the trail this view almost instantly changed. Seriously, I have never encountered such a helpful, friendly and passionate driven population. Two things became particularly important to me:
1. If you go out or you are working on a project, with friends it will always be a bit better, more fun, and more enjoyable
2. Believe in yourself and others, plus work hard and share your experiences/ knowledge.
In Germany we have a saying: “Wie man in den Wald hineinruft so schallt es auch heraus”. It might be translated as “What goes around, comes around” and that is totally true. Promising opportunities and careers are not made in one exam or subject they are created through a positive, balanced and passionate attitude towards friends, strangers, work, nature, and life! Although, I partly learned how to approach life I was not so sure how I should approach my future career. After having started my Bachelor program back in 2010, which is focused on business, relationship management and cultural diversity in global markets, one more cultural dimension helped me to answer this question as I visited Canada again in 2011.
The uncertainty avoidance of a country is stating how likely people are to take risk and accept uncertainty in their lives. In Germany it is a big move to open and register business. Until recently ( 2008 ) it was almost impossible to the mainstream since there was no affordable system like the Ltd. (a legal entity form from Great Britain, which can be founded with just 1 Euro) The cheapest option to open a business was around twenty-five thousand Euros. Considering, the credit and debit system in Germany, there is no way of borrowing the money from a bank without assets or having some sort of collateral. Thus, in general Germans don’t like risk or uncertainty. I believe that this, plus the high costs are the main reason why we have a shortage of entrepreneurs and small to medium sized businesses in Germany. Unlike Germans, Canadians are more likely to accept risk and go for their dream. The whole financial, economic and social system is more open to creativity and risk taking. I do not want to judge one over another. The point here is that both cultures influenced me in a positive way. Just like a bicycle ride with good friends and buddies, everybody wins by learning from each other. I learned to be more relaxed and just commit to promising opportunities while being alert and sensitive towards the financial risks involved.
After gaining so many good experiences, the immense learning curve, meeting close friends, and being able to ride in one of the most stunning places on earth I wanted to give something back to Canada and its great riding communities! I started my own business called CaTrailRide, a bike-ride travel agency located in Bavaria, Germany specializing in mountain bike trips to North America. The business has the mission to bring more European-riders to Canada, and promote the Canadian culture as a whole as well as the positive synergy of the cultural diversity of Germany and Canada. CaTrailRide only offers trips on sanctioned trails, that I have tested and are responsible considering nature, infrastructure and riding abilities. Thus, any of the trips CaTrailRide offers has a maximum of 10 people with 2 guides. Why do I mention this? Because I think treating people and nature with respect is far more valuable than anything else.
Bottom line: We all can learn from each other and enjoy the cultural diversity no matter whether it is a bicycle ride with friends or life in general.
Many Thanks to my family, friends, business sponsors and business partners for making this dream a reality.
www.ca-trailride.com
CTR - Where the Trail Never Ends...!
Author Info:
Member since Jan 30, 2011
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