Former Los Alamitos City Councilman Bob Wahlstrom had a visit from his grandson Erik Wahlstrom late last week. The visit itself would not be noteworthy except for the fact that Erik had been on his way from his home in Seattle, Washington since June 29. He had traveled the approximately 1,700 miles on his bicycle.
Erik, 29, stopped for a night at his grandfather’s home and is now back on the road to his final destination in Ensenada Mexico. Erik was sitting in Bob’s Los Alamitos back yard on Friday afternoon, July 25, having added few hours to his trip when he got lost among the streets of Los Angeles. It was one of the more frustrating days of the trip, but Erik remained in good spirits as he explained why he decided to make the journey on his bike.
“For fun, you know, adventure,” Erik said.
Erik had moved around a bit in his youth as his father, Charles Wahlstrom, a pastor had changed jobs. But mostly his hometown is Seattle, where he graduated from Seattle Pacifica University with a degree in psychology. He worked for two years at a mental health clinic to pay off his student loans, but soon after erasing the debt, he decided to take his bicycle adventure.
He had sold his car while he was working and decided to commute by bicycle around Seattle. Erik said he found life without a car to be a very convenient lifestyle.
“Life is much more simple without a car, when you live in a city at least,” Erik said.
Soon the idea of biking along the coast to the Mexico border seemed like a good idea. Bob, while eager to see his grandson, didn’t quite know what to think when he heard about the trip.
“I thought he was out of his mind,” Bob said, adding, “If anybody can do it, he can.”
Erik has mostly biked along the coast, making his altitude climbs very limited. He mostly camps out when he sleeps, but also has a guide of churches and facilities that host bicycle travelers. His mishap in Los Angeles was not his only setback. He had two flat tires and ran into heavy rain before he even got outside the Seattle city limits. However, once he pushed through, he has found the experience and sights very rewarding. The good days have far outweighed the bad.
“It’s been great, you wake up every day and ride along a beautiful coast,” Erik said.
Erik plans to bike to Ensenada, then return north to San Diego, where he will book a flight back to Seattle. He wants to go back to school to get an English as a Second Language Teaching Credential, and wants to work as a bike taxi driver while he goes to school.
He wants to travel more in his future and has always wanted to visit Argentina. He has yet to set his mind on biking to Argentina, but hasn’t ruled it out. He has decided this won’t be his last long distance bike trek, though.
“This will not be my last [bike trip],” Erik said.
Wherever he decides to go, it won’t surprise Bob.
“Nothing the kid does surprises me,” Bob said. “He’s a good kid and I am very proud of him.”
Erik has been blogging about his trip at zataobm.com, though mostly from his phone, so he warns of typos and brevity.