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"South Away is an adventure story of the author's bicycle trip with her sister from Terrace, BC along the West coast to (almost) the tip of the Baja Peninsula. Meaghan Marie Hackinen experiences apprehension and determination as she camps in the dense forests of northern Vancouver Island and in frigid Mexican deserts; encounters strange men, suicidal highways and monster trucks; strong winds and violent storms; flat ties and broken spokes. Her couch-surfacing adventures provide an insight into the "kindness of strangers" en route. Accompanying the travel memoir is an inner journey, related through flashbacks and memories, as the author begins to better understand her relationship with her parents, grandmother, and sister. In attempting to balance risk with safety, she arrives at a minimalist philosophy of living, which requires "physical stamina and mental ingenuity." The style is engaging and personable; the images of landscape and seascape are imaginative and memorable. South Away is a rare roadtrip story--with a female lead and a female companion, a Canadian Hobbit tale of adventure and miraculous events."--
About the author
Meaghan Marie Hackinen is a writer and cyclist from Vancouver, BC. Her two-wheeled adventures have taken her from Haida Gwaii to Mexico's high plateaus, across Canada and the United States, and, most recently, from North Cape to Tarifa along some of Europe's highest paved roads. Meaghan is a Trans Am Bike Race, NorthCape4000, and Paris-Brest-Paris finisher, as well as the 2019 World 24 Hour Time Trial Champion and Course Record Holder (460.8 miles) in the Women's Division. Her writing explores relationships, experiences on the road, and encounters with wild places. Her creative non-fiction, poetry, and prose can be found in literary journals and cycling magazines. She has an MFA in Writing from the University of Saskatchewan and currently resides in Kelowna, BC.
Summary
The Pacific Coast on Two Wheels.
