Everytime I see an adult on a bicycle, I remind myself that there is hope for mankind.

When I first arrived in Swansea, riding the bus was exhilarating for me. The bus I ride almost everyday is called BOB (Bright Orange Bus...and no, it's not a joke, it's really called that). It is a totally different experience than what I'm used to. Everyone rides the bus. I have found that less students seem to have cars with them at school, and that some don't even have their license (like my 19 year old flat-mate Jemma). So, riding the bus seemed like a sure way to immerse myself in to the Swansea-culture, a way to have quick tours of the city and to actually not have to worry about paying for gas. On top of that, taking the bus is more environmentally friendly (...which is totally in this season).

However, after being here for 2 months, I've come to the realization that the public transportation system isn't really as exciting as I thought it was. Sometimes it can take up to 30 minutes to get to the City Center, but if I had my deeply missed Shaggin' Wagon, it would take me merely 5 minutes (and I could have Santogold playing in the background). Other times the bus can be running late, or too full of people so you can't get on, and it has caused me to be late to class.

So with the need to just be able to get out of the claustrophic bus system and be free, I decided it was time to invest in a bicycle. However, the average bicycle cost 150-200 pounds, and being the starving student I am, I can't afford that (especially after taking weekend trips to places like Amsterdam).

Fortunately, I was introduced to a hidden gem in Swansea called Re-Cycle. It's a quaint little bike shop hidden in a random alley-way just outside the city center of Swansea.

How it works is simple: The company takes in donations of used, old, or unwanted bikes. Then, they are refurbished and repaired for asylum seekers, refugees, and low waged people (a.k.a student from another country...me). According to one of the guys working, "The British throw away over 1.2 million bicycles each year!" Which was inspiration for this new organization to start up. It's a project of the Black Environment Network and supported by the Countryside Council for Wales. The guys that work on the bikes are paid very little and after talking to a couple of them I learned that they mainly just do it for a hobby (which is partly why the shop is only open Mondays and Tuesdays).

So last week I went in on Tuesday, and browsed through the bikes, and found one that was perfect for me. It is a road bike, has military bags attached to the back, and has a bell! The guy working told me, "good choice," and that he'd call me up next week when it was completely repaired. Sure enough, a week goes by, and I went to go pick my new bike yesterday. I was planning on riding him to the Tesco (Wales version of Wal-mart) to buy a bike lock, but was pleasantly surprised to find that there was already a bike lock installed to the back of the seats, with two slightly rusted keys attached. Although it's a little rusty, it's perfect for the for the short time I will be using it.