Marie Sadler was a Luxembourgish 2022-2023 Visiting Student Researcher at Stanford University. She obtained her Msc in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology with a specialisation in Biocomputing from EPFL, Lausanne (Switzerland) in 2019. She is completing a PhD in statistical genetics at the University of Lausanne. Her work focuses on computational methodologies to construct and exploit causal molecular networks to understand drug mechanisms and the underlying genetic causes of cardiometabolic diseases. Originally from Luxembourg, Marie enjoyed a multi-lingual education and is fluent in Luxembourgish, German, French and English. During her free time, she likes doing endurance sport and going on alpine hiking trips.
“You’re going to the US, so cool! Will you get a car?”. Me: “I don’t think so”. “Oh, but how will you get around? Public transport possibilities may be limited.” Me: “I will take my bike!”
So, I arrived in the US with my suitcase together with a second giant suitcase that contained my bike. After making the whole 18-hour journey and trying to assemble the bike together again, I was doubting the idea. I was travelling in July, it was very hot both in Europe and California, and walking around with two suitcases plus a backpack was a very sweaty and cumbersome experience. Getting to my accommodation required an Uber XL, plus the comments as to whether so much gear was really necessary for a 5-month stay. And while assembling my bike together I messed up the gear-shifting part and had to go to a bike shop to get it fixed.
Putting aside the rough start, I did not regret taking my bike for a second. I was living about 13km (8miles) away from Stanford campus which allowed for a decent exercise in the mornings and evenings. Door-to-door this was about a 40 min ride compared to over an hour of public transport or 25 min drive if traffic was smooth. There was definitely an adjustment time getting used to commuting this long compared to the 7min commute ride back home. Also, logistics were more complex: besides packing the usual work stuff – laptop, notebook, snacks – I had a whole second office wardrobe with me. Needless to say, it took me about as long to get ready as to actually cycle. Ok, I usually worked 2 days from home per week.
Biking also allowed for great explorations. I was proven very wrong as to the bike friendliness of San Francisco and Silicon Valley. There were biking lanes everywhere and trains had more space for bikes than I’ve ever seen in Europe. There were also many cyclists in San Francisco of every kind – tourists, commuters, and professionals (at least to my eye). Although very bike-friendly, cycling in San Francisco could be challenging. I am used to the Swiss alps, but some of the hills in SF were extremely steep and, on some roads, I was rather pushing than riding my bike.
Cycling turned out to be a very popular sport in Silicon Valley. While I was climbing up the hills separating the bay and the sea in the colours of Luxembourg (yes, I was proudly wearing a “Let’s make it happen” cycling jersey) other people were cycling in the colours of Google. There were more climbs and possible routes than I was able to explore during my short stay, ranging from mountain biking, road cycling and gravel paths. Definitely a reason to return!
As you may have figured out by now, I really love cycling! Even more with other people! I wasn’t disappointed when it came to meeting other (local) sports enthusiasts from the area. Besides introducing me to surfing in the pacific, Natasha and Brian, took me to the famous 17miles drive in Monterey. From wildlife – birds and sea lions – to fancy villas and overly green golf courts, this road had everything to offer! An absolutely amazing outing and many thanks to Natasha and Brian for taking me around everywhere!
And then, the end of my stay approached. Thanks to YouTube and my neighbour, de-assembling the bike was done rather easily. Lu, a great friend and collaborator from my research group in Stanford took me to the airport with all my stuff.
Bottom line: my bike gave me the opportunity to discover the US through different ways I would otherwise have missed. I was autonomous up to a radius of 15km (my personal commuting biking limit) which was more than sufficient to get to campus, visit friends or catch a train to get further. I was totally amazed by the whole biking infrastructure and very much enjoyed all the cycling adventures!
Articles are written by Fulbright grantees and do not reflect the opinions of the Fulbright Commission, the grantees’ host institutions, or the U.S. Department of State.