Tsawwassen's Maria Markov returned home last week from an almost four-month cycling odyssey across Canada.

"It was really great. [I] saw so much stuff and I met so many cool people. It was four months, almost, outdoors, which was another great thing," she said.

Markov, 26, embarked on the cycling trip, called the Tour de Sustainability, a project to gather a nationwide perspective on a sustainable future for Canada, in May with her friend Anya Barkan.

The duo talked to people along the way about sustainability, wrote a detailed blog and plan on pursuing a video documentary.

"We think we collected a whole lot of information," Markov said, adding they still need to go over the footage they collected.

Markov highlighted the fact she noticed many people growing food for themselves.

"One thing that people are doing is ... growing their own food and gaining access to fresh, local, organic vegetables basically for free, just using their yard space."

A software developer, Markov said cycling across the country was a really good way to keep fit and feel good.

"I was initially sore for the first maybe week. But my body got used to it and I didn't have any problems with soreness. It was just part of a daily routine."

They couch surfed, camped outside and stayed in a hotel just a few times during the trip.

Markov had four flat tires while Barkan had only one.

"Weather was sometimes an obstacle. We ran into rain, wind, you name it. But we always came through and managed to get to our destination."

To read their blog visit tourdesustainability.org.