Since the Last Time

Sorry for the delay folks. The last two weeks have been crazy but so so good! Orientation was a blur of name games, presentations, and getting to know one another. I have to say, this group of people is incredible. Everyone is super cool and funny and really interesting in all our own quirky ways, but we all mesh well. From the very beginning it felt like a family.

Anyway, we've been on the road since Friday (aka 6 days now) and it has been an overload of luscious green trees, winding roads, and most recently, hills (the Midwest failed to train me on that one). We ride in groups of 2-6 and I've had the pleasure of being with different people everyday and it's cool to see how we all ride and the kind of encouragement we need when the times get tough. Three states down: Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, and we have been spoiled with the weather and scenery. Beautiful blue skies and bodies of water. Not only that, but we have had fantastic hosts who feed us crazy good food and help us get whatever we need. 

Example: yesterday the hanger on my bike (Ruby is her name; and the hanger is part of the rear derailleur) was bent and Sherry took me to two bike shops around North Hampton, MA to get it fixed. I was late for showers so Karen took me and waited for me while I got clean. That is generosity and selflessness at its finest and I was thankful to be on the receiving end. We had some really good conversations too and it was really nice to get to know them, especially since they were hosting us. 

We are in Pittsfield, MA for tonight and tomorrow while we build. It'll be number three and the other sites have been full of framework, laying flooring, ladders, saws, and hammers. It's slightly overwhelming when 33 willing volunteers show up, but all of the site supervisors have been great to work with, outside of an older volunteer named Bob (we think) who I nicknamed Mr. Grumpypants. It's never boring on a construction site, at least not when Bike and Build is there.  

A trail in western Mass 

On site in Fitchburg, MA 

Yep, This is Real Life

In the last five days I've gone from Kansas City to Chicago to Pittsburgh to Philly to Brooklyn to Boston to Littleton, MA and now I'm en route my final stop: Portland, ME for orientation. Yeah, I feel the same way you do after reading that. It's finally here! Days spent in the car, hours of great music, nine new friends (until tomorrow), a food truck festival, one of the oldest hostels in the Northeast, and half the country covered by car with a few bike rides thrown inbetween.

I can already tell that this is going to be a summer for the books. It already has been and we haven't even officially started Bike and Build yet. With orientation less than 24 hours away, I am super excited about what is to come over the next ten weeks. The little family we've already formed is going to become 33 strong, so watch out America because we are taking you by storm! (Literally beause we bike in the rain.) 

I'm the furthest east I can get and starting Friday I'll be making my way through the time zones. Keep looking out because it's only going to get crazier. 

My new awesome friend Emily! 

Riding into New York City. Clouds- they're cool. 

That's five bikes on that rack. Poster children for Giant as we made our way across the country. 

I'm Leaving On a Jet Plane...

Or in a car named Micky so I can ride my bike named Ruby across the country (I like naming things okay?!). The day has finally come people! I am finally embarking on my Bike and Build trip. I leave tomorrow for Chicago with my good friend Sheeby where I'll head with a few of my teammates to Portland, Maine; from there, the big journey commences as I head west toward Santa Barbara.

I've waited six months for this day to come and now that it has I'm a little anxious, I'm not gonna lie. But who wouldn't be? Am I stoked to meet my B&B family? Hell yes! Am I excited to see the country by bike? You bet I am! Can I wait to help build houses? I can hardly stand it! 

I spent a really awesome day relishing in my hometown, Kansas City, MO. Happy Gillis, Christopher Elbow chocolate, BBQ. Honestly, what day could be better? It'll be hard to leave this behind for 10 weeks, but I know that this is exactly how I should be spending my summer. So as I say my see-you-laters and wave out the back window, I know I'm headed for a grand unknown. And that is awesome. Because as some wise Pixar creator once said in a little movie called UP, "Adventure is out there!" And I fully intend to live that out. 

This is my one duffel and hydration pack for the entire summer. That's right, this girl is going minimalist.