After The Fact...

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2007:

And I'm done.

What a summer! We got to sleep in this morning, didn't get up till 730. We didn't roll in to San Fransisco until about 945, and the ride was super quick (only 18 miles) and we were able to stay together as a group. It was especially emotional with Cooper playing "We're All In This Together," a song from our beloved High School Musical. We stopped for pictures several times along the way, including Sausolito, when the bridge first came into site, and at the visitors' center on the near side of the bridge. The ride was so pretty -- the day was perfect. I still have yet to see a cloud since Park City, and even then it was raining. One of the things I love about the west is that when the sun's out, it's out. The sky is just so HUGE! And so blue. It's beautiful.



We rode along the main drag of Sausolito, and then climbed up to the start of the bridge. Cell phones started ringing as parents and friends were wondering when we were getting there -- suddenly we were on a schedule again! Amidst all the excitement though we did manage to get the cliche picture of rider-with-bike-over-head-and-bridge-in-background...for nearly every rider. And then we got a group shot. And then, after I had one of those stupid falls where you get on your bike and just kind of topple over (I know, even on the last day), we were off -- riding across the bridge!!!! It was INCREDIBLE. Soooo beautiful, such an amazing feeling, I can't even describe it. I don't know if the other trips felt this way...there is just something about the fact that we were riding over the bridge that made it seem so final. The final step. We were all totally aware that our trip was ending and it was almost like riding over the bridge allowed us to stop in time. Everything around us seemed to stop while we all pedaled to the opposite shoreline and into the ocean.

My mom met me at Crissy Field, along with several other moms, dads, grandparents, brothers, sisters, and friends. It was so fun getting to meet everyone's families and indulge in amazing food and of course champagne! I still can't believe it's over.

I am going to stay with my mom in San Fransisco for a few days, and then Becca, Sarah, Joseph, Emma (from one of the HBC rides), and I will begin our road trip back. Final itinerary:

Day 1 McDermott, NV (to get there we will drive on I-80, I'm sure it will bring back so many memories slash we will say, what the hell were we thinking?!?!)

Day 2 Jackson, WY (via southeast Oregon and Boise, Idaho)

Day 3 Sioux Falls, SD (via the Black Hills and Mt. Rushmore)

Day 4 Albert Lea, MN (via the Badlands)

Day 5 Madison, WI (via Dyersville, Iowa aka Field of Dreams!)

Days 6, 7 Columbus, OH (via Chicago). One of my favorite places!!!

Day 8 Pennington, NJ (and then I get dropped off, everyone else will continue on to Providence via Long Island to drop off the trailer and then the ferry to Connecticut)

Favorite Rides:
-Marietta, OH to Athens, OH: a cool June morning, very green scenery, beautiful rolling hills, all in one of my favorite states!
-Stoneham, CO to Ft. Collins, CO: we left the plains of eastern Colorado for the foothills of the Rockies, we had our first glimpse of the Rockies, the ride was easy and I was able to explore cute Ft. Collins, as well as meet up with Misty, Elana came, we knew the most beautiful parts of the country we're coming up, we were finally hitting civilization, I was finally getting into shape...
-Estes Park, CO to Granby, CO: this included the 22 mile Trail Ridge Road, but the 7 hour climb was definitely worth it, I got to go on 2 hikes, see/touch snow, had lunch at 12,000 feet, there were beautiful panoramas everywhere I looked, the descent was exhilerating
-Maybell, CO to Vernal, UT: we left while it was still dark outside, it was mostly flat, the ride into Utah was pretty, but in a different way. Lots of red rocks, the road frequently went through small canyons, I rode alone for a lot of this and loved it.
-Sparks, NV to South Lake Tahoe, CA: a tough climb up Mt. Rose, but one of the most amazing downhills, beautiful views of Lake Tahoe, we finally got to see water again, it was green again too, and we were in civilization!
-South Lake Tahoe, CA to Placerville, CA: there was a decent climb before lunch, but after we crossed the Pacific Crest Trail there was a steep downhill, there was no humidity, just sunshine, and we were finally getting into the "real" NorCal!
-San Rafael, CA to San Fransisco, CA: for obvious reasons :)


Favorite Lunch Spots:
-Athens, OH: we ate near a sweet bike shop and I ran into friends from Kenyon.
-Kansas City, MO: we were finally in civilization again and so close to Lawrence, which held high expectations for all of us, not only did we have 3 days off, but we had heard so much about this amazing town (all of it true).
-Rocky Mountain National Park Visitors' Center, at the top of Trail Ridge Road: although it was about 45 degrees and overcast, being up there was amazing, we had just done the hardest climb of the trip and there was an amazing feeling of accomplishment.
-Sacramento, CA: we got to be in a city again, and there were palm trees everywhere!


Favorite Places to Spend the Night:
-Marietta, OH: I really love this cute riverside town. So Midwestern, but in a good way.
-Cincinnati, OH: I don't really care for Cincinnati, but we were able to sleep in beds, plus swim in a pool, sit in a hot tub, and eat Graeter's!
-Hannibal, MO: we had enough time to get to enjoy Tom Sawyer Days, drink frozen coffees, and read trashy mags.
-Lawrence, KS: a "hidden gem"...I would even consider moving here one day. Reminds me of some New England or Ohio towns, also had a sweet town pool.
-Estes Park, CO: a bit touristy, but a nice rush of people, stores, and ice cream places.
-Steamboat Springs, CO: loved drinks on a rooftop bar and swimming in the Hot Springs.
-Park City, UT: a great mountain town, beautiful, good restaurants and stores.
-Sparks, NV: If Hot August Nights wasn't going on, it might not have been as great, but really, I'm surprised that before Bike and Build I hadn't heard that much about the Reno area.
-South Lake Tahoe, CA: lots to do in this touristy town, and we could walk to everything.


I'm sure I missed some great places, but those are some of the ones that come to mind right now. I know Bike and Build is not something that I will forget easily, and I am lucky to have these memories forever. I rode through so many places I never would have seen otherwise, and discovered lots of cool, small American towns along the way. And there are places I'm sure I'll return to, too. Bike and Build was definitely hard, but totally, absolutely worth it.

I have already started to plan another cross-country trip, this one from west to east...anyone want to join me? :)

Tomorrow's the day I'll have ridden my bike XC!!!

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2007:

Whaaat?!?! Omg, tomorrow's the day I'll finish my cross-country trip! WOW.

We rode into Davis the other day, mostly along a Sacramento County bike path, which was really nice. So quiet compared to I-80! Such a contrast. We stopped in Sacramento for lunch, and even had a Northern '04 rider see our trailer and come over and say hello.

After lunch we rode a Sacramento-to-Davis bike path into the town (we got to experience one of the more euphoric cyclist moments -- pedaling past bumper-to-bumper communter traffic), which is cute and super bike friendly. Even at the traffic lights, bikes have their own signals! So cool. I'd even consider living there, if it wasn't so isolated. It is pretty much surrounded by fields. You can stand on the edge of town and look across a flat 15 mile field and see the skyline of Sacramento jutting out from the horizon.

Yesterday we ate breakfast at an amazing crepes place and then had a few hards climbs into Napa. At lunch we ran into some riders from the Southern trip, definitely not as cool as our riders! haha -- kidding, they seemed like typical Bike and Build kids, aka the real deal.

Now we're in San Rafael, and can see the Richmond Bridge from the church where we're staying. The people here are super nice, too, I mean the people are always nice but the people at this church made us cookies and put them in bags with a little poem:

As you traveled and biked coast to coast,
you stopped to help those needing it most.

Over many days and many nights,
you biked along and saw the sights.

You painted, sawed, hammererd and more,
soon it was time to hang the door.

A home for children, a furry pet,
you may never know the need you met.

You gave of your time and your heart,
this truly, has set you apart.

As you end your trip, way out west,
we at St. Luke wish you the best.


It was so cute! Of course I cried.

Tomorrow is the big day. As an '04 alum just texted me, I'll be sure to enjoy the salt water!

I LOVE CALIFORNIA!!!

SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 2007:

I love California! SOOOO much better than Nevada, obvi. We got here 2 days ago, but first were in Reno (I wrote from there when we got in, but didn't include that night's events). In Reno, Becca, Joseph, Justine, Courtney and I went out to "Hot August Nights," an annual classic car show. Definitely local color...some people get really into it, it was cool to see. We also went to our first In and Out Burger of the trip (I'm sure many more will come), where Joseph introduced us to all kinds of secret orders including animal-style french fries. Of course I only get the milkshakes there, and they were delicious as usual. I don't think I've had ice cream in a while...oh wait, that's a lie, in Lovelock I got a pint, a softserve, and a milkshake all in the same stop.

Before going to Hot August Nights, we went to Target, which was definitely a culture shock. I wasn't sure if it would be hard to readjust to the real world after Bike and Build, I mean, there are so many things I am looking forward to, a bed for one, as well as being able to just keep my shampoo and stuff IN the shower, rather than having to schlep it back and forth to a new shower every night. I also am excited to not have to live out of a bag anymore, wear normal clothes, and go running (and get rid of all this extra weight I'm carrying around!).

But yes, culture shock will happen, and that was pretty apparent upon walking into Target. Roshan and I pretty much just stopped. There were so many...things! We went to the DVD section and I was like so overwhelmed at all the new DVDs I'm going to have to buy, plus I know there are so many new songs I need to learn and new artists to check out, etc. etc. It is totally hard to be up to date with pop culture while on Bike and Build! I mean, really it's not a huge deal, but then you walk in to a place like Target and it just kind of hits you.

Sparks, NV (just outside of Reno) was by far the best mail drop of the summer. It was our last one, so I had pretty high expectations. Mostly because one of my best friends had been in Zambia for all the others and this mail drop was the one that she was finally able to send me a package to. So, along with this amazing package, I got a bunch of things from my parents (they have been really awesome about sending stuff) and a letter and some cash (yay ice cream!) from my aunt. I also got some postcards from some friends who are in Europe for the summer.

I know you are dying to know what was in my package from Maggie, so I will stop leaving you in suspense. Really, it was just a bunch of African candy and a Chitenje, which is the colorful printed fabric that African women wear as skirts and hair wraps and use to attach their babies to their backs for easy carrying. I thought that was pretty cool, but besides those things I also got the sweetest tshirt. It has a picture of a bike on it with the infinity sign above "city mpg" and "highway mpg." So clever! And according to Joseph, it is from the website www.threadless.com, which is a site where you send in your designs for a tshirt, and if they're liked enough, you can sell them. There are so many great messages on the shirts they sell, it's pretty cool. So when you're done on here definitely go check that out!

To get into California, we had to climb over Mt. Rose and descend into South Lake Tahoe. Definitely one of our harder climbs. And for me, it happened in the late afternoon. Hey, it wouldn't be Bike and Build without an adventure!!

So I needed a new cell phone, I had been having problems since western Nebraska, when I dropped it in a toilet. I tried to go after our build day in Reno, but the store didn't have any more of my phones, and it was close to closing time, so there was no way I could make it across town to the other Verizon store in time. So, I decided to go the next morning, and would just be behind all the other riders. Becca was nice enough to stay behind and ride with me, so I wasn't totally alone which was nice.

Everyone else left the Sparks YMCA around 7, but since the Verizon store didn't open until 8 Becca and I found a Starbucks, bought a New York Times, and just kind of hung out until 8. So much of Bike and Build is on the go that it was really nice to just be able to relax for a few hours. I also really enjoy knowing what's actually going on in the world, so it was nice to the have the paper.

I called the Verizon store a bit after 8, and got a message telling me their hours were 9-9 on weekdays...so that gave us another hour at Starbucks. Fine with me, but I was beginning to stress just a little about our ride that day, which of course included Mt. Rose.

At 9 I was at the Verizon store, got my phone, and then Becca and I went to get lunch at Qdoba (when you've been up since 5 it's completely normal to eat lunch at 9 or 10 in the morning). After a quick bite to eat we headed back across town, towards California!!! We happened to stumble across the Sierra Trading Post Outlet, so of course we went shopping (didn't really find anything decent though), we also went to Barnes and Noble to get Best In Show for Roshan. Finally, around noon, we were headed up towards Tahoe.

Mt. Rose is a 3000 ft. climb, very similar to Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park but maybe 8-9 miles shorter. The road we were on is the highest-year-round road in the Sierras and I am not ashamed to say I stopped a LOT.

The downhill was AMAZING. Definitely one of the top 5 rides this summer, without a dobut. We had fantastic views of Lake Tahoe -- it is so beautiful! Just like Lake George but on a bigger scale. And so blue! Gorgeous.



Becca and I rode into Incline Village around 5, the same Incline Village where our group had had lunch 5-7 hours earlier and where the Southern trip had had their lunch, as well. We grabbed some Thai food to fuel us for our final 20 miles along the winding, hilly shoreline of the lake.

Entering into South Lake Tahoe means entering into California...unfortunately the sign was beyond lame -- I could barely see it (ok, I know it was like 8 at night but the size was just so small)! What were they thinking?! Not only entering California, but being able to LEAVE Nevada! They should definitely put up a more climactic sign.



I was able to sit out on the beach and watch the Perseid Meteor Showers that night, something I have done every summer since I was little. I think this was my first time not doing at Lake George, so I was sad about that, but really appreciated the fact that although South Lake Tahoe is a touristy and developed area, there was still a dark enough piece of beach from which I could easily view the meteors.

So we're now in Placerville, CA, and when we arrived in town there was a street fair going on. After walking around for a bit, Mariah, Kristi, Erin K., Joseph, and I went to grab some gelato at this cute cafe along the main street. And the church we're staying at tonight is HUGE, one of those big evangelical ones with lots of singing and dancing on stage and TV screens that broadcast it all around the church, including the dining hall, where we had a limitless supply of soda from the soda fountain, and of course, TONS of food.

Another one of my favorite rides was the ride into lunch today. It was an awesome downhill, I mean we had a hard climb first but after crossing the Pacific Crest Trail, all it was was down hill. So beautiful, too.

Davis, CA tomorrow, and then San Fransisco in just 4 days! I can't believe it.

rEEEno!

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 8, 2007:

We're almost out of Nevada! This trip is definitely awesome, but I am so ready to finish. I miss civilization, I miss the ocean, and I miss my friends. I mean the people here are great, but it's getting really claustrophobic. The other day as I was ontop of Silverzone Pass, fixing my third flat in as many days, I texted my friend "please send a jet to pick me up! i hate bike and build." haha, obviously I was being dramatic, but I don't want you to think that every day is a cakewalk. After this is over, I know it will be very easy to romanticize the whole trip, and I don't want to do that. I want to be realistic about it. There are some days when it's terrible!

Like this:
-Our night in West Wendover (our first in Nevada) was spent in their high school, where I was snuggled next to scorpians and snakes. Luckily no bites.
-We stayed in the town park in Battle Mountain (home of Jeanette Sparks, author of The Glass Castle, an incredible memoir -- read it if you haven't) and were not only woken up every 45 minutes to a train rumbling thru, just 100 feet from us, but at 4am the sprinklers came on and drenched us all. I spent the final few hours before being woken up again in the van, while my sleeping bag and clothes dried out on a fence.
-I can't get the dust out of my mouth. Nevada is gross.
-Cars and semis pass us going nearly 90 mph-- and sometimes more -- causing us to swerve uncontrollably. It's scary.
-The sun is so hot my lips are ridiculously sunburned and my tan lines are just out of control.
-Most every town we go thru is the same: poor/dry/sad/dirty.
-We haven't had an off day in like a week. I am so over riding my bike.



BUT! I don't want you to feel badly for me, I'm just whining because I'm tired, it's been a long summer, and it's time for a change again. I really do appreciate this amazing opportunity and wouldn't want it any other way. If every day was perfect, that would certainly be a boring trip.

Also, I am riding the van back with a few of the riders and one of the Habitat Bike Challenge riders. Should be fun! We are going to some cool places, too, including Boise, Jackson Hole, the Black Hills and Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, the Field of Dreams, Madison, Chicago, COLUMBUS, and then I'll get dropped off in NJ while everyone else will continue on to Providence. Another adventure to look forward to!

On the Beehive and Silver State lines.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2007:

Utah was amazing. It is so...different...but it is just so beautiful, and as Bike and Build goes, every day is an adventure.

Park City was absolutely one of my favorite stops on this trip so far. The free bus system was key, as the church we stayed in was about 5 miles outside of the downtown area. There was a huge city park, a fantastic library, and a bumpin' Main Street, which I can only imagine gets much more crowded during the winter months. That reminds me -- I would love to return to Park City in the season when it is most active, not only to snowboard (or even ski), but for the Sundance Film Festival, which occurs every January.

The day we left Park City we headed to Grantsville, by way of Salt Lake City. It was a pretty easy ride, only 70 miles, but there were definitely some mishaps. For one, the directions did not actually make sense (they hardly ever do, I really don't get it), and after getting 5 miles into our ride Mariah stopped in a gas station to figure out how to get into Salt Lake City, that had a downtown a bunch of us wanted to check out. The only logical (logical?!) way was to take Interstate 80 -- the same Interstate 80 we will be taking through Nevada and the same Interstate 80 that runs from Cleveland to the glorious state of New Jersey.

And so we hopped on 80 for about 10 miles, riding on a shoulder covered in glass and stones, screaming down a 6% grade (we have been on much worse but with cars and trucks passing at over 70 mph it was pretty terrifying), I know I was holding my breath for fear of crashing or getting hit by a careless driver, and I'm sure many others felt the same way. I kept coming upon riders pulled over to the side of the shoulder fixing flats, while others dropped away from behind or next to me to fix their own flat. I was doing fine (my bike basically got a makeover in Vernal, UT -- new tires, tubes, and a chain), however my eyes were watering so much from the wind and grime of the road, that one of my contacts fell out. Luckily, it was stuck on my sunglasses, but nevertheless, it is obviously disorienting to only have one eye in focus! So I too had to pull over, to put my contact back in. Unfortunately, it had grown so dry from the moment it came out to the moment I found a safe place to pull over and put it back in, that it had torn along the edge, so once it was back in, even though I could see, it was pretty uncomfortable.

At the 30 mile mark, after pulling off I-80 and skirting around the edge of Salt Lake City, Ariel, Brian, and I pulled in to a gas station to find the best way into the city. Courtney, Doug, and Justine had made it into the city, and we tried to make plans to meet them. It was harder than we expected, especially coordinating with sweep (Becca and Jerrod), but in the end it worked out beautifully.

We backtracked a few miles,first hopping on a bus to take us to the train station we had passed about 20 minutes earlier. We stuck our bikes on the front of the bus, and then hopped on a train into the city. Without any maps or guide books, it was a little overwhelming, but everyone on the bus and at the train station was very helpful. On the train, there were places to keep our bikes, and we could ride with them for free, too, so that was pretty sweet.

We met up with Doug, Justine, and Courtney at the Morman Temple, which actually is a very beautiful building. We weren't allowed inside, but we could go to the visitors' center. When we met up with the others, Doug was already involved in a heated argument with one of the visitors' center's employees over who has the right to judge another's actions and beliefs. To avoid any of my own arguments, I kept my mouth shut, avoided reading any of the plaques or pamphlets, and pretty much only used the bathroom and then left the building. I think it's great that they have such a strong faith, I mean if it works for them that's awesome, it's just not something I would like in my life.



Eventually sweep met up with us and we went out to lunch at a Persian/Middle Eastern/Turkish restaurant. Salt Lake City is a creepy town. For one thing, I have never seen a city so clean. There is literally NO garbage on the streets, and I did not see one homeless person. Also, the people are all about 20-30 years old, white, and mostly male. AND...they're all happy. It's totally creepy. The good thing is though, they were nice to us (probably because they knew we were riding for charity, and don't know that half of us don't give a shit about religion, love to drink, and swear like sailors). I was tempted to leave my bike unlocked, because I am pretty sure no one would steal it, but in the off chance that there is some sinning Morman out there, I decided against it.

So we go to this restaurant which is pretty much every person of color in Salt Lake City (yes, all 7 of them) combining together to serve ethnic food to the poor white Utahns who don't really venture too far outside the city/state limits. Despite having a white waiter, the food was pretty good. Much better than the bagged cereal and peanut butter we usually eat!

After some more confusion with directions, and a stop at the Great Salt Lake, we made it into Grantsville around 6 the other night. The detour was certainly a detour, but it was definitely well worth it!

We woke up at 430 this morning for our ride from Grantsville across the salt flats to West Wendover, NV. West Wendover is actually on the stateline, right next to Wendover, NV, which is a mail drop.



The entire day I had the song "Fill It Up Again" by the Indigo Girls stuck in my head, especially the lyrics "I checked my schedule now my train is rolling down the track / past the sadness of the salt flats / to the prospect of the land fat"...you can probably guess why. The salt flats were pretty cool, they look like ice, and I took lots of pictures that reminded me of Lake George in winter. The temperature was nice today, too, only about 80 (it was 120 yesterday). But for the most part...I was bored riding straight ahead for 100 miles. Very similar to Illinois. And oh, this was day #1 on I-80. We're all safe so far.

One more state down, and now it's thru Nevada and then on to California...so ridic that we are this far through our trip!

Oops, sorry...

ohmygod. I am so sorry for abandoning you for over 11 days as several of you have reminded me. That's probably because this has been the best part of the trip, so it's hard for me to break away from all the fun things we've been doing and force myself to sit inside at a computer. But really I do apologize.

We rode from Holyoke, CO to Stoneham and the next day to Fort Collins. The ride into Ft. Collins was rolling hills but I actually lost my breath when I saw the Rockies looming in the distance. I mean I always knew it would be like this but really...I couldn't possibly imagine the excitement (um, terror?) at seeing them in real life. For that day though, we were still on pretty flat ground as we rolled into FoCo.

I was able to see my friend Misty (we lived with Kara and Erica together for 3 years at Kenyon), she is from Ft. Collins and still in the area. Since I got in relatively early, we were able to grab lunch at a cute cafe downtown (Ft Collins is a typical college town, a main street with cafes, coffee shops, bars, outdoor shops, bike shops, young kids, etc. Definitely my kind of place and a nice change from the small towns we'd been in since Lawrence.). Later we went to REI and then met up with Becca and our mutual friend Elana (Hi Elana), who came to ride with us for the next day and a half. We browsed the downtown, got ice cream at Walrus Ice Cream (yes it's in the book and yes it lives up to it's reputation), and then went for drinks and some Mexican at Rio. It was a great afternoon away from 30 other Bike and Builders and like I said before, in an actual town.

The next morning we woke up at our normal wake-up time of 4am. Of course it was still dark outside but we had a 42 mile ride uphill into Estes Park. 42 miles is a cakewalk you say...not so much. Actually, it wasn't at all as hard as I'd imagined, and I had a great time riding/trading stories with Elana.

Estes Park is another cute town, a bit too touristy for me but I was finally able to get a pair of (pink, obviously) Crocs as well as a new pair of flip flops (they have ice cream cones on them) since Becca so carelessly lost my beloved Rainbows. There were a ton of outdoor shops there too which were fun to browse and I was so proud of Roshan for finally buying a pair of her own Patagonia shorts. If you ever are in Estes Park, be sure to check out Kind Coffee, a great little coffee place on the edge of town. Free wireless and lots of reading materials (plus a great iced chai) make this a place one can sit for hours. In fact I did later in the afternoon, and almost missed dinner at the host site.

After Estes Park came Granby, but inbetween the two was the hardest and most beautiful ride of the summer. We rode on Trail Ridge Road (thru Rocky Mtn Natl Park), which included a 22 mile climb straight up to the 12,000+ summit. The climb took 7 hours, but that wasn't because I was going 5mph, instead it was due to the many stops I made 1) to take random hikes to gorgeous views (don't worry Mom I took pics), 2) to eat food because after every half mile I became so famished I thought I was going to faint, 3) because of the altitide, I also thought I was going to pass out, and 4) because I got a flat in a construction zone and ended up walking my bike to the visitor's center on top (though sadly, even though i could see it, it was actually about 2 miles away, which made for a pretty long walk. I did refuse 2 offers for a ride because that would mean I hadn't biked xc). It was cold at the top, maybe 40-50 degrees, and super windy and cloudy, but it didn't even matter because the ride to the bottom was just sublime. After we left Rocky Mountain National Park, Becca and I stopped in the town of Grand Lake, bought Phish Food at the gas station and walked down to the shoreline to share the pint. That was pretty sublime, too, even though we were swept by sweep.

After Granby came Steamboat Springs, a cute mountain town that kind of reminded me of Vail a bit although a little bit less snobby. Highlights from that stay included a night of drinks on a rooftop bar, a build day in the nicest Habitat neighborhood I've ever seen, and a trip to the hot springs for naked nighttime frolicking with about 10 other riders. Fantastic.

Now I'm in Park City Utah and not only is my internet time running out but I've been in Utah for 3 days and haven't even noticed one Morman. I've seen several churches (we're not allowed to stay in any), but no one has bothered me with their Mormanism, which I think is awesome.

Park City is somewhere I'd definitely love to return to, not only to snowboard but to be here for the Sundance Film Festival. Next January maybe, or in '09? Can't wait.

Hope this update gives you a little idea of what I've been up to for the past week. I'll be riding thru the salt flats next (has anybody besides Rowan seen Wind? Now picture the sailboat being a bike.), then on to Nevada along I-80 (hopefully we will all stay injury free), Reno, and into the GREAT state of California! I can't believe this is ending so quickly. In the words of Roshan, "this trip has totes been da bomb digs."

Finally in Colorado!

Hello from Holyoke, CO! We biked 100 miles (on one road) here from McCook, NE yesterday, and today had the luxury of sleeping in! I got up at 8am Mountain Time, which is 5 hours later than I normally sleep and more than twice the amount of sleep I've been getting each night over the past week. I am still pretty tired and will probably take a nap later but since I actually have time to do that I'm not too stressed out about it...

Nebraska was a great state, way better than Kansas. There were actually people in the towns and they were super friendly and the land was a bit flatter. Yes there were still many hills, but for the most part things weren't too bad. The flatest road we've had since that day in Illinois was yesterday, leaving Nebraska and heading into Colorado. Apparently between Holyoke and whereever we're staying tomorrow night it will be flat as well.

I can't wait to actually hit the Rockies, I mean yeah it will hard but there has just been so much anticipation leading up to this that we are all absolutely dying to finally get there! We just found out today though that we might not be able to ride on Trail Ridge Road (the highest paved road in the country) because of construction. This is particularily disappointing, especially because Trail Ridge Road and the ride from Estes Park to Granby is one of the top three reasons I signed up for this trip (the others were Park City and Lake Tahoe). The Habitat Bike Challenge (which is what Bike and Build stemmed from) went through there earlier this week and was forced to reroute. They also shared with us that it's too cold to wake up at 4, so when in the mountains they woke up at 6! HOOTIE! My life just improved drastically :)

My bike has been doing really well, I am actually pretty surprised he has been holding up. Most people are getting new chains and while I did put on new brake pads and have a new tire, my chain is still going strong (I mean...I think it is...I really have no idea and it will probably break tomorrow...but for now it's great). My new best friends Becca, Roshan, Erin, and Kristi are all doing fabulous too.


Fave part of the last few days:

-when we had a short day (68 miles) and the leaders gave us a scavenger hunt to work on. we got to go in a fire house in some small Kansas town (sounds like Matokat but I really don't remember the name) and got pictures with their fire truck.
-when Cooper's parents provided us with first and second lunch yesterday and I got to not only eat apple pie at 9am but could eat it with Nilla Wafers and a turkey and fresh tomato sandwich.
-swimming in the Alma, NE town pool. and rocking the awful tan lines too of course!
-gaining an hour of sleep as we moved into Mountain Time.
-Becca's very brilliant purchase of speakers, allowing us to listen to Rent slash every mix I've ever made as we ride, and also being able to make mixes solely dedicated to P2SF07 rides.
-mail day yesterday in Holyoke -- I got 3 packages (this is normal and makes me so excited every Thursday) and a letter. This week's fantastic letter was from Tai (thanks Chipotty!) and my packages were from my parents (included new spandex, always a great thing to have, as well as the Times, WSJ, and Lake George Mirror -- in the Bell family the three most important sources of print one can read), my aunt (lots of good food and of course tabloids so I can know what's really going on in the world), and my good friend Jess (I opened up the USPS package and pulled out a colorful bag with ribbon handles and felt like I was back on the Kenyon Lacrosse team again, getting a secret pscyh bag. It was PERFECT, and so Jess. I LOVE it!). So great!

hope you are all doing well, thanks for your comments :)

PEACE.

I'm in Nebraska!

4am is the new 6am.

Today I was in the geographical center of the continental US by 630am. Pretty sunrise over the Kansas hills.

Despite popular belief, Kansas and Nebraska are NOT flat. They ARE windy.

Wrapping speakers around your Camelbak and playing the Rent soundtrack really makes the miles go by.

When I'm in Colorado in a few days I'm seeing my friends Misty and Elana and I can't wait.

There is a long line of Bike and Builders behind me waiting for this computer so that's all I have time for right now.

Lawrence: 27 square miles of reality surrounded by Kansas.

That's the sticker that I bought at a store on the cute Massachusetts Street of downtown Lawrence, KS earlier today. Love this town! It's totally a mecca in the middle of the midwestern cornfields. We got in on Tuesday evening and are staying at St. John's School, an elementary school across the street from a wonderful park, a block from downtown, and about 3 blocks from KU. We're staying here till Saturday, working on building an entire house (a Habitat "Blitz Build") during our 3 day stay. Yesterday we had the luxury of sleeping in until 730 (quite the luxury, especially considering we were told tonight that our new wake up will be at 4am), followed by breakfast at a nearby church and a day at the build site in North Lawrence. Well, I only spent the morning building; in the afternoon I went with Becca, Roshan, and Erin to the Habitat ReStore a few miles away. The ReStore is a fantastic idea -- household items, parts, etc are recycled and dirt cheap! If I had a fixer-upper I woul totally look there for cheap doors, windows, floors, appliances, tiles, etc. It's such a wonderful thing, and open to everyone. I think it's just such a great resource. Last night a bunch of us went to see Harry Potter! It was pretty good, I won't spoil it for anyone who may not have gotten the chance to see it yet, but I will say that about 10 of us (myslef included) fell asleep because we are always just so damn tired. Plus the seats were the most comfortable seating we'd had in weeks! We built again today (we actually painted first, this included a painting contest quite similar to the fence-painting contest we witnessed at Tom Sawyer Days in Hannibal...I would just like to say that Becca, Kristi, and I beat Roshan, Justine, and Erin. Not only was our side of the house painted faster, but it looked prettier, too.), and will again tomorrow. Our free time has been spent at the bike shop (Sunflower Outdoor and Bike, GREAT SHOP), ice cream place (Maddy and Sylas's, also quite fantastic), and random places like Urban Outfitters, Aimee's Coffee Shop, Pita Pit, Bank of America, Brother's Bar (just like in Columbus!), and Weaver's Department store (super cute dresses for only $50, don't worry though Mom I didn't want to have it get wrinkled in my bag so I didn't buy the one I really wanted). We have been really deprived from civilization since we left New York (except for our time in Marietta and Cincinnati, OH) and this town is just so great! It does NOT feel like we are in Kansas. Even though I'm off the bike for a few days, I STILL CAN'T STOP EATING!!! It's so ridiculous how we all rush to get multiple pancakes, eggs, cereal, and fruit each morning, even though instead of biking 90 miles we're just putting in a few nails or raising the tressels of a roof. The food from various hosts here has been nothing short of amazing -- kind of like our entire trip. Here is what I ate today, just to give you a glimpse of what I eat when I DON'T bike: Breakfast: 3 pancakes with real maple syrup, 1 orange, 1 banana, some scrambled eggs. Mid-Morning snack: 2 gatorades -- 1 glacier freeze and 1 orange. Lunch: veggie sandwich donated by Habitat, too many cookies home made by Rachel's fam. Mid-afternoon snack: again too many cookies, these ones were sent to us by Erin's friend. Also 2 scoops of ice cream, sweet popcorn, and some fudge. Dinner: strawberries, an entire bowl of blueberries, salad, 2 veggie burgers with ketchup (but no buns), a brownie, and yes more ice cream. WOW. Also I went running and was pretty much dying, I still go once a week but I have definitely gained weight (ha, I wonder why), I mean when I run I can feel my body is just that much heavier. Also my legs are much more used to spinning so the running motion feels weird, and I actually have to breathe heavily (aerobic vs. anaerobic exercise) so yeah I was pretty much having an asthma attack as I ran thru Lawrence. Awesome! But seriously things continue to go well and I am still so pumped about this extraordinary experience :) Today was mail day and thanks again for all your packages and letters!!! Miss you all. HOOTIE.

Oh, the Midwest...

The mentality of the midwest (Indiana, Illinois, Missouri) is really beginning to stress me out. I grew up frequenting the south, but I haven't truly experienced the bible belt until this trip. It's so different from what I am used to! While I do believe that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, I dislike how they are thrown on me as I pedal past on poorly paved roads. Just today I passed a pro-life billboard. Like, seriously? The churches we stay at frequently have pamphelts concerning homosexuality and abortion, and every time a priest makes a prayer, we all hold our breathes, afraid that something he or she says will make us all uncomfortable. I know the saying "when in rome..." but wow. It's tough. I guess I just don't get the restrictiveness of everything. If that was my religion I would feel so suffocated! Too many rules. For instance right now I am on a computer that has bible quotes all over it. And there are more on a board over the computer, including one that says "Jesus knows what you are thinking." UMMM creepy. And there's a TV here but 90% of the channels are blocked, even the news. Seriously? Plus today a man asked me if I had seen the "oriental" boy walk by and I was like, are you kidding me?! What the heck year are these people living in?! It's disgusting, like living in a bubble. I am just blown away by it.

The towns here are pretty creepy, too. We pass thru several during each day, many with populations under 200 people (right now the record stands at 44). The weird thing is that there are never any people around! The streets are dead quiet and we all feel like we're invading a movie set. Plus you can bike down Main Street and look down each side street and see a cornfield at the end. Kind of like when you're on Atlantic Avenue at LBI and you look down each street and know it leads straight to the beach. Kind of...but not. It's weird -- so not my style. But it makes me SO happy that I didn't grow up here. So happy.

Today we biked 68 miles from Hannibal, MO (boyhood home of Mark Twain) to Mosberly (I think that's where we are), MO. The ride wasn't too bad...I rode sweep with Eric. It was slow because we couldn't go our own pace, plus it was super windy and hilly too, but overall it was fine. People are really starting to emotionally break down though. There was a lot of crabbiness this morning that is pretty disheartening. I however would still rather be doing Bike and Build than anything else!

Yesterday we got into Hannibal early which allowed us to go play around town and enjoy Tom Sawyer Day. I've never been to MO before (thank you Mom and Dad for never taking me here as a kid!) but actually my first glimpse of it wasn't too bad. Maybe it was because Hannibal was in the middle of Tom Sawyer Days, maybe it was because I legit like Mark Twain books...I don't know what the reason is, but having the Mississippi right there, being able to see the jail, Widow Douglas's house, Tom Sawyer's house and fence, being able to watch a fence painting contest, being able to see a Tom and Becky Thatcher look-alike dress-up contest, seeing a man in character playing Mark Twain...it was fun to be touristy like that for a few hours. Also Becca, Roshan, Erin, and I found a cute coffee shop (the first one west of the Mississippi) that reminded us of our beloved northeast. We were able to get frozen and iced coffees (with soy milk, something we couldn't find in IL) and sit and read Time and art magazines and Roshie even got her hands on an US Weekly. We all pretended we were at our respective schools or in Boston and it was just so fantastic! Of course today...we were thrown right back into the heartland.

Tonight we'll be watching Crash on the church's TV. I'm sure if they watched it with us they would somehow be offended, kind of like when we watched Rent on a TV in western Ohio. These are two of my fave movies though (so i obvi recommend them to everyone) and everyone in my group appreciates them too. Tomorrow we bike about 90 miles to I don't know where and in a few days we'll be in KANSAS. We've been building up Lawrence for a while now, so we'll see if it lives up to it's expectations.

And I thought Gambier was in the middle of cornfields!

I have never seen this much corn. It is crazy! Yesterday, the 4th of July, was spent in not your typical 4th of July fashion. There were no parades, no red white and blue, no fireworks, no beer (well, until after 9pm). At the beginning of the day, I naively expressed my excitement at being sweep*, eager to ride in at least 5 small towns' 4th of July parades. I was even going to decorate Brutus.

BUT. There were no 4th of July parades. The 100 mile day began with a 5am wake up call at our campsite in Paris, IL (you can always count on the midwest to be unoriginal -- we've passed thru Paris, Milan, Albany, Boston, well you get the picture). As the group rolled out around 7, Jerrod and I followed, but didn't get very far as everyone was getting coffee and snickers bars at the gas station just outside the campground. By 8 everyone had left the gas station and Jerrod and I decided to roll out as well, by 830 we were caught in a downpour just outside Paris in the middle of cornfield #1.

Cornfield #1 turned into cornfields #2-10000000 as well. Paris was the last town we went through (I know, depressing, right?) and before I knew it all I could see was corn. It was just ridiculous. We would ride for 20 straight miles literally through a hallway of corn. It was super creepy. And then we'd turn left and go for a mile or two, and then turn and head west again. And the wind, oh the wind. Pedaling in the pelting rain with a strong headwind makes for a fun ride, let me tell you. If we were riding west to east, the flat terrain would cause us to go about 25 mph. Not so traveling east to west...we were averaging 9mph.

Jerrod and I caught up with Becca, Roshan, Doug, and Erin around mile 15, and we pedaled with them into lunch #1 at mile 40. We took our time at lunch, luckily the sun had come out, and bounced once the Becca-Rosh-Doug-Erin group (the last group in front of us) had been gone for about 20 minutes. An hour and a half later, once we had gone 15 miles (just in case you can't do math, that's pretty pathetic) we caught up with everyone just chillin by the corn, running out of water and too exhausted to keep pedaling. This stopping went on for the next 15 miles, so basically there were now 6 of us sweeping. Still nothing but corn. I mean, I don't get where the people who plant and take care of the corn actually live. They must own thousands of acres.

We finally did run into a house. Well, there was a sign on the side of the road advertising an orchard. We were pretty sure we were hallucinating, this was almost too good to be true! We walked up the driveway, taking note of the break in the monotonous landscape. What did we stumble on but a Mennonite family's 4th of July party! OMG (to anyone who knows who the AGDs are...yes, I think they were their close friends). BUTTTT they were super nice and gave us water, homemade ice cream, and apple cider slushie. YUM! What an oasis. One second I swear I am in hell, boringly pedaling past stalk after stalk of corn, and suddenly my mood goes from horrible to wonderful in just a few feet. They even took a picture with us. Oh so Bike and Build...good times.

Lunch #2 was at mile 70, but by the time we arrived everyone else was gone, including the van. Sarah (one of our leaders) was standing with the trailer, watching the swollen cloud of a midwestern thunderstorm move across the giant sky. Mariah (another leader) had taken the van to find water (where she thought she would find it, I have no idea). We were actually pretty full from the little holiday party we crashed, so after eating 2 snickers bars each, we were ready to hit the road.

Finally the storm hit us, and by now it was just Becca and me riding sweep with everyone else ahead of us. But we came across Roshan, Doug, Erin, and Jerrod, and as the sweep rules go, we had to wait for them. It was actually raining pretty hard, as well as thundering and lightening, so stopping probably was a good idea (let's just try to imagine this though...where does one go where all there is is corn?! We thought a ditch seemed like the best option).

Fifteen minutes later, and after filming a video of Roshan and Erin running in circles to stay warm, we decided the storm was letting up and moving south and that we should hit the road again. And then who do we run into literally a quarter of a mile down the road but Carrie, Carys, and Justine. And so we stopped again.

The group we were originally with had decided to keep going, but as sweep we had to stay back with Carrie, Carys, and Justine, who were afraid that the storm wasn't quite past us yet. Finally they felt it was safe, and as we were pulling out, Carrie announces she has a flat. Excellent! Jerrod, who had stayed back with Becca and me again, decided he wanted to roll out with Justine, so now it is Becca and me sweeping, waiting for Carrie and Carys to fix Carrie's flat.

FINALLY we can leave for real. And we only had 25 miles left! Now Bike and Build has a policy that all riders get in by 4 (and keep in mind we've been up since 5 and riding since 8ish). At this time it is about 5. We have already been through two rainstorms. And we have 25 miles to go....AWESOME.

To make an extremely long story short, Becca and I got to the Taylorville YMCA at 8pm. We rode for a total of 9 hours and had slept for 6 the night before. SWEET.

Luckily the Y had warm showers. And they were individual, too (hey, it's the little things that really make a difference). By 9 we were all piled into the van and headed to the Taylorville Family Restaurant (or some similar name). We all ordered basic ick sandwiches (but they did give us some nourishment I suppose) and a few rounds of beers. Later on we went back to the Y and had a field party high-school style with a few more beers and sparklers. I won't forget this 4th of July, but I'm not going to lie, next year I hope to head back to Red White and Boom, and if not there then to LBI with my high school friends!

Today was our first off day so we got to sleep in (I slept till 8, but believe it or not that really is sleeping in). I got to go for a run, take a shower, and write in the Bike and Build journal (check it out) all in my own time. And my good friends Kirstie and Sara came down from their current (and disgusting) home of Champaign, IL to play. Later on Becca, Roshan, Kristi, Erin, and I went to see Ratatoille. Now it's time for a game of sardines, complete with glowsticks, all around the Y. Tomorrow we have another 100 miles through cornfields, so we will be going to bed shortly afterwards.

Thanks so much for all the mail and love, everyone. I'm glad that you all get as much of a kick out of reading this blog as I do writing it. I'd just like to say hi to my fave fans Katie and Ashley of Head2Head Consultants, as well as my high school friends who are spending this coming weekend at Suzie's shore house, which is a tradition with them that I have sadly never been able to take part in (call me like you always do girls). I can't believe it's already that time of the year!

If you live in Pennington/Hopewell, check out the Hopewell Valley News. Apparently there's an article in this week's edition. If you can't get your hands on a hard copy, check out the below link:
http://www.packetonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18552861&BRD=1091&PAG=461&dept_id=456062&rfi=6

As always I'm not sure when the next time I'll have internet is. I have no idea where I'll be tomorrow night but know I'll be in Missouri sometime in the next few days.

PEACE.

*Every day there are 2 of us who ride behind everyone, making sure no one gets left behind. One of the perks of sweep is that you can take as long as you want; hence, Jerrod and I were planning on taking forever playing around in these (nonexistant) parades.

Indiana = definitely NOT flat

I know, right? You'd think the midwest was really flat. Wrong. It was cute at first, the rolling hills, but today there were STEEP hills. No big deal though, it was a fine 86 mile ride...we were just surprised, that's all.

We left Seymour, IN around 8 this morning and headed west to Linton, also in IN. It was an absolutely beautiful day today -- low 80s and a sunny cloudless sky with abundant greenery. Several stops in the morning (pictures with hay barrels, mainly) resulted in riding in late to lunch, but luckily there were still some cold cuts left over. Geoff's fam had been nice enough to buy some real lunch (as opposed to the normal chocolate and marshmellows on hamburger buns or leftover spaghetti). We also had some Graeter's, left over from last night when Carrie's parents drove 2 hours from Cincinnati to give us one more final chance at Graeter's YUM. After lunch we had a 41 mile ride into Linton, and several of us were absolutely dying because of the huge mass quantity of food we had just consumed. Becca and I made a stop 3 miles in, running into Roshan and Erin, then the 4 of us ran into Mary and Kelly 11 miles in, and then stopped yet again with 12 miles remaining at the Dairy Queen in Bloomfield. Finally though we made it to Linton, home of the largest 4th of July celebration in Indiana. Some of us are headed down to the fair this evening, taking advantage of the late midwestern sun (last night it set around 945 and we are even further west in the Eastern time zone, totally psyched for a longer day!).

Tomorrow should be easy (HA) -- only 60 or so miles (so the way our cue sheets work, i.e. they're always about 10 miles short...we should only have 70). The next day is something like 99, and I'm sweeping, so I'll be bringing up the rear with Jerrod, making sure all other riders are ahead of us and taken care of (tires ok, bikes ok, bodies ok, etc).

Until then--

BEST ACCOMODATIONS EVERRRRR!!!!!!

Wow. I pretty much love Cincinnati, OH. The ride here today was so picturesque -- this part of southern Ohio is totally like Knox and Licking Counties (which are further north by my old stomping grounds), and even though the land is scarred by farms and telephone polls there is just something about the straight rows of corn and soybeans growing on rolling hills under a cloudless blue sky that is so beautiful.

This morning I rode with Becca, Roshie, Erin, and Kristi, and we had several of our normal adventures before it was even 10am. For example: Rosh, Kristi, and Erin all almost were flattened by a semi when they decided to cross the yellow line (a huge Bike and Build no-no). Apparently a dog was headed out into the road and since Roshan has already run over one dog (don't worry, he escaped with only a broken leg), she was not going to take any more chances. Apparently it was safer to cross the dotted yellow line in the path of a semi/huge farm truck instead. I actually wasn't sure which was more dangerous -- my 3 friends swerving to the left or Becca yelling herself hoarse somewhere between sudden high blood pressure and having an actual heart attack on her bike. Yeah...it was pretty scary having that go on from next to me.

Of course there are other more hilarious adventures, like Roshan's first time peeing on the side of the road. I'll spare you the details, but will quote Kristi: "Roshan on Bike and Build is like Paris Hilton at summer camp." She is so accurate, it's hilarious. Roshan is pretty much the JAPiest Iranian I know...haha love you Rosh.

Just before lunch Becca and I broke away from our sidekicks to take a detour into UDF. For those of you who are unaware of the wonderfulness that is United Dairy Farmers, I'm quite sorry for you. It is an Ohio chain of (yes, I am not making this up) gas stations and ice cream. YUM. Becca and I split a large raspberry chocolate chip milkshake. Did we care that it was 11am? Absolutely not.

We rolled into lunch about 5 miles later and bought some peaches from the farmstand whose grassy lawn we had taken over. Most of us took naps or chatted on the phone with family and friends, staying for about an hour before rolling out to Cinci.

During the afternoon I rode with Becca; the ride was mostly thru the outer suburbs, including the super nice Indian Hill. Unfortunately, we got a call midway thru our last 25 miles from Mariah, who was driving the van. She told us that Kristi had in fact been hit by a car (not her fault though) and needed to go to the hospital. Luckily though, she is alright and sports only a nice bruise on her elbow. The Perkoset she is on is also helping.

Ok -- so here is the reason I am so pumped about tonight. While it sucks to have home stays that make our group get split up, it is quite nice. We rolled into the Dwyers' driveway around 4, and Becca, Roshan, Erin, and I quickly hijacked the van and went to find the nearest Graeter's. AMAZING. Because I had gotten a raspberry chip shake earlier, I opted for my other fave flave -- peach (in a homemade waffle cone, of course). Rosh and Erin opted for raspberry chip and Becca decided to eat 2/3 of my double scoop of peach. Oh and of course we listened to Rent on the way to and from Graeter's. Obvi.

Tonight we are staying at one of Dwyers' friend's house, somewhere outside of Cincinnati. It's AMAZING. We went for a swim in their pool when we got here, ate food that did not include pasta and cookies (instead it was chicken, fruit salad, and more Graeter's!!!!), took a nice relaxing shower without worrying about the long line behind you and the hot water running out, are able to get on the internet and again not have to worry about a long line behind us, and later on we're planning on playing some Corn Hole (ohhhhh the midwest, gotta love it) and then having a slumber party snugfest-style while watching The Holiday. And did I mention we're sleeping in beds tonight? It really doesn't get much better than this :)

Tomorrow we head into Indiana -- it's really going to start to get flat now! I'll miss Ohio but am so pumped for new places, spaces, and people to see. Best summer ever, no doubt.

HANG ON SLOOPY SLOOPY HANG ON (O-H-I-O!)

Yay Ohio! We rode 100 miles from Cameron, WV to Marietta, OH (cute town) a few days ago and stayed in Marietta for 2 nights before rolling out to McArthur and now Hillsboro. I am obsessed with being back in the midwest...I just love the landscape and the people so much. It feels like home again and I keep getting nostalgic -- I see familiar/regional grocery stores, banks, ice cream shops, newspapers (Bike and Build got a shoutout in the Dispatch yesterday), roads, signs, rivers, and even friends (I ran into Kate Lainhart and Matt Schep in Athens)! I rode by myself for about 40 miles yesterday and decided that my life in Ohio is definitely not over. I may not return in the near future but I would absolutely love the chance to at some point.

The roads have gone from mountains to flat, and the 70 mile days don't take us nearly as long as they once did. I continue to ride with Roshie, Kristi, Erin M., and Becca and we do nothing short of have a hilarious time. Today was our first day riding in the rain, which was pretty cold, and flat tires certainly don't help, but we still manage new and exciting adventures with every mile. I love it.

I also love how I have absolutely NO idea what day it is, and I never need to look at my watch, my to do list, check my blackberry, etc etc. It is the best thing ever to wake up in the morning and be like, "All I need to do today is bike 75 miles." If I'm tired, I get off my bike. If I'm hungry, I get a snack. No big deal.

Tonight we're in Hillsboro and tomorrow's our last stop in Ohio, in Cincinnati. We really are in the midwest now -- the generosity is amazing, i.e. Kroger donated tons of breakfast food for us, there is talk of a Graeter's party tomorrow, drivers beep encouragement and cheer us on rather than the angrier honks we experienced in the northeast states....awesome. So fantastic.

I feel like there was tons more I wanted to mention and now that I have finally gotten access to a computer I can't remember everything. I've been kind of bad about being on the internet but don't forget I have my cell phone with me! And OMG. I need to give a shoutout to my wonderful friends who have sent me incredible mail! My parents and aunt have been great sending random energy food and of course tabloids, and NELL AND JULIA the cookies and muffins (and the postcards) are way delish. Ricky thanks so much for the birthday present package and this week's postcard, also a thanks to my secret admirer who keeps sending me things from somewhere in Maryland...they never fail to make me laugh and I wish I knew who you were so I could thank you personally (Dan I'm still not totally convinced it's not you). And Katie -- your letter was awesome too :)

So I guess that's it. I'm going to join everyone else watching Rent now (Hi Laura, I miss you...you said we were golden!). We always sing the lyrics when we ride and tonight Becca bought the DVD so we can watch it on the ridic widescreen at the Hillsboro Methodist Church. w00t.

Bye Grossylvania

Pennsylvania is so disgusting and I am so happy to be finished riding thru it. The roads we rode on were terrible -- gravel and glass in the shoulders, construction, giant dump trucks spewing black smoke, hecklers speeding rusty American-made cars past us...ick. We rolled into West Viginia now and believe it or not it's heaps better. They even had a state sign.

Although Pennsyltucky is somewhere I would never like to revisit, I am still having a fantastic time on this trip. The people are just so awesome. I have not laughed this hard since I was in college. It's quite refreshing after a horrible year in the real world. I have no idea what day it is and barely know the time, either. I do know that we get up at 6 (or 5), but after that I never look at a clock and go to bed when I'm tired. Hosts have been pretty great, I mean we had to sleep according to gender at one church, but I guess as we roll further and further from the east coast it's going to become more conservative. We all just feel lucky enough to have a roof to sleep under (we did camp last night in PA, uneventful except for the skunk that ate all of Joseph's Clif Bars and a few Shot blocks, too.).

I haven't really been keeping up with running (I know, lame) because there is so little free time. I was able to get in a short jog with Rachel a few days ago, though, after our build day. We painted and worked on an addition to a few homes in Harrisburg, PA.

Highlights this far: Hay Barrel pics, the discount candy factory we found in rural PA, getting free food from generous store owners we pass along the way, eating Rita's, riding thru the Delaware Water Gap, all the downhills, all my great new friends, and leaving PA. There are many more but I actually have to give this computer up to other riders who would like to share their own highlights on their own blogs.

Thanks for the comments, I'm glad you enjoy this!

Hi Pennsylvania

After less than 24 (or 18) hours in New York, we arrived in Pennsylvania, our home for the next week. I have to say, I have never really been a fan of The Keystone State, and the fact that there was no "Welcome to Pennsylvania, Governor Ed Rendall" sign after we crossed over the Delaware River didn't help things. Of course, we made our own on the shoulder so that other riders wouldn't be as upset as we were (it should be noted that one of the expectations of Bike and Build is to get a picture at every state sign). That was the only low point of the day.

There was much whimpering this morning as we rolled out from the church in Middletown; the agony of repeating yesterday was much feared. We had also heard that there would be a 15 mile climb, and after the 3 mile, 2000 feet climb of yesterday, well...there was definitely some crabbiness. It's hard to hear so many people getting down so I did my best to make my way to the front of the pack, picking off complaining riders as I raced (HA) in granny gear up Mountain Road in Orange County (NY -- we're not in California just yet).

The top of Mountain Road was amazing, and I have never been so happy to see a "Trucks Use Low Gear Next 4 Miles" sign. It took about 45 minutes to get up the hardest part of the hill, and about 2.5 to get down, and from there we sped thru Port Jervis (some stopped for ice cream but I actually couldn't do that just yet, it was about 930 in the morning) and over into PA.

We actually did have a beautiful ride thru the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area. There was a nice broad shoulder and little traffic. Because the van was being serviced (windshield replaced, NY state inspection (Bike and Build is based in Brooklyn), oil replaced...no big deal) we weren't really sure about lunch, and when we hit mile 35 (our designated lunch spot) there was no van to be seen. We ended up getting in touch with the driver, who said that they were still waiting at the garage. Hmmm...it sounded like we'd have to keep riding into the "town" of Bushkill to buy our own. We coasted in 14 miles later and hit up a shady Poconos resort (is there any other kind?), and Erin and I decided that ice cream with sprinkles was the perfect meal. After an hour long break, we finished the ride in Stroudsburg, a cute town that stands on the other side of what is typical Pennsylvania from the park -- a road filled with giant dumptrucks running us of into the gravely shoulder, pumping diesel exhaust into our lungs. GROSS. Luckily though, that ended after about 15 more miles and we were fortunate enough to get showers at the Y, find some wireless, and be located within a mile of RITA'S. BEST DAY EVER.

It always took me about 6 hours to drive across PA on my way to and from school. This time though, it will take strong quads and a whole lotta mental toughness. Shortly after, we roll in and out of West Virginia, and then we'll begin the next chapter of the trip in the midwest. It's so hard to believe this, but each day is an adventure more exciting than the last. What an incredible summer!

I HEART NEW YORK

What a day. We biked UP -- straight up -- Bear Mountain near West Point. We got lost and some of us did a century ride (100 miles) instead of the planned 70 miles. We are sunburned and sore. All we eat is carbs. Cooper got stuck in a grate, fell over, and was taken by ambulance to the hospital. We missed our showers at the Y because it closed at 6 (yes, we were on our bikes from 830 this morning until 7 tonight). We missed laundry because it closed at 9 and we weren't ready. We've worn our jerseys for three days straight. We smell foul, even after our shower at the local Hampton Inn (15 girls using one shower was quite the bonding experience). WE LOVE BIKE AND BUILD!!!!!

There has been quite an interesting range of riding conditions over the first three days, literally, in the saddle. Day 1, from Providence to Plainfield, CT, was 37 miles in cool, gray conditions. Then it was our hardest day, now we not only say that every day, but we look back at that first day and say it was the easiest.

Day 2 we rode into Middletown, CT. Such a cute town! Riding over the bridge to Middletown got us all so excited for the Golden Gate Bridge in just two months. We had tons of time in the afternoon to take leisurely showers at the Middletown Y, the nicest YMCA I've ever been in. A bunch of us went to Prailenes and got AMAZING ice cream (it was one of the many stops in my ice cream across America book). I met my friend Nina later on and had some more ice cream. Some of us went to the local bike shop, Pedal Power. It was a beautiful day and we were all sporting the beginnings of fantastic tan lines. That night, of course, we had a wonderfully delicious meal provided by our host church, St. Paul's.

Day 3, yesterday, we left Middletown for Danbury, CT. There were some errors on the directions and after much confusion we rolled in around 6pm. Also, I never knew Connecticut was so hilly, and we all pretty much died on each climb. Highlights of the day included stopping at the Strawberry Festival in Cheshire. YUM. Complete with strawberry shortcake, live music, and blow-up games, it was a Bike and Builder's ideal way to spend the morning (besides riding, of course). However stopping by the festival got us into lunch late, and besides that my chain fell off twice on downhills, so I pretty much had to drag Brutus in around 2pm. And then, 4 hours later, I coasted into Danbury, with pretty much everyone else. Of course the Y showers were closed....so Carys had the chutzpah to ask some random guy on the street if he knew where we could go. Perfect! We went to the Portugeuse Club of Danbury. The showers were amazing and much needed, and once we were done the plan was the take the van back for a delicious pizza (real pizza, obviously, in case you don't realize how close to the City we were) dinner provided by Katie's parents. Unfortunately......all the paint that we used to decorate our lovely trailer spilled and they had to spend quite some time cleaning out the (leased) van. And so two hours later, after being told by the Portugeuse (Club) of Danbury that we had to leave the property for loitering, as the temperature dropped into the 50s and the moon began to rise, we got a ride back to the church in our van, which now sports a bright orange floor and no middle seat (it had to be removed for cleaning). We returned to the church, ate some pizza, and immediately fell asleep.

And then there was today.

Tomorrow is Pennsylvania.

I really don't think I have never pushed my body this hard before. All those preseasons I had where I seriously thought my quads were going to rip out of my legs the moment I took another step...those mean nothing now. They are minute compared to this physical exursion that I, and every Bike and Builder, commits to every morning at 6am. BUT...it is wonderful. I can not think of a better way to spend my summer. The people I have met are so amazing -- hilarious, motivating, intelligent, strong athletes. This is such a wonderful experience!

I'm trying to get some pics at some point but the computers I keep using don't have spaces for my memory card. Check out the website though because I heard there is one of me. And I know there are a bunch on The Facebook too. So if you're interested, definitely take a look!

Until next time--

The END of Orientation...we ride west tomorrow morning.

Well I survived orientation. I met everyone, learned bike maintenance, did a shake-down ride, have been successfully getting up at 6 (and running too), ate some ice cream (Americone Dream, not really a fan of the flavor but I did it for the trip), and the color that I had previously been getting on my shoulders and chest is fading fast. Oh and I crashed too, so I guess that makes me an official cyclist.

The past 48 hours have been spent getting to know our group and eating lots of carbs. There are 32 riders, from various colleges throughout the country --mostly Brown, Harvard, one other kid from Kenyon, a few from RISD...and then other small crunchy liberal arts schools like Mt. Holyoke as well as some larger schools like Cornell, Texas (GO BUCKEYES), and Minnesota (hi Ricky). We also have a rider who served in the IDF, a rider who returned from Africa just last week, and two riders who had never used clipless pedals before yesterday. There are guys in our group who cycle for their school teams, and one of our leaders biked xc two summers ago. I felt at home when I realized that Ohio is well represented -- not only are there two Kenyon kids ('06 and '09) but two girls from Cincinasty and another from Cleveland who went to Baldwin-Wallace. So yes, it goes without saying that we will be able to have a Graeter's party (or three) when we roll thru the Buckeye State. In addition there are several New Jersey kids, and even though I haven't lived there since '02....since I am moving home at the end of the summer (I know, ouch) I better appreciate them too! Seriously though, it's a great group of young adults and I am super excited to spend the next nine weeks with them.

We took our first ride as a group yesterday, biking 20 miles of the East Bay trail outside of Providence. It required about a mile on a highway bridge, complete with high-speed winds (no big deal), a wrong turn, and beautiful scenery. Those three things are only a glimpse of what is to come!

Today was our first build day, we built a fence at a Habitat home on the west side of Providence. Let me tell you...building a fence is NOT an easy thing. Apparently it really does matter which screws should be drilled in which holes, the way each post goes, AND the way each of the horizontal posts go. Also, even though we were using teamwork, it really is counteractive to use two people to drill. By accident I drilled through (well ok, not through) Mary's hand. Oops. She is ok though!

Tomorrow we will ride 37 miles to Plainfield, CT, our shortest ride of the trip. I'm sure we'll still have kinks to work out, but I have confidence that every single rider is well-prepared. Everyone is so eager to roll (literally) out of Ptown and get this show on the road!

Bring it on, United States...here we come!

HOOTIE.

TOMORRRRROWWWW

Omg. Tomorrow I head up to Providence for the start of one of the best summers (slash experiences) of my life. I am so excited!!!

I'm staying in Providence for the weekend with my lovely childhood friend Abby Brewster. I'm hoping to meet some other Bike and Build riders on Sunday, but if not, Monday is The Big Day, so I'll definitely meet everyone then.

Yes I am excited, but I'm nervous, too. The following are worries/concerns I have about the next 9 weeks:

1) I will get out of running shape. I mean, obviously. But seriously -- I would love to do a marathon in the fall (Portland, OR/Chicago/Columbus?...any takers?) so I should probably try and run 3-4 days a week. How this is going to happen I have no idea. But I am slightly obsessed with running and I will make sure it does. Even though every time I get off my bike and go for a run it is a huge struggle...I'm talking heavy legs, feels-like-I'm-running-through-molasses struggle. Yeah...I'll keep you updated. Sidenote: I am also worried about losing arm strength, and glad that I don't have to be in shape for lacrosse anymore.

2) I will gain weight. This is bound to happen. In fact I do not know any (female) riders who have done Bike and Build and not arrived at the Pacific Ocean without an additional 10-15 pounds. YIKES. I am especially nervous about not fitting into clothes for all the interviews I have lined up in the fall (HA! Interviews...that's funny). Seriously though...if you notice that I look a bit pudgy in pictures, feel free to let me know. Like...you may not recognize me. Now that I'm no longer a recent college graduate I have noticed my metabolism slowing down. And since ice cream is my favorite food, and I am bringing a book that lists all the best ice cream places in the country, and I plan on consuming heaps of ice cream each day, even though I am lactose intolerant...well, I just may have to be rolled across the Golden Gate Bridge. Think Violet from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Like I said earlier, you may not recognize me.

3) Sick tan lines. The word sick can be interpreted a few different ways here. The first is sick as in GROSS. Example: it will look like I am wearing a jersey even when I am completely topless. White shoulders and upper arms like a truck driver or farmer, gleaming white. It should look lovely when I wear a strapless dress to a wedding in September. Of course the other interpretation of the word sick is FANTASTIC. Who doesn't want it to seem like they're wearing socks (or spandex, or a Bike and Build jersey, or gloves, or sunglasses for that matter) when they are...not? What can I say, I'm vain.

4) Laundry. I've done it before. Ok, not the whole living-out-of-a-bag thing for nine weeks, but the wear-the-same-outfit-practically-every-day thing. My junior year I spent my fall semester abroad (Turks and Caicos, hootie), where we had to use a few sprays of Febreez to clean our clothing. Fresh water wasn't exactly readily available on the island of South Caicos. At least not for something as unimportant as washing laundry. But yeah, I am OCD (and I mean super anal) about how I do my laundry -- what gets dried (or more like what doesn't get dried), what gets washed cold water only, what gets spun on the delicate cycle, etc. etc. What the heck am I supposed to do when it gets -- God forbid -- tossed in a laundromat machine, one of those front-end types that dirty laundry belonging to other people -- people I don't even know -- touches?!?! Talk about sick. I will have to...what's the word my mother always uses?...Cope? Yes, I'll have to cope. But if my one cotton shirt I'm bringing shrinks, I'll be pissed. And you know my span can't shrink anymore...especially with the 10 pounds of ice cream I'll be dragging around in, yes literally in, it.

There are more ridiculous things that I can't even post here because I'm sure you already think I am so over the top. But don't worry I will make sure to fill you in on the adventures I have running after a century ride (oh I would never do that), counting my calories (nope, I'd never do that either), trying to tan on my lunch break (this I might attempt), and insisting that I be in charge of laundry every time we go to wash it (I'm sure this will get really old really fast).

In the meantime, check out the article below, as well as the radio clip of Bike and Build founder, Marc Bush (Caitlin Wells, seeing/hearing his name makes me think of you every time).

Enjoy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/05/health/05brod.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1181070189-8OrNmGwqerdsoijx0t7CIA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ONxb9WcONk&NR=1

Now it's time for more packing and a few hours of sleep before I hop on 95 and head up to Providence.

Monday, June 11, 2pm in Providence, RI: BRING IT ON.

New tires!

I picked up Brutus from the bike shop today (it ended up getting dropped off at Hart's in Pennington, not Knapp's) and almost didn't recognize him when the owner wheeled him out. He not only had brand new tires (Continental 4000s, an upgrade from the original Continental 3000s), but his cables were tightened, the bar tape was redone, and he appeared to have been powerwashed. Seriously, he was glistening. Just like new...what an amazing site.

Immediately after picking up my bike, I headed out on a 30 mile ride through Pennington Boro, Hopewell Township, Lawrence Township, Princeton Township, Princeton Boro, and Hopewell Boro. The landscape here is so beautiful, it reminds me a lot of Knox/Licking/Morrow County, Ohio, where I spent 2002-2006 at Kenyon College. Rural views include unmowed grass, sunwashed red barns, stands of oak, maple, and pine, an occasional brook or stream, and fenced-in pastures for horses and cows. The rolling hills add to the beauty, with narrow two-lane roads that lack the double yellow lines of their busier counterparts, with certain places where the land seems to literally touch a cloudless sky (this definitely reminds me of Ohio). So much more scenic than the busy roads of the Washington, DC metropolitan area that I spent the past 8 months riding in preparation for two Mondays from now.

Brutus did well on the ride, which had more hills than I expected. Some parts I hadn't ever ridden before and it never fails to surprise me how much more steep the hills seem via bike than via car. Overall though the ride was fantastic.

I received my final bike parts in the mail today: extra tubes and spokes, as well as some Carb Boom packets (suggested by Tamara Parr, American '07). I'm sure I'll have to be getting some last-minute items in Providence (or somewhere in Pennsylvania...or Indiana...or Kansas...etc etc) but for now I'm all out of money!


Thanks to the following shops for their merchandise:

Revolution Cycles, Washington, DC
http://revolutioncycles.com/

Hart's Cyclery, Pennington, NJ
609-737-3008

Bicycle One, Gahanna, OH
http://bicycleone.com/index.cfm

Bike Source, Columbus, OH
http://bikesourceonline.com/

And online vendors:

www.performancebike.com

http://www.terrybicycles.com/

www.teamestrogen.com


Favorite brands:
Pearl Izumi
Terry


Today's hardest bits of my ride:
-hill going east on Rosedale Road in Princeton Township.
-hill going north (and straight up) on Hopewell-Wertsville Road in Hopewell Township.
-Aunt Molly Road, Hopewell Township. They forgot to pave the middle of it. I did get a nice 10 minute walk in, though.

Today's prettiest bits of my ride:
-Van Kirk Road in Lawrence Township.
-Carson Road in Lawrence Township.
-Pretty Brook Road in Princeton Township.
-Featherbed Lane in Hopewell Township.
-Wargo Road in Hopewell Township (this is one of my favorite roads, I try to ride it every day).

Fastest speed:
40mph on Pretty Brook Road.


N.B. The Park Avenue hill I struggled to get up every time I biked back from Kunkle Park growing up is no longer a big deal.


12 days till Ptown :)