Boulder, Colorado to Steamboat Springs, Colorado

highlights from each of the last few towns...
Boulder: Boulder is just wonderful, sometimes I wish I could have gone to school there. We stayed really close to Pearl Street Mall, so we spent a lot of time just walking around there exploring. There was tons of good coffee, a really cool vintage shop, and great food! The build day was the most organized one we have had so far. Build days are always my favorites. We helped prep for the second story to go up, we put up cap plates and joists.

Estes Park: 59 miles. One of my favorite days. We climbed all morning which I have surprisingly come to enjoy. The descent into Estes Park was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. We could see the city and the lake on our way down, got to go through a bunch of rock formations and were surrounded by mountains. It almost didn't seem real, it was absolutely breathtaking. We stayed at this alternative high school that is sponsored by Honda. It was up on this hill secluded from everything. We spent a lot of time outside relaxing and talking.















Granby: 86 miles. Trail Ridge. It was epic. Trail Ridge is the highest continuous motor way in the US. We got to an elevation of 12,183. The climb wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be, it just took a long time. The wind at the top was so bad I had to get off and walk my bike, it was blowing us off the road. We could see everything from the top. There was a point where we looked down into the valley and could see the road we started on. It was incredible seeing how high we had climbed. I got to have dinner with Jamey and Jess. We went into Winter Park and ate, it was really good to see them and catch up. That night we had Bike&Build prom. I had the best date, Jen Carboni, we both looked phenomenal. I wore a green velvety dress and hers was pastel and striped. I was on prom court. It was a really good night.
















[This was the view from close to the top of Trail Ridge, the road in the middle of the picture is where we started and the road to the right of that is the one we used to climb to the top, beautiful isn't it?]
















[at the top of Trail Ridge]

Kremling: 26 miles. We got to sleep in until 9. Then got up and went to a coffee place across the street and had breakfast. We didn't leave the church until noon. The ride was really really windy but pretty short. We ate at a pub in Kremling and then went to our campsite and set up the tents and made dinner. It was really windy and got pretty cold. We watched fireworks at the town park downtown. It got really cold and rainy at night. Waking up the next morning was really slow.

Steamboat Springs: 52 miles. It was freezing! We were all in leg and arm warmers all day long. The ride was beautiful. We climbed for the first 33ish miles. Having beautiful scenery to look at makes the ride go so much quicker and seem much easier. We have crossed the continental divide three times, that is a big monument for me. It has always been really exciting when we drove over it to go skiing or visit family but I actually biked across it. The reality of what we are doing this summer hasn't caught up to me yet. I keep waiting for it, expecting to be overwhelmed with emotion at anytime. I think it will either happen when we get to Cannon Beach or when I get home and start to put together my video of the summer, when I am forced to sit and process through everything. Bike and Build has become my life now, the end is fast approaching and I am no where ready for this to end. I am really focusing on taking advantage of every moment of every day and learning to live in the moment. These people and these experiences are some of the greatest of my life. Life doesn't get anymore real than this.

Manhattan, Kansas to Denver, Colorado

6/21- Manhattan, Kansas. Our first DAY OFF!! We slept in as late as we could, till about 8. I did a lot of relaxing on my computer and listening to music and just sitting on the couch. At about 11 we all got free massages and chipotle! The morning really could not have been any better. We walked downtown in the afternoon and visited the bike shop, got some really good coffee, looked around a used bookstore and then hung around the church until dinner. After we played around the world ping pong, which is now one of my favorite games. There was also a really big ball, about as tall as me, that people made up all sorts of games with, like who could catch it when it was thrown really hard at them, and who could stay on top of it the longest. It was really nice to have no agenda for the day after having a month straight of biking.

6/22- Clay Center, Kansas. 40 miles. The ride was really easy, we got to lunch at about 9 and were done with the ride by 11. The main street in Clay Center was Crawford St. We stopped and got frosties from wendy's on the way in, some people went to the zoo. I spent my afternoon working on mid trip evals for our leaders. After dinner I wasn't feeling very well so I turned in at about 7:30 and just went to sleep [on a couch!]

6/23- Beloit, Kansas. 56 miles. I took the day very slow, I still wasn't feeling very good. I got to have some good one-on-one time with Will P which passed the time really well. Beloit is a really cute town. You would never know it was there if you didn't know where to look though. We came in on 36 and turned on this random road and the town was down that road. You can't see it from the highway. We went downtown to this place called the Soda Fountain and all had milkshakes. Then rode down to the pool and enjoyed some sun, a diving board, and a climbing wall in the water. We showered and went back to the host to relax, nap, eat, etc. We had pizza for dinner and then most of the group went and saw Toy Story 3. My grandpa was driving from Denver to Philly to help my uncle move and was close to Beloit while we were there so he stopped in to say hello. It was really really good to see him. I wish he could have stayed longer. Everyone in my group that met him said he was the coolest grandpa they had ever met. That night I got to watch Amelie with a couple of the girls. Its one of my favorite movies, if you haven't seen it you should!

6/24- Phillipsburg, Kansas. 79 miles. We passed through the geographic center of the country today and also got to see the worlds largest ball of twine [I was expecting it to be bigger]. I have been really surprised by Kansas and how beautiful it is. I was expecting it to be flat and windy and so far it really hasn't been either of those things. There have been a good amount of hills and the scenery is beautiful, lots of wheat fields, and corn, and barns. I am really enjoying it. We ate at a little dinner called the Chubby Pickle for our after the ride meal. Lindsay introduced us to corn balls, which is just deep fried creamed corn. They were pretty good. I got my mint green grip tape today! It is wonderful.















6/25- Oberlin, Kansas. 69 miles. Today was one of the more difficult days, everyone was struggling. There was just a really big headwind. You feel like you are working really hard but not moving very fast. We got to lunch around 9:45 and there was a dairy queen across the street that didn't open until 11. A few of us decided to nap and wait until it opened. That was not a good idea at all. After napping and having ice cream no one wanted to ride. Plus, it got really hot. I did sleep really well when we got to the church though.

6/26- St. Francis, Kansas. 69 miles. The headwinds have started to get pretty bad. I made it to lunch and had to decide to ride in the van the rest of the day. I am having some really bad chaffing and the only way to let it heal, besides lots of diaper rash creams, is to not ride. Being in the van is not fun at all. I am on this trip to ride my bike and not being able to because of an injury is really frustrating. We got to St. Francis and went down to a little restaurant/bowling alley to watch the US/Ghana game. It was really sad to see the US lose, especially because they had so many chances to score. Brit and I went to a thrift store where you paid 3 dollars for an 18 gallon trash bag and could have as much clothing as you could fit in the bag. We got our outfits for the Bike and Build prom that is happening in the mountains. The bowling alley let us bowl for free that night.

6/27- Akron, COLORADO!! 89 miles. Today was the highlight of this trip so far. At about mile 20 we got to the state sign. First there was a sign that said "Leaving Kansas, come again!" so we all took pictures by that. Everyone was ecstatic to be leaving Kansas. The wind had been so bad we were just ready to be done with it. The state sign for Colorado is the best one we have seen so far. It was a little overwhelming to see it and know that I had ridden my bike from the Atlantic Coast to Colorado. To top it all off, Jen asked me to be her date to prom at the base of the sign with a bouquet of wheat. I am a lucky girl. The minute we crossed over the border, our ride changed. The wind stopped, we even had a tailwind for a while. Everyone was in high spirits to be out of Kansas and were all squinting at the horizon to try and catch a glimpse of the Rockies. There is something about this state that just warms my soul and makes me feel at home. I am so glad to be back.















[watching a beautiful sunset]

6/28- Denver, Colorado! 105 miles. I had a really hard time sleeping I was so excited. I was up at 4 ready to go. I tossed and turned until the alarm went off at 5. One of our leaders, Sharif, gave a speech like we were going into battle to get us all excited and pumped for the day, it was awesome. The ride was really really tough. The wind was incredibly strong. It got to the point where all I could do was laugh. I would ride as hard as I could and only be going 11 mph. I had to stop after first lunch. I need to be smart and let myself heal so that I can be healthy for the Rockies. Again being in the van is not fun at all. We got to second lunch, around mile 75, and I called Ryan and he said he would come pick me up. Ryan, Ian, Katie and Maggie came and picked me up. We rode into Denver on the same route everyone was biking in on. It was torture not biking. They got to go down some of the really pretty streets. I want to do that ride in August when I get back. I got to have a homemade meal with my family. It is so good to be here. This city has a really special place in my heart. Tomorrow we are doing a fundraiser where we are going to raise 10,000 dollars in one day for affordable housing. I cannot wait to ride in the Rockies.

Columbus, Indiana to Manhattan, Kansas

1. University of Indiana has the biggest greek houses I've ever seen.
2. Our group loves when a town has a coffee shop; getting caffeine is a real treat for us.
3. Psalm 34 has been a huge part of the last couple weeks for me, its phenomenal. Especially verses 3 and 8.
4. Ice cream after a ride is the best. My signature order is a swirl cone.
5. I think I’ve had a brownie every single day, it’s out of control.
6. Gravel roads make my muscles itchy. Nothing makes you appreciate a paved road more than being on a gravel one in the rain for miles at a time.
7. I found out that Will’s brother and my dad work together, which is awesome.
8. I have been getting the most letters! Thank you so much to everyone who has been sending them, I can’t even begin to tell you how much I look forward to them and appreciate them.
9. I have discovered a bunch of new favorite things; riding next to trains, big farm tractors, around the world ping pong, bandanas, random awkward postcards, getting up at 5, the sound tires make on wet dirt, seeing 100 on your odometer for the day, fresh peaches from farmers markets, the arch in St. Louis, crossing the Mississippi river on a bike!!, electric saws and any kind of power tool, blueberry bagels, the smell of whole foods,
10. The sky in Kansas gets really beautiful but extremely scary during storms.
11. The generosity of people in this country leaves me speechless. We have been treated like royalty. I have never eaten so well and so much. We have been given two free massages, tons of food, places to stay every night and above all the pleasure of meeting and talking to great people across this country. It’s a beautiful place if we can just learn to slow down and really experience it.
12. 31 strangers over the course of a month have turned into my family, these are people that will always have a special place in my heart and that I will never forget. I am loving each and everyone of them for everything they bring to our group.

I’m really sorry I haven’t had a lot of free time to update. At the same time that is a really good thing. I have been really busy having a great time, creating memories and getting to know people even better. I can’t wait to see all of you and show you pictures and tell you stories of all the great things I’ve been experiencing.

This is beautiful…

May 28 - June 5

It has been a really busy week since I last had the chance to update. We left Charlottesville and climbed up Afton mountain to get onto the Blueridge Parkway. It was extremely difficult but the feeling when we actually got to the "top" and could look out and see how high we had climbed was indescribable. We got to do a lot of downhills and then back up to the top of the next peak. We are now really good at doing hills and all in really good shape. We stopped in Lexington, VA. The next day was surprisingly tougher than the actual parkway. The hills were really steep, so steep that at some points we felt like we were going to go backwards. Jen, Heather, and I came up with a good way to get through the mountains, we would only make it a little way at a time but it helped a lot. I have started making really creative sandwiches for lunch. For example, bread, grape jelly, apricot jelly, peanut butter, cream cheese, sour cream and onion chips, banana, and cocoa puffs. It has been delicious. We crossed our first state line today! West Virginia!! We stayed in Summersville, Charelston, and then Huntington. It was really nice to enjoy the downhills that we had worked so hard for. Every day there has been some sort of terrible unexpected climb. It sucks while we are doing it but feels SO good when we get to the top. We are now in Ohio and have been here for three days. We stayed in Portsmouth, Georgetown, and Cincinnati. We have been in Cincinnati for two days now. The first day we got here we went to a YMCA and got to go swimming which was so refreshing. I had been thinking about it for a few days so to finally get to do it was wild. We went to a karaoke bar last night and had a blast. I'm sure the other people in the bar weren't enjoying it as much as we were, we couldn't have been having a better time. Today we were on a build site helping put up the tresses for the roof. My shoulder was really bothering me so I took it pretty easy and stayed away from hammering. Tomorrow we go into our fourth state, I guess technically its our fifth because we rode into Kentucky for about two minutes to take a picture with the sign. I can't believe how fast its been going. It really feels like a family now. I am having a blast.

Charlottesville, Virginia continued...

today was wonderful. we are in Charlottesville still and had another build day. i got to do a bunch of nailing and learned how to put up windows. i love a hard days work.
best part of the day was after we finished the two girls on americorps told us about sprinklers they had seen down the road so a few of us decided to go. it was so refreshing. little kids were running around everywhere and then there were like 7 of us with them. it felt so good.
mail drop. thank you family!!! love you!

Charlottesville, Virginia

It has been so nice to stay in one place for more than one night. The ride here was phenomenal. It was like being in the mountains. We were biking along streams and lots of trees and flowers. It was my favorite day so far. It was a little difficult, just a sneak preview of the blue ridge parkway. We had dinner down town at the homeless kitchen and then went out on the town exploring. We had some amazing ice cream and did some karaoke. It was a lot of fun.
Today we worked at a habitat store sorting through paint and some of us worked on houses. We took showers and relaxed this afternoon and then enjoyed the most amazing feast of a dinner ever. We had spinach and artichoke dip, cous cous, puppy chow, chips and salsa, salad and then fruit salad, ice cream, and cake for dessert. It was the best. I am so full and happy.
We have been together for a week now, I can't believe how fast it is going.
First mail drop is tomorrow:)

Dillwyn, Virginia

highlights...
- a wonderful day! i am learning how much i need to be eating in order to have energy all day and not crash like i did last night.
- we got to do some hills in the afternoon, so pretty. the fields were just so beautiful.
- the church we stayed in was tiny, all 32 of us were crammed into a tiny basement.
- hose showers, again surprisingly refreshing.
- burritos for dinner! my favorite
- trailer painting/guitar/soccer/playing with the 12 kids that lived next door

Blackstone, Virginia

highlights..
- rained this morning, was pretty refreshing riding in the rain
- awesome new sunglasses at a dollar store
- we stayed at an army barracks and each got our own room and a bed! it was wonderful, i went to bed at like 8:30.
- we made a wonderful pasta dish with a peanuty sauce, mmm.

Waverly, Virginia

highlights..
- beautiful farm country, lots of wheat fields and old barns. so beautiful














- yoga in the backyard of the church when we got there
- nice COLD hose shower, it was surprisingly refreshing
- mcflurry from mcdonalds
- peanut/folk art/wood museum and the wonderful people who gave us tours
: the really simple names of all the art. ex: snake giving birth, angry dog.
- massage train on the front porch of the church














- it was Derrick's 23rd birthday so we tried to go out after dinner to one of the three restaurants, including mcdonalds, but they were all closed. the police pulled us over while we were walking back because we were making the people of the town nervous being out at 9
- we came back and played a game called curses instead, it was hilarious.
- i got to sleep with a body pillow, it was wonderful.

Suffolk, Virginia

The day started off with a wonderful breakfast prepared by the church we were hosted by. Then we headed off to the beach and had our wheel dip ceremony. We all lined up along the beach and on the count of three dipped our wheels in the water. We will have the same ceremony when we get to the West coast. It was a really special moment for all of us. We then got on our bikes and started riding. It was a really good day, no major problems with the directions (a small hiccup, no big deal). The weather was good and I got to ride with a couple different groups. They all rode at different speeds which spiced up my day. About half of the group, not me, stopped at a strawberry field and picked a bunch of berries. They were really good. We are in Suffolk now at a really nice church (with tons of sleeping room!), getting ready to watch Up and then get to bed early. I am exhausted. We have all been eating a crazy amount, I'm sure it will only get worse. We got to do some yoga this afternoon which was good for our muscles. Our group also decided that we were going to do pushups and sit ups to match the number of miles we did each day. We are all going to be ripped by July.

































[wheel dipping!!]

Virginia Beach, Virginia

This is going to be the summer of a life time, and its only been two days.
Everything went smoothly as far as getting all my stuff here and packing for two months in a 20 gallon tub. We have been really busy with ice breaking games, lots of meetings on bike safety, hygiene, chore groups, expectations, etc. We have started painting our trailer. Each route gets to design and paint the outside of the trailer that will be pulling everyones stuff. Ours is going to be awesome. We had a bike safety clinic with a bunch of local kids this afternoon. We also had dinner at the church we are staying at with all its members. They were super nice. We have been really spoiled as far as meals go so far. (no meat for me so far, yay!)
Our first ride is tomorrow. We will be up at 6ish. The church is making us breakfast and then we head out at 8. We are doing 60 instead of 40 because one of the roads we were going to take was pretty dangerous.
I am loving it and really excited for the actual riding.

Family - your post made me cry. I miss you all so much and am counting down the days until I get to see you in Denver. I keep telling everyone, they are very excited to meet you!!


[the house we have been staying in the last couple days]


[most of our group, first picture!]

ten days.

i did 37 miles yesterday, the altitude is kicking my butt.
as are the hills.
we don't really have hills in gainesville.

i found this.
new bike path!















i got to go play bingo and hang out with my great-grandma today. she is 98 and still kickin. way to go margaret. i met this woman, Ima, who was from Denmark and was almost 103. she was missing a leg, and was still the sweetest woman ever. older people fascinate me, they have so much knowledge and experience and are just dying to tell you about themselves.
aging is a beautiful thing.

twelve days.

I made it safely to Denver,
as did my bike.

I've been working on a lot of the technical stuff of the trip, thank you cards, presentations, getting all my gear together, etc. I am getting really anxious to just get to Virginia and start.

Today is the first day I've had my bike to be able to ride it so I got up early and was all ready to go, but its in the 30s...way too cold for me to ride. I'm going to wait for a couple hours for it to warm up a little bit before I go out exploring.

It is SO good to be with my family again. My siblings have school during the day so I'm getting to hang out with my mom a lot, which has been wonderful. I think tonight we are going to go out to dinner and see Iron Man 2. It's going to be the jam.

twenty four days.

I went on my sixty-five mile ride this morning.
It would have been fine except I didn't have enough water, the last twenty miles were brutal.

I am getting so excited for this trip, to meet people, to start riding, to explore and experience the country.

For now, I am packing up my room, visiting family, and working out like crazy.

thirty seven days.

my route for the summer got switched.
i am now on the central united states trip that goes from Virginia Beach, Virginia to Canon Beach, Oregon.

only problem is that i leave a month earlier than i was planning.
i don't know how i am going to be ready in time.

may 19 to july 31
i will have about 10 days to recover before i have to be back in gainesville which is good

i leave in thirty seven days.

http://www.bikeandbuild.org/cms/content/view/30/47/

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

-John Newton

[All Christians are at one beneficiaries and victims of tradition- beneficiaries, who receive nurturing truth and wisdom for God's faithfulness in past generations, victims, who not take for granted things that need to be questioned, thus treating as divine absolutes patterns of belief and behavior that should be seen as human provisional, and relative. We are all beneficiaries of good, wise, and sound tradition and victims of poor, unwise, and unsound traditions.]

- J.I Packer