I can hardly believe it but we are well into out trip and should be reaching our halfway point in just a matter of days!! I believe we have done about 1600 miles to date since we left Nags Head, NC. And since then we have also had 7 build days. It has been the most incredible summer so far.
Each day is a new adventure, from rainstorms, to taking fu(ny) pictures and playing silly games, meeting new people, experiencing small town life and sometimes big city stresses. I can not imagine a better way to see this beautiful country. I am just beginning to understand the love of cycling. Each day now, rather than convincing myself to pick myself up out of bed, I wake up excited to ride my bike. And if I must say so myself, I am getting pretty darn good at it. I no longer have to stop on big hills, I can clip in and out of my pedals- no problem. I can navigate the road, predicting pavement patterns and can communicate effectively with other riders.
I am even learning tricks of the trade to read the land. I do occasionally pull out my old teachings from Outward Bound when we are in the mountains, such as reading land features to see if we have reached our highest elevation. However, i am also learning how to read man. For example, water towers often signify a high elevation, and railroad tracks probably indicate stretches of flat land. It all comes from experience, like many things in life. I find I am learning more than I could ever imagine on this trip, and I am continually amazed at just how diverse America is, both in land and people.
I will have to share more specific stories and some more rider profiles soon, but I believe we are taking a spontaneous adventure down to the lake by Grove, Oklahoma. It is just outside the church we are staying at! I'll write again soon!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
A Day of Rest and Learning
Today was our first day off in Memphis, TN. My experience of Memphis has been very different from the rest of the state, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Last night we explored a bit of the night life on Beale street. I was one of 5 lucky bike and builders who arrived in style, stepping from our friend Dre's tricked out car. Our ears were ringing a bit from the blaring music (which we chose over the videos that could have played on tvs installed in the back of the two front seats), but I couldn't stop grinning. Dre told us, "I could turn it down but it would still be loud." It was the sweetest ride I've ever taken in a car. Dre is one of the original Beale Street Flipperz, but now primarily raps. He is a pretty neat guy and very nice.
In the city, we roamed the brick street lined with neon lights advertising blues and booze. We settled on the Rum Boogie Cafe and saw an awesome live performance by a local band. They were really impressive. I immersed myself in the musical genius their fingers created and savored the jazzy goodness over french fries. After the band finished though, I headed back to our host pretty early to ensure a full nights sleep.
Today, Josh, Ray, Amy, and I spent the day exploring Memphis's contemporary culture and rich history. We had breakfast at a local diner before conquering the Memphis public transit system. Getting downtown started out a bit rocky, but we figured it out and made it to town without any troubles. We even talked with Larry, a local, and told him about Bike and Build. He was interested and impressed with what we were doing, and helped us find the trolley to take to the Civil Right Museum.
The Museum was great and extremely comprehensive! It was a new experience for me to see the entire civil rights movement from slaver to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr laid out before me. The displays covered full rooms. I learned a lot about key people in the movement, some I had heard of and some I had not. We also watched a documentary about the assassination of MLK. Prior to today, I was not aware that he had been killed in Memphis. Somehow I had forgotten that detail since we had studied it in High School. The Lorraine Hotel he had been staying at and where he was shot, has been converted into the Civil Rights Museum. However, much of the room and scene from the shooting have been replicated to resemble that fateful day.
After the museum we successfully navigated the bus system again and made it back to our host in time to check out the local BBQ joint- Central Barbecue. Ribs and a cola was exactly what I needed after a long hot day. Tomorrow we hit the road again with a 70ish mile day I believe. We will be crossing two state lines tomorrow! we will dip down into Mississippi for a little bit before crossing into Arkansas. For this, we will be WALKING our bikes over the Mississippi river! (Apparently there is a lot of glass on the bridge.)
Meet Josh Stutte
I have been privileged enough to ride a few days with Josh or "Stutte," (pronounced "stootee" ). Josh is one of the people I have had many serious and meaningful conversations with on this trip. I always appreciate hearing his perspective on debates or issues and have already learned a lot from him. (His name is also fun to place into popular songs...a routine bike and build activity.)
Not a day goes by when Josh does not proclaim his excitement about Bike and Build, its mission, and of course, about riding his bike. He he loves physical challenges. He participates in everything from marathons and triathalons, to long distance cycling or soccer. He once rode 120 miles in one day, just to pick up some mail at his school, what I would call economic travel to the max. I don't think we will be riding that far in one day on this trip, but it definitely a feat to aspire too.
Josh is from Titusville, Florida, or so he claims it as his home. He was actually born in Maryland but moved to Florida with his parents and older brother John when he was very young. Josh just graduated from Stetson University with a degree in the Humanities. Josh and I often talk about issues surrounding social justice and religious studies. He has mentioned to me that he is fascinated in religion "because it plays such a huge factor in what people do and how they act", which is a fact I am discovering to be true even throughout this trip.
In the city, we roamed the brick street lined with neon lights advertising blues and booze. We settled on the Rum Boogie Cafe and saw an awesome live performance by a local band. They were really impressive. I immersed myself in the musical genius their fingers created and savored the jazzy goodness over french fries. After the band finished though, I headed back to our host pretty early to ensure a full nights sleep.
Today, Josh, Ray, Amy, and I spent the day exploring Memphis's contemporary culture and rich history. We had breakfast at a local diner before conquering the Memphis public transit system. Getting downtown started out a bit rocky, but we figured it out and made it to town without any troubles. We even talked with Larry, a local, and told him about Bike and Build. He was interested and impressed with what we were doing, and helped us find the trolley to take to the Civil Right Museum.
The Museum was great and extremely comprehensive! It was a new experience for me to see the entire civil rights movement from slaver to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr laid out before me. The displays covered full rooms. I learned a lot about key people in the movement, some I had heard of and some I had not. We also watched a documentary about the assassination of MLK. Prior to today, I was not aware that he had been killed in Memphis. Somehow I had forgotten that detail since we had studied it in High School. The Lorraine Hotel he had been staying at and where he was shot, has been converted into the Civil Rights Museum. However, much of the room and scene from the shooting have been replicated to resemble that fateful day.
After the museum we successfully navigated the bus system again and made it back to our host in time to check out the local BBQ joint- Central Barbecue. Ribs and a cola was exactly what I needed after a long hot day. Tomorrow we hit the road again with a 70ish mile day I believe. We will be crossing two state lines tomorrow! we will dip down into Mississippi for a little bit before crossing into Arkansas. For this, we will be WALKING our bikes over the Mississippi river! (Apparently there is a lot of glass on the bridge.)
Meet Josh Stutte
I have been privileged enough to ride a few days with Josh or "Stutte," (pronounced "stootee" ). Josh is one of the people I have had many serious and meaningful conversations with on this trip. I always appreciate hearing his perspective on debates or issues and have already learned a lot from him. (His name is also fun to place into popular songs...a routine bike and build activity.)
Not a day goes by when Josh does not proclaim his excitement about Bike and Build, its mission, and of course, about riding his bike. He he loves physical challenges. He participates in everything from marathons and triathalons, to long distance cycling or soccer. He once rode 120 miles in one day, just to pick up some mail at his school, what I would call economic travel to the max. I don't think we will be riding that far in one day on this trip, but it definitely a feat to aspire too.
Josh is from Titusville, Florida, or so he claims it as his home. He was actually born in Maryland but moved to Florida with his parents and older brother John when he was very young. Josh just graduated from Stetson University with a degree in the Humanities. Josh and I often talk about issues surrounding social justice and religious studies. He has mentioned to me that he is fascinated in religion "because it plays such a huge factor in what people do and how they act", which is a fact I am discovering to be true even throughout this trip.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Tennessee!
I apologize for the long time lapse between posts. Things seem to be going fast and slow at the same time lately. It is hard to believe we are nearly 1000 miles into our journey and have already passed into the Central time zone! To add to the remoteness of this journey- on top of stolen laptops and patchy internet access, my phone has now ceased to work as well. So, for any of you who may try to contact me- stick to email or facebook for the next week or so!
Anyways, this week has been really interesting. After some amazing days on the Blue Ridge Parkway (and HUGE climbs), we coasted our way into Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I would not argue with the notion that Gatlinburg is the "Myrtle Beach of the Mountains." We will just say it was not our favorite city, which might have had something to do with the fact that we could not even bike through town because of the Memorial Day traffic and piles of pedestrians. We camped in tents that night though, and I will say that was the best night of sleep I have received yet. It was very tough to get up in the morning with the restful sound of rain outside.
I have not spent much time in Tennessee before, so I am learning a lot about the culture of my neighbors. One of the first experiences we had in Tennessee was a build day in Maryville. As unique as its southern pronunciation, Maryville showed us a good time. From carpeted basketball courts to NASCAR themed bowling alleys, we have tasted a southern experience unknown to most, even us North Carolinians. Perhaps the most special part of our time in Maryville was when we were able to complete an entire floor structuring for Stephanie, a new home owner we met and built with. She was very appreciative of our help and told us about her two children. It was a moment that reminded us all of why we are on this trip.
Other memorable moments from Tennessee include many long rides and some slow talkers. Sometimes I feel as if I have stepped smack into the middle of a country song, being played out right before my eyes. It has definitely been an eye-opening few days. It is a wonder just how far away some people live from even basic commodities. We have passed an immense number of yard sales in the last few days, which are located in the most far out places and set up at crazy times, like 11am on a Wednesday. It makes me wonder if these yard sales are a common shopping choice for some of these households? I don't know, but like I said, it has been interesting.
Sweetwater, TN was probably one of my favorite places we have been to so far. The people were extremely friendly and we had an incredible pot luck dinner that stretched on and on and on. And they loaded us up with cookies and pound cake to go! It was a short ride into Sweetwater, so a two and a half hour nap was another highlight of that day. I don't know if I've ever felt so refreshed after a nap before. I felt like a new person.
We stayed at the National Guard Armory in Dunlap, TN last night, which was a really neat host site with very friendly hosts. And tonight we are in Winchester, TN, probably the biggest city we have been to since Gatlinburg. It was a beastly steep climb over Daus Mountain this morning, but an easy afternoon of rollers after lunch. We did a little exploration around downtown this afternoon, making a bit of a stir across town. Thirty two casual young adults roaming in flocks can do that pretty easily I've found. Speaking of roaming, we have seen lots of awesome cow and horse farms in the last few days which has been super entertaining, at least for me!
Okay, I know I haven't done bios in a while, so here is one!
Sami Feld
( Sami is on the left, Cathleen is on the Right)
I believe Sami and I have a lot in common. What I love most about Sami is her desire to help people, and her great smile that reaches all the way up to her eyes. Sami just graduated from NYU with a degree in Public Health. Like myself, she is considering graduate school for public health, or possibly social work. Sami grew up in the San Francisco Bay area in California with her parents, sister Zoe, and dog Buddy, who is an adorable bichon frise. Yes, the fuzzy white yippie dogs. VERY cute, I saw pictures. Her Dad is a doctor and mother was a nurse. AND her sister is headed on a pre-med track at Barnard at Columbia. Naturally, Sami comes from a giving family.
Sami has had some very interesting passions and jobs over the last few years. She has worked with the Clinton foundation, ran a program at NYU which focused on diminishing waste in dining halls by distributing leftoovers to homeless shelters, and even helped set up chicken coops in low income community gardens with an organization called Just Food. The eggs these chickens laid were sold at farmers markets as a source of income for the local families. I got to see some pretty awesome photos from this job too. Sami holding a chicken = GREAT. She has also been active in promoting awareness for the call to free the hikers who are currently being detained in Iran. Her friend Josh Fattal has been detained in Iran since July 31, 2009, when news reports say they accidentally crossed an unmarked border during a hiking trip in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan. You can find out more at www.freethehikers.org.
And that's Sami!
Okay I should let someone else use our computer now. But before I do, just one more shout out! One of the guys on our trip, Myles, is competing in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge by entering Bike and Build as a Cause. And he is in the top 150! PLEASE REGISTER AND VOTE ONLINE SO WE CAN GET ANOTHER $5000 FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING! Once you register, you can vote once a day from now until the end of the competition on June 30th. Check it out! www.refresheverything.com/bikeandbuild
Anyways, this week has been really interesting. After some amazing days on the Blue Ridge Parkway (and HUGE climbs), we coasted our way into Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I would not argue with the notion that Gatlinburg is the "Myrtle Beach of the Mountains." We will just say it was not our favorite city, which might have had something to do with the fact that we could not even bike through town because of the Memorial Day traffic and piles of pedestrians. We camped in tents that night though, and I will say that was the best night of sleep I have received yet. It was very tough to get up in the morning with the restful sound of rain outside.
I have not spent much time in Tennessee before, so I am learning a lot about the culture of my neighbors. One of the first experiences we had in Tennessee was a build day in Maryville. As unique as its southern pronunciation, Maryville showed us a good time. From carpeted basketball courts to NASCAR themed bowling alleys, we have tasted a southern experience unknown to most, even us North Carolinians. Perhaps the most special part of our time in Maryville was when we were able to complete an entire floor structuring for Stephanie, a new home owner we met and built with. She was very appreciative of our help and told us about her two children. It was a moment that reminded us all of why we are on this trip.
Other memorable moments from Tennessee include many long rides and some slow talkers. Sometimes I feel as if I have stepped smack into the middle of a country song, being played out right before my eyes. It has definitely been an eye-opening few days. It is a wonder just how far away some people live from even basic commodities. We have passed an immense number of yard sales in the last few days, which are located in the most far out places and set up at crazy times, like 11am on a Wednesday. It makes me wonder if these yard sales are a common shopping choice for some of these households? I don't know, but like I said, it has been interesting.
Sweetwater, TN was probably one of my favorite places we have been to so far. The people were extremely friendly and we had an incredible pot luck dinner that stretched on and on and on. And they loaded us up with cookies and pound cake to go! It was a short ride into Sweetwater, so a two and a half hour nap was another highlight of that day. I don't know if I've ever felt so refreshed after a nap before. I felt like a new person.
We stayed at the National Guard Armory in Dunlap, TN last night, which was a really neat host site with very friendly hosts. And tonight we are in Winchester, TN, probably the biggest city we have been to since Gatlinburg. It was a beastly steep climb over Daus Mountain this morning, but an easy afternoon of rollers after lunch. We did a little exploration around downtown this afternoon, making a bit of a stir across town. Thirty two casual young adults roaming in flocks can do that pretty easily I've found. Speaking of roaming, we have seen lots of awesome cow and horse farms in the last few days which has been super entertaining, at least for me!
Okay, I know I haven't done bios in a while, so here is one!
Sami Feld
( Sami is on the left, Cathleen is on the Right)
I believe Sami and I have a lot in common. What I love most about Sami is her desire to help people, and her great smile that reaches all the way up to her eyes. Sami just graduated from NYU with a degree in Public Health. Like myself, she is considering graduate school for public health, or possibly social work. Sami grew up in the San Francisco Bay area in California with her parents, sister Zoe, and dog Buddy, who is an adorable bichon frise. Yes, the fuzzy white yippie dogs. VERY cute, I saw pictures. Her Dad is a doctor and mother was a nurse. AND her sister is headed on a pre-med track at Barnard at Columbia. Naturally, Sami comes from a giving family.
Sami has had some very interesting passions and jobs over the last few years. She has worked with the Clinton foundation, ran a program at NYU which focused on diminishing waste in dining halls by distributing leftoovers to homeless shelters, and even helped set up chicken coops in low income community gardens with an organization called Just Food. The eggs these chickens laid were sold at farmers markets as a source of income for the local families. I got to see some pretty awesome photos from this job too. Sami holding a chicken = GREAT. She has also been active in promoting awareness for the call to free the hikers who are currently being detained in Iran. Her friend Josh Fattal has been detained in Iran since July 31, 2009, when news reports say they accidentally crossed an unmarked border during a hiking trip in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan. You can find out more at www.freethehikers.org.
And that's Sami!
Okay I should let someone else use our computer now. But before I do, just one more shout out! One of the guys on our trip, Myles, is competing in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge by entering Bike and Build as a Cause. And he is in the top 150! PLEASE REGISTER AND VOTE ONLINE SO WE CAN GET ANOTHER $5000 FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING! Once you register, you can vote once a day from now until the end of the competition on June 30th. Check it out! www.refresheverything.com/bikeandbuild
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