Sorry for the delayed post, everyone! I've had trouble finding time to post/Internet access at some of our host sites. I arrived in Virginia Beach on Friday afternoon for orientation. I immediately started bonding with the people in my group--they are absolutely wonderful people, so dedicated to the cause of affordable housing, adventurous, extremely positive, not to mention HILARIOUS. We had a great time in Virginia Beach getting to know each other, exploring the area, and learning everything about what we would be doing in the next 10 weeks--riding, building, chore-ing, etc.
Sunday morning we had a wheel dip ceremony where we dipped our rear tires in the Atlantic Ocean and set off on the road. We will then dip our front tires in Cannon Beach, OR when we arrive across the country! Sunday's ride went very smoothly; it was quite flat and not too taxing. It was a lot of fun riding with different people and figuring out how an average ride-day will go. We can basically stop whenever we want for pictures, ice cream, etc. so it's a blast!
Monday's ride ("Tour de Farms") was beautiful but very hot, but again, not too hard. We stayed at a church in Waverly, VA where they fed us a potluck and we gave a presentation about Bike and Build; it was so much fun talking with the people about our goal and hearing their stories. Tuesday's ride was a bit rough; it was very hot, and I was designated one of the "sweep" riders, meaning a partner and I stayed behind all the other riders in case of flat tires, injuries, etc. However, with 15 miles left, riders ahead of us found a perfect river to swim in, including a rope swing! It was a blast (although riding in wet clothes after that wasn't too fun, but the 95-degree heat dried us pretty quickly.)
Tuesday night we camped at Pocahontas State Park and used "Donation Magic" for dinner, obtaining donations from: Chipotle, Dominos, Applebees, Starbucks, Chinese, Red Lobster, KFC, and some others I forget. In short, it was a feast. Wednesday's ride was probably the hardest; we began to get into the hills of Virginia as we traveled west, and it was very hot again. About three quarters into the ride, the leader I was riding with decided to ask a family that lived along the road if we could stick our feet in their pool. It's something I probably never would have asked and I was very nervous about accompanying her, but before I knew it, the woman who lived there had not only invited us to swim in her pool, she had offered us bathing suits and towels, bottled water, and fresh cantaloupe. I absolutely couldn't believe the generosity; I guess it's true what they say about Southern folk!
We finally completed the ride in Dilwyn, VA, a VERY small town (population: under 500) and it was, again, awesome meeting some of the parishioners from the church we stayed at. Today's ride to Charlottesville was very hilly, but short; only 45 miles or so! Charlottesville is beautiful; we're staying at a sorority house at UVA, very interesting. We have a couple of build days tomorrow and Saturday, meaning we build with a local chapter of Habitat or another affordable housing organization instead of biking for a day (which is great; I think everyone needs a break from the heat, hills, and sore muscles!!)
After building tomorrow, I'll fly home for Julie's graduation and party--YAY! I'm so excited to see everyone, but also anxious to get back on the trip. I am so very impressed with this organization and couldn't be happier that I'm able to be a part of it. Our leaders told us from the beginning, "Every day, wake up and say to yourself, 'I'm biking across America'" and you'll be able to push yourself through anything thrown at you for the day. As Megan Mazzella wisely reminded me, "God never gives you challenges bigger than you can handle." I can't wait for the rest of the summer, especially to continue seeing everything this country has to offer and to keep making new friends!
