The Aughts

Being New Years Eve and all I thought this would be a fun time to re-cap and reflect on all the amazing places I have been and things I have been so amazingly lucky to experience:

-Ride my bike across the country from Portsmouth, NH to Vancouver, Canada. Ride through states I only hoped of ever knowing - Wisconsin, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Idaho, Washington... just to name a few.
-Help build 9 houses and meet the gracious families that will live in them.
-Experience monumental love and support from all my friends.
-Make all sorts of new wonderful friends.
-Find a new sense of self-worth and efficacy.
-Road trip from Vancouver to Portland, OR.
-Spend time with my wonderful friends in Portland.
-Have a self supported bicycle adventure from Portland to San Francisco with some of the most amazing people I have ever met.
-Converse with some truly incredible, inspiring characters all over the country.
-Take a train across the middle of the country from San Francisco to Iowa.
-Explore Ames, IA with one of my best friends.
-Catch up with my sister and my family more so than I think I ever have.
-Go on my first backpacking trip.
-Get a job giving bike tours in Alaska starting May 2010 with one of my best friends.

I am not sure what 2010 will offer me but I have high hopes that it has the chance to be just as wonderfully exciting and inspiring as this year was. To all my friends, I love you more than I could ever say. You have taught me to love life and not look back, to strap on a bicycle helmet and pedal on, to brush the grudge off your shoulders and put a smile on your face, to laugh at life's discomforts, to sing instead of cry, and to continue to find the wonderful little moments that exist in this world of struggle and confusion. Thank you. <3

Minnie Sodas

Hey Hey Y'all!

I am in Minneapolis/St.Paul, MN (aka the sin cities) and I just had my first day off in a month. And what do I do? I ride my bike around the city. Minneapolis is pretty sweet. They have a pretty awesome radical bookstore here where I got a patch for my shorts of an old single speed bike. The weird thing about Minneapolis though is that its an "indoor city" meaning that you never actually have to go outside unless you want to. When it gets cold in the winter you can go from your house to your heated garage to your car to your heated parking garage to you work to the pharmacy to the back, etc, etc. All the buildings are connected by "sky walk" bridges. Which makes for very little street life. But there are some places you can still find it if you look.

We got to stay at host families for two nights which was really awesome. Thank you so much Steve and Nancy for the wonderful cozy warm bed and delicious food!! I really appreciate your hospitality.

Tomorrow we head up north to Sandstone, MN and pretty soon we will be in North Dakota. We are 1/2 way done with the trip! I can hardly believe it. Full speed ahead!

Mish Again

Hello Thurr!

We have crossed two more state lines! Indiana and Michigan! We worked on another housing site today- all 30 of us. It was the first time we got to all work together and we got a lot of work done. We put up drywall in the basement, did some landscaping, installed windows, and put the siding up on the house. The best part was I got to work on the basement with the family that will be moving into the house: Jackie, Robert, and their daughter. They were so happy and so excited that we were all there to help. There were also very impressed with the biking aspect. It was so great to see them and know that what we are doing really has a direct effect on the communities and families we meet in every city. Go Bike and Build! Also thank you SO much for all the snail mail I have been receiving. It is such a treat! I love you guys!

Oh, hi yo!

Hello Hello,

So much has happened since my last post! We have crossed 4 state lines: Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, and now Ohio! We also crossed into Canada at Niagra Falls. We are currently in Ashtabula and tomorrow we will be biking through Cleveland and on to Avon Lake. We have worked on three housing sites. So far I have done landscaping, dry walling, and painting. It has been incredibly fun but a lot of hard work too. Very sleepy...

Yay Ohio!

Biking Biking Biking!

Hello Everyone!

So the trip has begun and I have the sore muscles to prove it! We had our 4th day of riding today. We have biked through Portsmouth, Concord, New London, and now Lebanon, NH. It has been a cold, rainy, and hilly ride but a wonderful one at that. I can't help thinking with each aching mile - "this is awesome!". I feel great and I have been seeing beautiful things along the road. On one particular cold and rainy day, we biked through rolling hills and a beautiful forest. There was a river that ran all along the road and every driveway had a little bridge to cross over it. It was so pretty! I stopped and took a picture next to it:Also I saved a turtle today from being run over by a giant motorcycle! It was trying to cross the road and got stuck in the middle. So I did my vegetarian deed for the day. My internet time is running out so I will post more soon! Miss you all!! <3

On Your Mark... Jet Set!

Hello My Friends!

Well, this is it. I leave for Portsmouth, NH in 12 hours!!! I am excited, scared, and sad to leave Boston. But I know this will be a summer of a lifetime and a life-changing experience that I will remember forever. Bring it on! I look forward to every aching mile! Goodbye to all my wonderful friends - you are some of the most amazing, talented, and hilarious people I have ever met. And I will love you til the day I die.

FYI- this is a link to the list of cities we will be in this summer and the corresponding dates. I don't know any specifics as of right now but when I do I will let you know so we can meet up if at all possible! It is so fun having friends all over the country. I can't wait to make even more this summer.

So... here it goes! Wish me luck! I will try to keep in touch as much as I can. But know that I am thinking of every one of you and wishing you were right here with me! <3

Send Me Love!

Hello Dear Readers,

In case you want to send me any letters, love, or cookies this summer while I am biking, this is how you can do so. I would love to hear from you!

To send mail to a Bike & Build cyclist on the Northern United States trip, address your letter/package as follows:

Bike & Build

Attn: CYCLIST NAME

General Delivery

City, State Zip

Use the following list of dates and locations (City, State Zip) to get your letter/package to the location of your choosing:

Northern U.S.

June 25: 46 Park ST Rochester, VT 05767

July 02: 138 East Ave Lockport, NY 14094

July 09: 130 S Main St Camden, MI 49232 July 16: 205 Corporate Dr. Madison, Wi 53714

July 23: 514 N Main Sandstone, MN 55072

July 30: 205 2ND ST SE Rugby, ND 58368

August 06: 605 2ND AVE S STE 102 Glasgow, MT 59230

August 13: 424 Baker Ave.White Fish, MT 59937

August 19: 128 N. Clark St.Republic, WA 99166

Lastly, in addition to addressing the package correctly and getting it to the post office in time to be picked up, it is also IMPORTANT that the following is written somewhere on the package: "Hold for pickup on DATE." ("DATE" refers to the dates listed above.) This is important because we will have the post office forward any mail received after we have left town; without this note, your package may be held instead of forwarded.