What a great last day! A bit chilly but the scenery was fantastic. Rolling hills with some good climbs & fun descents. We all took our time & rode in together.

Rang my bell while riding past a herd of resting cows and they immediately stood up and began running along the road with me!

Entered Monterey county! Climbed 2000ft over the San Andreas fault amidst beautiful golden mountains dotted with green trees. California is looking pretty nice.

Biked through California's vast farmlands. Fields of tomatoes, grapes, oranges, almonds as far as the eye can see. 2 days from Monterey & it's still really hot.

At the best flat party to-date. 14 of us are pulled over, eating grapes, flattening pennies on the train tracks, and making oregon trail jokes. 7 miles in.

Last build day in Delano, CA and did Habitat's brush with kindness program. Landscaping all day. It was fun. Now I'm at the city's annual Filipino festival.

Just climbed to 6122ft with grades up to 13%. It took 4 hours and half the team walked part but I biked the whole way with Corey and Dre speaking in accents.

Climbing a mountain with 10% grade today that a local warned us sometimes his truck has trouble making it up. Should be fun!

Demolished a building this morning and had bike clinics with children from the local boys and girls club in the afternoon. Finished painting our trailer too!

70 miles from LA... too bad We're ending in Monterey.

Riding on route 66!

Spending the night in a ghost town. We got here with plenty of time to explore the mines, pan for gold, and walk through a mystery shack with crooked floors.

Baker, CA: home of the world's largest thermometer. Not much else here except some fast food places for people to stop at on their way to Vegas.

Sitting on the California border. Can't believe I finally made it here after 2 months of biking! 2 weeks left, things can only get better from here :)

I got sick last night along with a few other people. Only 16 started riding today, 1 finished, and 3 have been picked up so far. Day off tomorrow in Pahrump, NV.

Riding past "the valley of fire". Lake Mead is on our left. What a tease! Temps are above 100 and a cool swim would feel amazing right now.

heat and wind made for one of the toughest days. Also half of us are sick with stomach flu. We did find an oasis & lived in a dream for a few hours.

Climbed a desert mountain then descended into a desert valley. All the towns have long stretches of nothing in between. Lots of brown yellow and red.

Nevada today and pacific time zone! Going to a tiny town called Caliente where we're staying in a firehouse & having B&b prom. Should be an interesting evening.

Rode on the craziest bike path today with steep inclines around 20% fun morning with lots of stops and good local food.

Shortest ride yet! 40 miles out of Zion and we could leave any time. Kristina and I rode the shuttle to see the park & also ate yummy thai food before leaving.

What a head rush! Just descended 4 miles at 6% grade. (2000 ft) into Zion National Park. Smiles the whole way down :)

Descended over 3000 ft yesterday to Fredonia, AZ. 3.5 miles were at 6% grade. Phew so fast! Now we're on our way to Zion National Park for more camping.

Got shivers this morning while sitting on a log and looking out at the neverending vastness of the Grand Canyon. Also we biked here from Florida. Woah.

Utah today! Best state crossing yet! I looked back and Arizona's cliffs were bright red but the mountains before us were a goldish yellow.

Crossed routes with NC2SD today and got to hang out with 2 friends at lunch! It was fun yet initially very weird to see other b&bers. We're not in our own world

Red clouds hovered overhead as we raced thunderstorms for the last 30 miles to the host.

Made it to Arizona! Some people are stopping at 4 corners (10 mile detour) but I chose to continue on. 103 miles today!

Finished my first century ride! Signs marking 7000 ft elevation haunted us the whole way as we wound our way up and down hills and over the continental divide.

Happy 4th of July! We're on our way to Cuba, NM. Lots of climbing with phenomenal views and no rush to get there. Only downside is the smoke from forest fires.

Santa Fe is fantastic! Museums are free today so everyone is exploring. Buildings are made of adobe & architecturally interesting. It's also very bike friendly.

Amazing mountain scenery all day helps distract from everyone's aches and pains. We reached 7500 ft today woo! 10 miles from Santa Fe; can't wait :)

Today we're en-route to Las Vegas, NM. 95 miles, high winds, a few descents into and climbs out of canyons, and so far the heat is holding off. I only rode 35.

Yesterday: 88 miles ending in a 3 mile 7% climb. High of 107 & I finished in 15 hours! Though i desperately wanted to quit, Alex pushed me through & i'm glad.

Two days ago: 46 mile ride and rode sweeps with Eddie. Crossed into New Mexico and the mountain time zone. Everyone arrived before noon!

3 days ago: last day in Texas. Amazing scenery and ride. Left at 6am and saw the sun rise and felt the cool breeze. It's really looking like the West now.

Counted the number of parked flatbed trucks i passed while walking from Coleman's house to the church we're staying at 15 mins away. 93.

Woke up at 4:30 and left at 6am. Got to see the sunrise while riding and actually feel a cool wind. First time I thought "Texas is beautiful".

Oklahoma! 109 degrees and I could feel my skin burning even in the shade. Back into Texas tomorrow. Fingers crossed I won't get dehydrated.

There are no trees here! While stopped for a break under the only tree for miles a preacher walked up and told us: God made Texas but somebody stepped on it.

Sally is the best host ever! Endless supply of homemade food, swimming pool, beer, rodeo, rock climbing, comfy beds, cars to drive & Texas Rangers game tonight!

The hottest place on earth right now is Pecos, TX. 112 degrees F. We're almost to Dallas. Biking against 30 mph headwinds

Fact: Texas is the windiest place in the world. 90 miles 105 degree heat 18mph wind. Though people werent the happiest we began today with a fun scavenger hunt.

It's crazy how fast scenery changes when you switch states. Texas has greener grass the roads are nicer with better shoulders and i sense the long journey ahead

Entering texas today. I can just tell the beef is better here. All the cows are out grazing in fields and look nice and fit

Today it took the van 6 hours to drive 56 miles. Bike and build days are so long.

Was thinking about heat and dehydration 20 miles from the host when i saw a river with a dock and rope swing. 30 minutes later i was happy, cool, and refreshed

Pool party at richards parents house! First time swimming in a salt water pool. 13 people rode in the back of a flatbed truck to the house

Mustache monday. Everyone who didn't have a mustache got a permanent marker one drawn on. We also got a police escort for 5 miles out of town. Great day :)

Riding in the van today. Really enjoyed chalking the route, writing fun messages and following behind as all 30 of them crossed a giant bridge together.

First century ride yesterday on Kelly's 22nd bday! 112 miles to baton rouge. Framing a house today so lots of sawing wood and hammering nails.

Rode around nola's ninth ward, the area hit hardest by katrina. Houses there were either gone or rebuilt green in a project funded by Brad Pitt. Bittersweet.

Just found out a leader was hit by a car and killed on south carolina to santa cruz. This is a sad time for bike and build.

My taste buds are dancing with happiness! Eating jambalaya, catfish and some deliciously seasoned beans and rice! Next off to oyster fest for for exploring.

Almost to nola. Stuck at a green light with a train blocking the road! Grrr this could take ages...

New orleans today! 95 miles!!!

Mississippi. Would have missed the state line except the road surface suddenly became poor. Then passed a sign saying KKK TERRITORY. Oh boy

2nd day building here and we finished! What an accomplishment. Our site managers were happy, we were happy, and now It's time to make burritoes for dinner. YUM.

Mobile, AL. People spend more money on their cars than they do on their houses!

Passed two great signs. "lawnmowers guns and ammo" and "BEEF It's what You're eating for dinner". I laugh a lot while i ride.

Too hot and too dehydrated to finish today. Made it to mile 45. Alabama scenery is beautiful and the people are friendly polite and lovely overall.

Just made it to alabama! WOO! 70 more miles to Mobile.

Eating lunch in Niceville! Stopped for a photo op at some beautiful cement blocks on a military testing ground with 14 people this morning

Playing mindgames and singing Beatles songs to make it through this heat. Less than 15 miles to go but it feels so far. PS So much roadkill! Poor armadillos...

Crossed our first time zone today halfway to Panama City, FL. Went swimming and soaked in the hot tub at the holiday inn across from the church we're staying at

Build today. Renovating/deconstructing a flea-infested house. Showers after and free time. Off to a bike shop for a fitting now.

Tallahassee. Less miles & rolling hills=happy me! Zoomed up the hills until i had an asthma attack from the heat. Took it easy after that. Free chipotle too :)

Riding sweeps today (ppl at the end who ensure everyone makes it and is okay). Currently sitting with a girl with saddle sores at a gas station. 72 miles to go

The hot road looks wet and curved. I'm currently walking my bike down a road that turned to sand for 4 miles. Staying hydrated and dinner will be delicious!

1st build day and bike day. Build=long but satisfying. Bike=longer and harder than expected. Over 90degrees. I drank SO MUCH and still bonked @ mile 73 of 75

Last weekend home

I've been talking to lots of friends, trying to say my last goodbyes, and everyone asks me the same things: Are you nervous/excited? Are you ready?

Yes I'm definitely nervous & excited. But in a great way. I feel like I've been preparing for this for ages, and now that it's just around the corner, the suspense couldn't be greater! When I applied to B&B back in November I was definitely excited, but I didn't know anything about it. Now I know everything about it, but I haven't even started yet. It's time to start!

Ready? Yes I'm ready! I've been training, fundraising, asking questions, buying gear, testing that gear, packing, re-packing, and doing whatever else is necessary to prepare me for this trip over the past 5 months. I think I can confidently say I'm ready, or as ready as I'll ever be! There's this funny thing about the future--you don't know what's going to happen, until it does--and I LOVE that. I love going into a situation knowing anything can happen. I love that In 2 days I'm going to fly to Florida, stay with friends I haven't seen in 4 years, meet a group of 33 people for the first time, then spend the next few months building houses with them and biking to cities I've never been to. I don't even know all the details of how our trip works, but I know our leaders do, and that's enough assurance for me.

So how have I been spending my last weekend at home? Well, it's actually been quite relaxing and not too eventful. On Friday I woke up at 6:30am, went for my last ride, and got a massage (recommended by Galen, one of my teammates). Post-massage, I felt GREAT. Today (Saturday) I feel incredibly sore, as if someone used me as a punching bag last night.
My brother's prom was Friday night, so I was entertained by that whole ritual (the hair! the dress! now we have to take pictures!! Awwwww).
I did some baking today, one of my favorite hobbies. I will definitely miss baking while I'm on the road. I'm sure I'll eat great food down south, but nothing beats a home-cooked meal accompanied by some fresh-baked bread mmm! This morning I made some biscuits, my tradition. (For any Kiwis/internationals reading this, I mean baking powder biscuits that I make for breakfast, not cookies :P) I also have been trying to finish a colored-pencil drawing I've been working on. I know if I don't finish it before I leave...it will never get finished heh.

Tonight I'm getting more serious stuff done. Boxing up my bike & packing my duffel bag. Those who have seen me travel know I'm a pretty light packer. WELL my B&B friend Daisy came over and totally re-vamped my packing strategy so instead of using a large duffel she got everything into a regular sized one! (Magic, I swear!) Having a down sleeping bag definitely helps...
Here's a photo of my bag half packed for reference:

Now I'm off to skype a few more friends, finish packing my bag, and hopefully get around to that colored pencil drawing.

Next update will be from FLORIDA! 


PS: OH YEAH I MADE IT TO (and passed) MY $4,000 FUNDRAISING GOAL! Thank you everyone who donated! And if you would still like to donate you can here (more support for affordable housing!)

Sometimes I get crazy ideas...

...like mounting my camera to my bicycle so I can take videos while riding :D

Well, as it turns out, this idea was not so crazy after all, and by simply googling "How to attach a camera to a bicycle" I found the following page. (Don't ya just love the internet?)

I had almost all of the correct parts to do it, all I needed were the wing nut & some washers. First I went to my local bike shop, which turned out to be a bust. The hardware store was a much more successful venture, and the guy even drew me this great diagram:

After mounting the camera I couldn't wait to go for a ride and try it out! Though the weather today was just okay, here's the video I made from the footage I took. Enjoy :)

66.4 mile ride

Today was an amazing day, for a two reasons.

FIRST, it was supposed to rain but didn't. The weather was sunny and warm all day!

SECOND, I woke up thinking I was doing a 40 mile ride today, and ended up completing my 65 mile ride requirement for Bike & Build!

Here's how it all happened:
     In order to get more miles in, I looked up the Delaware Valley Bike Club (DVBC), which runs group rides all during the week, and found a C+ pace 40 mile ride to join. This was ideal, since I'd been riding 30 miles multiple times a week, and had done a 40 mile ride in the past. I also wanted to make sure the C+ pace was okay for me (it said online 12-13 mph, but I didn't know how strictly they followed it).
     I arrived to the meeting point a little before 10:00 am. It was me, the leader Woody, and another guy Dave. We left a little after 10, and sure enough, rode 12-13 mph the whole way! PHEW, nothing to worry about!
     In the morning, I was still weary about the chance of rain, & all of us were wearing too many clothes. I had my rain jacket, which I eventually took off since the temperature really warmed up. We arrived at lunch around 12:30 and I looked at my Cateye to discover we hadn't ridden the 21 miles I expected, but in fact 28 miles! And I felt great, even before sitting down.
     After lunch, I felt even better. The food was not only energizing, but it was very good. We ate at an Italian restaurant in West Chester called Limoncello, and it was $10 for an all-you-can-eat buffet (aka a cyclists dream lunch!)
     Satisfied, we packed up our extra layers and began riding home in the much warmer weather. I don't know what happened to the thunderstorms that were supposed to be raining over us at that moment, but I really didn't care. I was happy and looking forward to more riding!
     Dave wanted to get back by 3:00 pm, so Woody took us the shortest way possible back (he estimated 17 miles). Halfway there, we lost Dave! (Or rather, Dave went ahead, and lost himself, hah)
     Hoping Dave knew the way back to the cars, Woody and I decided to take a longer route back that went through downtown Media. I enjoyed it very much, and the route home was 21 miles long. When we arrived at the cars, Dave was there, and we said quick goodbyes before going out separate ways.

     Even before arriving home, I had made the decision that I would continue riding until I made it to 65 miles today. I felt so good after riding 49 miles that doing another 16 seemed like a piece of cake! I ate an energy bar in the car on the way home, refilled my water bottles when I arrived, took off even more layers (since it was now humid out in addition to the heat), and left my house around 4pm.
     I rode a 13 mile route I've been training on for a few weeks now because it is VERY hilly. It's interesting to do the same route over and over, especially when you are at different stages during training or, today, levels of energy. Since I was already warmed up after biking all day, I rode the first 6 miles very fast and easily. This ride is nice also because there is a HUGE/exhilarating downhill to the river, where you then ride along River Rd. for a few miles, before slowly climbing back up out of the valley.
    The climb out was definitely slow and hard, I felt my leg muscles complain with every hard push; I could tell I was running low on energy. Knowing I was so close to 65 kept me going. When I finally reached my house, I was 3 miles short of 65, so I continued down the main road for about 2 miles more (another downhill, which means, climbing back at the VERY END!)
    At exactly 2 miles I finished climbing to the crest of a short & steep hill. I never realized how steep this hill really was until I made a u-turn and went down it immediately after. What a thrill! I had to squeeze my break levers pretty hard to make the right turn at bottom where the road dead ends!
    Less than 2 miles later I triumphantly turned onto my driveway and dismounted with a big grin on my face. I stood there for a moment, partially in shock that I had just completed a 66 mile ride. Partially to assess exactly how my body felt. It felt tired, definitely.
     I walked in the front door, pulled off my jersey, and laid down on the cool wood floor. Never has lying on the floor felt so amazing! I didn't care about anything at that moment. Over the next 10 minutes, I stretched my legs, finished the water in my bottles, and relished my accomplishment.

One thought that did occur to me is: "If I feel this wiped out after riding, one day for 65 miles, imagine what it's going to be like on Bike & Build. I don't think it'll be acceptable to arrive at a new host and just collapse on their floor!"
...but I guess I'll worry about that problem when the time arrives ;)

Free Sunday at the Art Museum

Is one of the best days to fundraise on the trainer! The weather finally warmed up, people were happy, and I made a grand total of $479.47 in 6 hours!

Actually, I made more than that, another B&B rider, Mowie on CUS, came out with me for the first few hours, where we made $250 and split it. After she left I continued riding for the rest of the day and tried to make it to $500 on my own. My friend Emily also came by and very generously assisted me until I stopped (even pedaling for me while I quickly ran inside the museum to go to the bathroom!)

Two other riders from the trip, Steve who goes to UPenn & Aaron, who goes to Temple & I've fundraised with before, also stopped by to say hi. I had a great time and did not get sunburned today ;)

Emily helping me fundraise

Bottom of the Rocky Stairs; where I was riding for most of the day. I was kept entertained by all the tourists racing up them.

Talking to the boy who said: I hope you don't have to amputate your legs after this!

My view :)

In the News

     Last week I was fundraising with Daisy, another B&B rider in my area, in Suburban Square, a shopping center near my house. We set up my trainer and I rode for 2 hours; Daisy was just beginning her turn when a security guard came by telling us to leave because Suburban Square was "private property". Though we questioned whether or not the sidewalk was private property, we still packed up our things and the security guard left. While we were packing, a journalist from the Main Line Times came by, interested in what we were doing, and here is the article he wrote:

A Bike Ride With Hammers & Nails

 

Endorphins = Success

Woooo so much to say!

FIRST I have reached & PASSED $2000! This was the result of donations from friends and some public fundraising I did where I set my bike up outside on a trainer with a sign that said "Won't stop until I raise $500!" This was on St. Patrick's Day, so I think everyone was in a good mood, and of course, wearing green!

    Well, I actually stopped when I got to $265, after 3 hours because it was hot out, I had already finished off 3 bottles of water, and I realized that I needed some real nourishment or I was going to actually faint. (next time I'll bring some energy bars)

     The public trainer event was probably the best fundraising I've done so far. Everyone who passed me was very excited about what I was doing, and it was great to see different reactions from people as they passed. Some would say "Don't die", or throw in some money and say, "I hope you make it soon!" While others would give me a few dollars, smile, and say "Keep riding". Once I reached a base, I was able to ride and talk to people very easily, and although one lady said, "I don't want you to have to talk to me--here" and she put her money in (very very kind!), there were  SEVERAL people who came up and stood there chatting with me for a good 5 minutes or so.

     There are so many great moments from the day. One lady had 19 month old twin boys and when she passed she gave them each a dollar to put in my bucket. After they figured out what to do with the dollars, they stood there staring at the bike, entranced. She tried to get them to say "Good Luck" but all they would say was "Bike". haha!
     One guy was riding by on his bright green bike, wearing bright green shorts and a t-shirt, and an old man on a recumbent yelled at him for not wearing a helmet. The young guy instantly turned his bike around and said, "Have you donated to her yet?" The two then quarreled for a bit, which eventually resulted in both donating to me! yay! (it was pretty hilarious to watch)
     There was a very nice guy sitting nearby eating his lunch, and he came by unexpectedly and had bought 2 bottles of water for me. I drank both over the next 2 hours and was very grateful to have cold water!

Several people wanted to know if I'd be back another day, and I told them Saturday I would. I'll let you know how Saturday goes ;)
EDIT: SATURDAY WAS ALSO SUCCESSFUL! I rode for 5 hours & made $429!! Though I really wanted to make it to $500 I was exhausted after 5 hours without a break. I'm really happy though, yay for $700 to B&B in one week!

Where I set up my bike on St. Patrick's Day

     I set up my bike on the paved brick area, in front of the small gardens. This location was excellent because it is across from a parking lot where people are constantly going to refill their meters during lunchtime (or just parking for lunch), between the two crosswalks which get a lot of traffic, and meets the Crescent Trail, so a decent number of bikers/runners passed by as well. In addition, the area behind the gardens is a nice outdoor seating area, so people were sitting and eating their lunches and could watch me bike (lucky them) without having me watch them, but many of them heard what I had to say and donated after they were done.

Bike Fitting
     A few days ago I went down to a bike shop in Philly and got my bike fit. It was definitely worth it because prior to the bike fit I was having pain in multiple places that I did not know how to fix. Though all my problems are not gone, I now have an idea of how to fix them myself, and I can go back and have my bike tweaked if needed until the fit is absolutely perfect.

Training Rides
     I've been on a few training rides since my last entry. I wasn't riding more than 20 miles at once though, because my bike fit was not right & it was not comfortable. But now I have no excuse! The night after my fitting, I went down to the Wayne cycle shop to meet other riders at 6pm and ride till 7:30pm. This first ride was described as an "intro" and there were 4 of us--the shop  manager, one guy who showed up for the fast ride but nobody else was there, so he went on the intro ride, another guy who just bought a new bike, and me.
     Well the intro ride was kinda fast, and in the beginning we were averaging 18mph and I DIED going up hills (literally). We got to the top of a hill, maybe 15 minutes into the ride, I was panting out of breath, and I said "I can turn around, this is too fast for me". They asked if I knew how to get home, which I didn't, so they wouldn't let me leave, and from that point on the pace was a lot slower (thank goodness) and they waited for me at the top of hills.
In the end, the ride felt great--it must have been all those endorphins--and though we only rode 15 miles, I was exhausted.  That night I was sleeping by 9:30 pm.

First Ride!

     I finally took my bike out for a nice ride today! The temperature warmed up to the mid-50's and around 10:30am my parents and I left for Valley Forge National Park. Below is a map of our route. Red is our way there & blue is the way back. In total we rode 21.4 miles in 2 hrs.

    (1) is my house, (2) is the Radnor Trail, where we encountered some ice and had to dismount and walk. The road in between the (3)'s is a long hill we climbed on our way back and on the way there I went over 32 mph downhill :) Finally (4) is the monument we stopped at for a short break at the beginning of the park.

     Overall it was great to get out and ride finally! The new bike is excellent, though I'm still getting adjusted to the shifting and using clipless pedals. Some highlights from today include when I was trailing my parents up a short incline into the park and some other riders came up from behind. One said to me as he passed, "Is that your boyfriend leaving you behind?" I replied, "No! It's my parents!!" and of course I just had to laugh. My parents are in better shape than I am! Also, my mom and I like to secretly race each other up hills--meaning when the other isn't paying attention, one of us will start sprinting and pass the other from behind. So of course my mom beat me up the incredibly long hill (3), which I definitely wasn't racing up, but I got her back later in the ride when I sprinted past her up a smaller hill on King of Prussia Road :D

     I suppose that's it for now, but today is definitely the the "official start" for me getting in shape. My ride starts in 83 days, less than 3 months, and I don't want to be hurting too much when that begins!

I want to ride my bicycle!

     After what seemed like an eternity (in reality it was about a week), my bike was finally delivered! UPS dropped it off around 10:30am today, and my Mom very kindly helped me assemble the parts. After the bike was ready to ride, I took it out for a quick spin around the neighborhood to practice clipping in & out and make sure everything fit properly.

     You may be thinking, "But wait, didn't it snow yesterday?" Yes, it DID snow yesterday! Lucky for me, the roads are cleared, and the weather was a not-too-brisk 35 degrees when I rode :D Needless to say, I am eager for warmer weather to arrive so I can go out for some nice long rides & start real training.

Fundraising & Other Updates

     Since most of my friends and family already know about my bicycle trip and have either already donated or have pledged to donate later, I've been brainstorming and trying out a few different fundraising strategies over the past week.
Here are some things I've done:

1. I went to DC for Valentine's day weekend and met up with my friend Kira. We made a poster that said "SUPPORT AFFORDABLE  HOUSING" on one side, and "KISSES FOR DONATIONS" on the other. The original plan was to give out kisses to raise money (like a kissing booth), but alas, we ended up just walking around Dupont Circle holding up the "Support Affordable Housing" side and telling people that I was biking across the country. Many people were interested and, despite it being a Sunday night, we collected $117. The next day (Valentine's Day), which we thought would be more lucrative, was NOT. We went to very busy areas, encountered at least 4x as many people as we did on Sunday, but only received $15 in donations in 2 hours. Oh well, better luck next time.
2. In an online search I discovered a website called iGive. I registered Bike & Build on the website and now, if you go online and register with the website (or install their toolbar) each time you search $0.01 is donated to Bike & Build. More importantly if you shop online, for example, at amazon.com, you can go to Amazon through the iGive website, make your purchase, and Bike & Build will receive a kickback! So please, help my fundraising! All you have to do is go to www.iGive.com/bikeandbuild make an account to record your donations, and the next time you want to purchase something online, go to the iGive website and search for it. Many companies & websites participate (pretty much anything I've ever wanted to buy online, I could buy through iGive), so give it a try! If you're still confused (I definitely was) follow this link to How iGive Works. ***I do want to emphasize, they say that you need to search through their browser or install their special toolbar, but I think if you add a store to your "favorites" section, it will automatically keep track of what you buy from there and donate to iGive. I can't promise this, but I added the Wall Street Journal to mine, and while I was in DC my mom went to wsj.com and bought a subscription and I received an email saying $13.00 was donated!*** SO Try it out, and let me know when you buy something =D
3. I'm thinking about planning some sort of raffle/silent auction or maybe something very small in my neighborhood to get the local community involved in my trip. More on this later.
4. My Fundraising Grand Total is $1,332!!! Thank You Everyone & keep spreading the word!

I felt inspired by the goodwill & support of my friends and family

Dear Friends, Family, and Other Interested Persons,
         First, I would like to say THANK YOU for your generous contributions to my Bike & Build fund! I am just about to reach $1000, 1/4 of the minimum requirement for my trip, and the amount necessary for me to order my bicycle! It is a very exciting time for me. I have never fundraised money before, and I really wouldn't have made it this far without your support. I am confident I will make it to my goal, thank you again :)