Goodbye North Carolina

Wow. Time is going by so fast. I've had the pleasure of knowing these thirty awesome young people do two weeks now. Not only that, but we have cycled through North Carolina. We have laughed, cried, hugged, bonked, sticked, slip n slided, builded, slept, played pranks, eaten (a lot), bonded, DMed, and so much more. I have really loved North Carolina and fallen in love with cycling. These mountains have kicked my butt, but they've made stronger mentally and physically. 

On our ride to Charlotte, I had a tough day for sure. My group (a long with a lot of other groups) went 14 miles the wrong way on Memorial Day! Bad. For those who don't know, that is an hour on a bike. While this was an extremely frustrating situation, we all laughed and made the best of our situation. The van had to come pick us up and we spent an hour and a half on the side of the road rearranging the trailer. After that, we fit 12 bikes into the trailer and van. Crazy day into Charlotte. 

I'm really thankful for my aunt Elaine, uncle Norman, and Lindsey, who fed me a home cooked meal, donated food, did my laundry, and took me to target. Y'all are great! Thanks for the support! 

We had a really successful build day in Charlotte as well. We hammered and nailed our little hearts (and fingers) out. 

I'm not going to lie, Charlotte wore me out and while I felt super accomplished with the work we did, it was great to move on to forest city. Forest city was pretty fun. We didn't build, but we did take showers with the hose and I've baths. 

Then came Asheville. Asheville was SO AMAZING and definitely my favorite stop so far. The ride into Asheville was absolutely breathtaking. On this trip, I've looked at nature totally different. You can actually smell the fresh air, see the clouds moving, and hear the birds. Even though we got wet in the rain, climbed super steep mountains, got stuck in horrible traffic, and even fell off our bikes, we did it and it was amazing. That ride made me believe in myself and believe in my team. We are cycling across the country! We are raising money for affordable housing and we are making a difference. This is the experience of a lifetime and I'm so blessed to be a part of something so much bigger than me. 

A HUGE shout out to Charles Cushman, who fed me, helped me fix my bike, and was just there for me. Thank you for your kindness. 

Today we rode to waynesville and the ride was also beautiful. It was honestly such a great day and I felt peace. I live this journey and I love my team. Thank you NC... I will miss you. See you in August. Here's to Tennessee and what lies ahead.... Xoxo. 

Live life. Don't be scared of that mountain. Be a part of it. Embrace it. Be free in whatever it is you decide to do. With every challenge, comes a new opportunity. Use it to grow and change... Or don't. You can be as free you want to be. Don't forget that. Through everything, don't forget to stop and take in the beauty of your surroundings. Enjoy this life. It's the only one you got. Here's to the future and here's to the unknown... Here's to steep climbs and long descents. Cheers ...