To Anne

“Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”  -Martin Luther King Jr.

Hello everyone! I hope this blog post finds you all well. I have had a lot going on in the past couple weeks, some of it very good and some of it very tough. Let's start with the good. As you can see, my bike came in the mail today!!!!! I cannot express how excited I was when I returned home from Crossfit to see my shiny new Defy 3 waiting to be opened. This was actually quite a surprise because UPS had sent me an e-mail saying it would not be here until tomorrow. I walked into my house and saw it sitting right next to my Trek waiting to be opened and put together. Tomorrow the new bike will make the journey to Summit Cycles to be assembled. 

Believe it or not, this was quite a sentimental moment for me. So many memories came rushing back. When I lived in San Jose, Alex and I rode our bikes to work (and pretty much EVERYWHERE) everyday. I was so jealous of her awesome road bike, when all I had was a dinky Schwin. (Long story short, I rode it approximately two miles home with a flat tire one day and it was pretty much finished after that. For some odd reason, I was very proud of this "accomplishment.") When I moved back to Wilmington, I knew it was time to get a "REAL" bike. My dad has been cycling for years, and knows a great deal about bikes. So, the two of us headed to Wilmington's local bike shop and purchased the Trek Hybrid 7.3. I love this bike. I cannot even express my LOVE for this bike. It sounds silly to love a thing, but this bike has carried me through some hard times. The trek has carried me through three different living arrangements, to two different jobs, to Wrightsville Beach over and over again, and has even ventured out in the rain many times. When I felt like I didn't have a home, I had the trek. The trek has seen me on my best days and my worst days. This bike has saved my life a time or two. To some it may seem like I am being dramatic, but to those who know me well, know that this bike was my saving grace. 

Now, I have a new bike. I am beyond excited about this, but I will always love my trek. This bike was my first real bike and I have to give a huge shout out to my father who bought this for me on my twenty-first birthday. It is truly the best gift I have EVER received. Thank you dad for sharing something that you love and value with me. I am forever grateful. And thank you to Alex for showing me that riding a bike is fun. Having a car is not a necessity of life and that the world is better seen with the wind blowing in your face, yelling at your friend, "CAR UP!" (Or on a bad day...I'm going to throw a spoke in your tire....Thanks Jess McCue.) Here's to new adventures and new friends on my new...Giant. 

Training ride on Sunday with my dad.

"Grief starts to become indulgent, and it doesn't serve anyone, and it's painful. But if you transform it into remembrance, then you're magnifying the person you lost and also giving something of that person to other people, so they can experience something of that person." -Patti Smith

I'd like to take a portion of this blog post and dedicate it to Anne Cushman Prettyman. Anne was family friend of ours, and passed away on Sunday. My father and I traveled up to Tennessee on Tuesday for her funeral. On our trip, I did a lot of reflecting. I thought about how we affect those around us and what relationships, meaningful relationships, really mean in our lives...in MY life. Anne was one of the kindest people I've ever met. I don't say that because she's gone, I say it because it's true. My earliest memory of Anne was at Thomas Sumter Academy when I was probably six or seven years old. She was my computer teacher and let me tell you, I HATED computers. (Not much as changed.) I would cry and cry over having to use that computer. I was afraid I was going to break it. (Some of you are laughing because I STILL do this today.) Anne was always patient with me. She never raised or voice or got frustrated.   She was always calm, kind, and collected. As I got older, I went through a lot and it became harder for people to get through to me. Anne was always supportive of me, and never gave up on me. One time she was on her way to Charleston to visit her son, and she made it a point to come to Camden to see me. She believed in me in ways I never could. Not just that, Anne believed in people. She gave so much to those around her and her heart was so full. Anne had a peace about her, I strive to one day have as well. With all that said, her death really got me thinking about WHY I am doing what I am doing. WHY am I riding across the United States on a BICYCLE?!   

I am doing this not just for me, but for other people. There are millions of Americans out there who never grew up in a home like I did. There are people struggling to survive because they can't afford housing. I am biking across the United States because I want to give back. I want to help. I want to be a piece to this puzzle. All the young people serving in any way out there...we do matter and we do make a difference. Anne gave to people everyday. She touched many lives and if I accomplish half of what she did, I will have done something spectacular. I wanted to give remembrance to her and the wonderful person that she was; she touched so many of us throughout the years. I want to close by saying that maybe by giving back this summer through Bike and Build, I can spread some of the love she gave me across the U.S. Just think about that...why do YOU give back? Why do you do what you do? Who has touched YOUR life? 

Until next time...happy cycling :)