First Build Day

Yo! So to catch up on memories that should not be lost and that I would love to share...Dilwyn was a very, very small town (only a little bit over 400 people.) Silly Dilwyn. We were staying in this really small church and it was literally too small for us to all fit, even packed in like sardines. So, we set up a tent and then that was so popular so another was set up! Thing is though, one tent was a bit bigger and that tent only had four people in it and our slightly smaller tent had seven people in it. You literally could not turn without being on someone. It was very cozy though and the fresh air/smaller group feel was nice, we even got a little rain. Another note about Dilwyn is that the house from across the church had 12 kids in it. Twelve kids definitely provided great entertainment for our jolly group. We were also able to get a a lot of work done on the trailer that is behind our van. I need to take pictures of it because it is quite amazing.

Dilwyn to Charlottesville ride was our shortest day so far (47 miles.) For some though it was the most challenging because of the elevation change. I loved it! I really have missed the mountains and am glad to be back. The roads looked similar to home and definitely smelled like home. I rode with my new found friends Mark and Jen. Dad, Mark is from Hendersonville. Jen is a JMU grad and our riding abilities align very nicely.

Eventually we all arrived in Charlottesville and it felt nice to know that we were staying in one place for three nights. Also, it turns out that we are staying in Tri-something sorority which is pretty excellent for housing all 32 of us. Basically they have three showers with endless supply of hot water. Last night being our first "free night" we all went to downtown Charlottesville and we were able to look around (I got Heath bar ice cream) as well as see different street artists such as these two brothers that played Irish toons on their fiddles/guitars/voices. Those over 21 also had a great nights and we all ended up at a Mexican restaurant holding a karaoke night. I would say the highlight of that was either Britt and Derrick singing "Touch Myself," Jesse licking the guacamole/salsa bowl, or Dave and Mark successfully rapping Snoop Dogg. Before all that though we were given dinner by the lady who runs "The Haven" in Charlottesville which is a resource center for homeless folks. They have a shower, garden, and computers for the homeless but also just use the shelter as a community center in general. The food that they served us, and that they serve the public, was mostly grown or at least local and consisted of beans and rice, kale and chicken, and fresh salad with lettuce beets and goat cheese!

Ok, so for today. Our first build day! We broke up in to five different groups and I was a group that was working on houses that had already been started but still needed a lot more work. The high today was 92 so it was a bit on the warm side. Basically what I did was dig holes and plant trees! That is tough but fun work for sure. It was fun to use my upper body a bit too. I also put the silt fence back up which involved a mallet, shovel, and staple gun! I really hope that I did not get poison ivy though because I was definitely bush-whacking quite a bit. I attempted to talk to the family that we were building for and I gathered that they were from Somalia, had moved to Kenya, and now are living in Charlottesville. They had beautiful children and were very smiley.

I already feel like this group is a family. It is definitely a new and unpredictable adventure everyday. I love talking to everyone and hearing "their stories." I can't imagine riding as much as I have or as hard as I have without these amazing individuals. I do need to do a better job of keeping up with my blog though. Don't give up on me and please look at Andy's pictures because I am having memory card issues with my camera! As an amazing time that I am having I do miss everyone. Love you all.

Day 3-Blackstone, Virginia

So I have been a bit slack with this whole blog thing but it is only because I have been having an excellent time here on my trip so far. Bike and Build people in a bubble: very happy, nice, talented, smart, have cool accents, helpful, etc. I am only on day 3 and I really feel like I have known all of these wonderful people for so long. I would also like to point out that as I sit here in a common room in the barracks that we are staying in here in Fort Pickett in Blackstone, Va (a real military base) I am surrounded by about 10 others and Will is singing and playing guitar. I also already feel like I have settled in to somewhat a routine which I like. I feel pretty very independent despite being surrounded by all these people. I am also learning a lot about how to take care of my bike which is very fun! Ok, well, I will give you a brief overview of my summer this far. You all may also want to check out this video, it is part of the presentation that we give to hosts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBUT_YmkH24

You can see how far a am going and "track my ride" at http://bikeandbuild.org/rider/route.php?route=CUS&year=2010.

Virginia Beach: The wheel dip, playing in the cold ocean, getting a bug bite on my eye that allowed my whole eye to attractively swell up, learning about what exactly we were doing, bike maintenance, bike safety, and our wheel dip.

Suffolk: On our way to Suffolk, about 10 or so miles away we saw a strawberry farm that we decided to stop at and they were definitely the best strawberries that I have ever eaten. After our ride we had a wonderful round of yoga and were able to watch the movie "Up."

Waverly: We had our first hose off showers and on our way we saw a bunch of trees that literally grew out of some lake/marshes.

Blackstone: Mark and I swept the ride today. What this means is that we rode in the very back and stopped for who ever wanted to stop or helped fix whoever needed to get fixed!

In both Virginia Beach, Suffolk, and Waverly we were fortunate enough to stay in three different churches who all provided us with at least one meal! We all just sort of pile up in different rooms and every morning we wake up, around six or so, to Lady Gaga. Our adventure has just begun...

6 and 1/2 hours remaining.

All packed. Outfitted to the brim with the necessary gear for cycling (I probably have at least 50 bars and gels.) Leaving for the 5 and 1/2 hour drive to Virginia Beach at around 7AM. Yay!!