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.