Where the Sun, the Sea and the Mountains Meet

Well, the summer is officially over.  After an astounding and life-changing 80 days on the road, I boarded a plane and traversed the Atlantic Ocean, crossed the equator, made a pitstop in Senegal, and finally landed in Cape Town, South Africa over 36 hours later.  

It is this beautiful city which I will get to call home for the next 4 1/2 months.  And after just over a week in Cape Town, I still wake up each morning astounded by the view of Table Mountain I see from my window and the expansive sky that seems to spread infinitely in every direction.  

Without a doubt, my summer with Bike & Build was the most incredible 3 months of my life.  I had the phenomenal pleasure of doing something I love (riding my road bike) and changing people's lives by putting that passion toward a good cause.  Even now, three weeks after we dipped out tires in the Pacific, I still cannot believe that the experience is over.  I know that it will always be something I carry with my in my heart and in my ethics; I also hope that our cause and the impact we made will be something that families across the United States carry with them for the rest of their lives.  

But no looking back, right?  The next chapter of my life begins, and while I won't be blogging about my semester spent interning and taking classes in South Africa, maybe I can leave everyone with a little taste of the astounding vistas in Cape Town.  

Sonya Schoeman, a South African photographer, attempted to capture some of this amazing city's beauty on film.  

Sayonara Until Later

As I write this post, I am sitting on a plane getting ready to depart this golden state for Phoenix and shortly following for Charlotte.  In many ways, it seems anticlimactic that I will be traveling back to the East Coast in a mere 5 hours, a journey that took our team 80 days to complete headed in the opposite direction.  On the other hand, it's only fitting that the culmination of this slow-paced and laid-back summer with Bike & Build come to an end much more suddenly than the manner in which it began.  

Before kicking off our last ride day from Hollister CA to Monterey CA, one of Bike & Build's co-directors, Natalie, spoke to our team about the end of our ride across the country.  She very effectively and accurately concluded that the 32 of us are about to go through huge withdrawal; we are about to leave our 31 best friends, about to cut back on all the endorphins and happiness garnered from biking in the sunshine 8+ hours a day, about to return to real-world responsibilities and pressures, about to resume sleeping in bedrooms by ourselves, and about to return to a life that doesn't fully comprehend all that we experienced while on the road this summer.  Regardless of whether we are returning to a job, taking some time off to travel or resuming our university studies, the fact remains that our stint with Bike & Build has come to a close and that, for most, that is a very sad reality.  

As I have made my way through the past few days - days, I might add, that feel a lot shorter because I am no longer waking up at 4 am - I realize that certain facets of every-day life will likely feel awkward for a period of time.  Exchanging my casual t-shirt and shorts of a skirt and cardigan on the airplane; picking up a pair of keys to drive a car; unpacking my suitcase with the knowledge that I won't have to repack it in the morning; petting my dog; washing my clothing on my own schedule without a laundry loop; deciding when I would like to spend an hour exercising.  These small moments of life stick out to me as symbols of how Bike & Build had changed not just my routines, but also my outlook.  

I no longer see just a neighborhood but I see prosperity.  I recognize the affluence of my fellow airline travelers and can't help but wonder what these flyers are doing with their good fortune.  The grocery store has become this mixed bag of both adoration for the produce aisle and recognition at the impossible expenses this section of the supermarket represents for those struggling to pay their rent or mortgage.  Life is chalked full of nuances just waiting to be seen and Bike & Build has certainly helped open my eyes.  

That being said, my education is not nearly complete.  As one brief chapter of my life comes to a close, another begins.  I will be departing the country in less than a week fly to South Africa where I will be interning four days a week and taking classes.  

Bike & Build is physically over but that by no means implies that the friendships we have all made won't ensure or that the lessons Bike & Build subtly teaches participants won't endure.  Bike & Build truly was the "summer of a lifetime".  Thank you so much for sharing my experiences and my teammates' experienced by reading my blog and keeping tabs on our progress.  

Let The Waterworks Begin

Can pictures speak louder than words? 

Cross The Finish Line

58 ride days. 

4173 miles.  

17 build days.  

4 days off.  

10 miles hiked.  

Over the course of the summer, our team has grown together as a family.  We have biked across the country as a unit and now we are staring success in the face.  We have one ride day left, only 47 miles, and we will reach the Pacific Ocean on this chilly and overcast but heartwarming day.  

Stay tuned later this afternoon/tomorrow morning for wheel dip updates, afternoon picnics, evening festivities with families and friends, and final goodbyes to 31 of my best friends.  

For all you relatives and followers keeping track of our final ride day from afar, our appreciation and love goes out to you as well even though you can't be here for the hugs and smiles.   

Goodbyes A Day Early And A Dollar Much

It's only August 2nd meaning we have two more ride days but already we are having to say adios a un amigo (goodbye to a friend).  Shayan, one of our three lovely Michiganders, is flying out of San Francisco this afternoon because he is headed to do exciting things in his academic career.  

Prior to Bike & Build, Shayan was accepted to medical school at the University of Michigan.  His White Coat Ceremony, a symbolic and important component of the start of his medical school experience, begins the morning of August 3rd so he is not able to ride with our team the last two days of the trip.  

Still, SUS14 ensured that his final full day with the team was a memorable and special time.  

During the ride, teammates made sure that Shayan stopped to enjoy the metaphorical California flowers.  

Once we arrived in Pleasanton, our kind hosts, the father of one of our riders and the van shuttled people to the San Francisco Bay where Shayan dipped his wheel and the team celebrated his accomplishment.  

Goodbyes are tough but Shayan has wonderful things in his future.  It's the final countdown! 

Local Or Global?

Our team has had ample opportunity to experience Modesto CA over the past two days.  About 3/4 of the team headed to a build site yesterday while 1/4 of us stayed behind to clean the van and trailer, inventory all of SUS's items, sanitize the coolers, wash laundry, purchase groceries and pick up our last mail drop! 

However, I want to break away from the day's responsibilities and instead embarky on a conversation about one of my personal interests: agriculture. 

Modesto sits on the upper edge of the Salinas Valley, a region of the US commonly referred to as the Nation's Breadbasket or the Nation's Salad Bowl. 

The city itself looks unlike any other that I have seen.  I say this because the majority of the cities I have encountered have been on the east coast where, for the most part, agricultural hubs are relegated to the outskirts of cities rather than being a central component of the prosperity of the city itself.  Alternatively, here in Modesto, agriculture runs this town.  Irrigation canals run alongside the streets, processing facilities decorate the city corners and lawns are strewn with farm equipment.   

Last semester at UNC I took an environmental studies class called Agriculture and the Environment in which I learned a lot of agricultural centers and the industrialization of the farming sector. On our ride into Modesto, I was prepared to encounter a place fertile with food that was being processed, packaged and shipped to other regions of the country and/or world.  

However, over the past several meals and yesterday evening in particular as I conversed with church members during our potluck dinner, I was told on multiple occasions how fresh and local the food was.  The peaches we had at breakfast we picked the day before; the woman who brought the green bean casserole said that the green beans were picked from her son's garden.  

Sentiments like this were shared time and again and I found myself surprised that so much of the food that was being grown was not only financially benefitting the area but also nourishing he community.  

Maybe I was being naive when I conceived of the city as an industrial agriculture area without much support for local consumption but here I am, well-fed and ready to ride! 

The Final Push!

Yesterday, just 4 days before we hit the west coast and wheel dip in the Pacific Ocean, out team completed out longest ride of the entire trip.  We rode 116.1 miles from Yosemite National Park to the bread basket of this region, Modesto CA.  The team did well over 6,500 feet of climbing and just over 10,000 feet of descent.  Talk about a crazy ride! 

The 116 miles helped everyone work the soreness out of their muscles and get the mobility back into their calves.  Additionally, we were extra-recharged for such a long ride because we had had two days away from our bicycles.  By the time that riders began arriving in Modesto and the temperature had spiked to 108, everyone was ready for a little refreshment.  What better answer than some smoothies? 

Flashing back to our time in Yosemite, remember the fire that was ravaging the NW part of the park?  Well the van saw the plume of smoke on its roundabout ride into the park and even caught some glimpses of the emergency helicopters gathering water to drop on the blaze.  

Of course, our crew had a wonderful solution to the predicament.  

Once we hit the trails, the team had an awesome time and got to see a lot of amazing Yosemite treasures despite the fog-like smoke that was clogging up the valley and limiting the visibility in the area.  Still, seeing Half-Dome from a distance is a spectacular experience.  

Fortunately, the windy night cleared up the air a little for the excursions our crew took on their day off.  Elle and Laura captured a better view of the dome during their hike.  

On the hike down to the valley, SUS14 passes by Yosemite Falls and on an exhausting day such as it was, the obvious reaction to such a beautiful pool of water surrounded by majestic views was to jump in.  

Alternatively, I decided to enjoy the pools by napping on the railing of the bridge that passed over the water and Maddie captured my slumber on film.  

It goes without saying that SUS14's Yosemite experience was fun-filled, muscle intensive and incredibly memorable.  

We miss it already but are looking forward to the next three ride days taking us to lovely Monterey and a different kind of cool dip into the salty waters of the Pacific Ocean.  

A Montage Of Magical Modesto

Each day at our route meeting in the morning before all the riders hit the road, one assigned rider talks about the city we are about to visit.  Today we are riding to Modesto CA where we will also have a build day tomorrow and guess who has city facts for today's route meeting? 

Modesto, a city of 201,165 residents, covers just over 37 square miles of land and is located at 89 feet above sea level. The city relies heavily on agriculture as it's main form of industry with walnuts, almonds, milk, chicken, and corn silage being the central crops.  For reference, the community grossed $3.1 billion in revenue in 2011.  

Unfortunately, that sizable income does not benefit all residents of Modesto.  As of January 2013, 14.9% of families and 18.5% of population were living below the poverty line and 13% of the population was unemployed. 

Demographics-wise, the breakdown is as follows: 

     • 65% white (~16% Hispanic whites) 

     • 4.2% African American 

     • 1.2% Native American 

     • 6.7% Asian 

     • 1% Pacific Islander

     • 21.9% other 

As far as affordable housing goes, the average household size is 2.67 people with 57% of homes being owner occupied and 43% being renter occupied, a comparably large proportion of renters in my experience.   The median household income is $49,852 and the median family income is $56,629.  While Forbes noted in a ranking of 100 cities that Modesto was 8th best in terms of housing affordability, it was also ranked #99 in foreclosures and #86 for job forecast growth so there is obviously a dichotomy between the price of homes and the ability of homeowners to responsibly make payments on their mortgages or seek out employment opportunities to finance their home-buying desires.  

Finally, for all you popular culture fans out there, you might recognize Modesto as the filming location of "American Graffiti", the television show "Happy Days" and home to the world's largest winery named E&J Gallo Winery.  

So now you have gotten a glimpse into what a route meeting might feel like (just imagine me reading these tidbits of information rather than writing it).  Hopefully the team has a worthwhile build day in Modesto.  But first, we have to bike 116 miles to get there!