Happiness is Riding a Bicycle

I discovered true happiness while riding my bicycle. In riding more than 4000 miles across other country, my perceptions of people and places have been altered. I lived with 29 inspiring individuals for almost 80 days. 29 best friends. 30 people including myself, working for a common cause.
            We had awkward Hello's and sad Goodbyes, but in between these times there was a radical transformation. We had to learn to trust, to communicate, to care for one another. Whether it be on the bike or at a build site, we had to follow those values. Persistence, perseverance, and passion, we followed those P's to a T. We rode up mountains at more than 11,000 feet. We shingled a house for almost 12 hours. No feat was too large as long as we worked together.
            This summer I was introduced me to a whole new way of living. The material things in life were left by the wayside. My bike, my bin, and my Camelbak became my only essentials. After riding a 100 mile day, all I needed was a home cooked meal and a place to lay upon my Thermarest. Eat, sleep, ride. It became a simple routine. But there was never a day like the one before. Each ride was a unique experience, an opportunity to savor all that we have in this country. On build days, each housing organization is run differently. We were always assigned a different task. I met some incredible families, super cool build supervisors,and other selfless volunteers.
             A paradigm shift has occurred in how I view life. The grass is greener, and there's no mountain I can't conquer.  Whether it be Chinese food or karaoke,I’ve become less wary of trying something new. I no longer measure success in terms of grades and awards. Success comes in many different forms.  I discovered that success is an outcome of collaboration with others.  My 29friends and I committed our summer to biking across the country, to making a difference, to learning about who we truly are.
            As an individual, I’ve learned to be honest. I’ve learned to take breaks. I’ve learned to relax.  The little obstacles of each day were just small road blocks in the scope of the whole summer.  Broken bike parts and boards that weren’t nailed right, those were things we could fix. People are not as easily fixed as bikes are. Being safe on the road was always one of my ultimate goals. I care for my 29 friends and the countless other cyclists who cross the country each year.  I pray for wide shoulders and no semi-trucks. I pray for blue skies and tailwinds.

 I hope that each rider has discovered the happiness I have through riding a bicycle across the country.  Letting out cathartic breaths out each time I reached a mountain top, spontaneously swimming in various lakes,reaching a new state and posing victoriously for the camera; all are factors that allowed me to have the greatest summer of my life.

I’m not sure how life after Bike & Build is going to be. I’ll miss the chants,the second lunches, and the host showers. I’ll miss my 29 best friends, but there’s one thing I am certain about.

I’m going to keep on riding. I’ll continue to cruise through valleys, to struggle up hills, but I’m going to keep on going. Because it’s what I love to do.