My Leaders & My Role Models

Saying goodbye to my route leaders a few minutes ago made it hit me.. I'm done. I made it to Seattle. I've shipped my bike home and tomorrow I don't get to spend time with the people I've come to love in such a short amount of time. The people who got me to this point are my route leaders. The people I gave hell frequently on the trip with bike troubles, complaints, drinking, and numerous questions. These people deserve so much for what they have done in the lives of my team, the organization, and this country.
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Ladies first, right? Emily Huber. The toughest person I know. She's the epitome of a badass. She cycled through hypothermic conditions in little more than a tank top and shorts. She was the last to complain (in fact, never did) and the first to give up a good thing for others (like the time she tried giving up a hot shower for a teammate). This woman does everything kindheartedly and with good intentions. I can't thank her enough for sharing her heart with me and cheering me up every day of this trip. You are an angel. Thank you.
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Next should be another sweetheart, Ayhson Shafiq. He was the team intern and had the team's best smile. He was always genuine and honest with us. As a rider, we could relate to him because this was his first big trip. Ayhson loved every minute of the trip and was a person to laugh with you when you do something stupid, which I did many times. He alone peer pressured me into many things by saying "you won't ______". I'm so glad I don't back down from a challenge. I enjoyed every second of completing what he said I wouldn't. Thanks, Ayhson.
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Next should be one of the first guys on this list, because he was the first I talked to. Lucas Johnston. Our bike mechanic and the real reason I made it to Seattle. He helped me find bikes my size in Bar Harbor after the tragic death of my All-City bike. He then was always willing to fix my bike when it broke, even when it wasn't what he wanted to do. Lucas was hard working all the time and by far an inspiring rider. He was fast, strong, and experienced. My favorite memory of Lucas was after the first time I had to get in the van. My bottom bracket on my bike practically fell apart while riding on the 3rd of July. I thought it snapped. I spent the last 8 miles of the day in the van and assumed that I was going to be in the van on the 4th of July (the one day I looked forward to the most). I sat in the van disappointed, I got to the church and sat in the pew with my head down praying. Praying that my bike could make it to Seattle and that some miracle would fix my bike. Lucas was that miracle. Without my asking (because I wasn't going to ask), Lucas looked at my bike and fixed it. I instantly felt better and my bike survived from that moment until Seattle without Lucas needing to fix it. I owe so much to Lucas for allowing me to physically and mentally get to Seattle. He always held me to a high standard and I'm competitive. Thank you so much!
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The man. The machine. The goof ball. Joe Letchford. Just looking at him, I felt inferior. Joe is chiseled and hard working. After spending time with Joe, I gained so much confidence, though. I saw his work ethic and his commitment to what he wanted, but we had so many conversations about confidence. Joe and I are polar opposites in almost every regard. He bikes fast - I bike slow. He works out to look better - I work out to have fun. He is always trying to improve himself - I am always trying to convince others that I am already amazing. I learned so much from Joe about how different others can view you compared to how you view yourself. Joe is a remarkable human and those who met him will agree. I am so happy to have a person like him in my life and I can't wait to visit him in Minneapolis (my favorite city of the trip, including seattle).
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Last, but certainly not least, is Mike Platania. This guy was my role model throughout the trip, no offense to the other route leaders. Mike was a witty, athletic, resourceful route leader. When he was interacting with the team, Mike was funny and brought the fun. Some of the time he used peer pressure and other times he was leading the pack to play games. When Mike was riding, he was strong and fast. He was great to draft off, if you could keep up and he never asked to draft off you. I still remember Mike telling me, "I only ride half the time you all do, so I should be pulling the draft line." Mike inspired me to not rely on others and earn every mile I rode. He made me compete in games like kickball and frisbee, because we never got put on the same team. Best of all, Mike was an amazing route leader. He drove the lead van most times and this meant he had to be ahead to secure rest stop and accommodations. Mike can be credited for many indoor nights to protect us from the rain that we didn't originally have planned as well as getting us showers that he worked to get us for free. I cannot wait to see him again and go to Atlantic City. Thank you for all you have done for me, Mike.
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These people have changed my life. I've loved, learned, and lived with them. My experience riding this summer pales in comparison to all the time I spent with this crew. I'm thankful to have you all as my route leaders, role models, and friends. You all did such a great job this summer. Thank you all! I love you.

0 - Seattle

Tears haven't left my eyes yet, but many have been shed by my team so far. We are 35 cyclists who have achieved something that many wouldn't fathom. We biked 4,295 miles to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific and we did it in the longest way possible, Maine to Washington. It hasn't hit me yet. 69 days of this lifestyle. We got in yesterday and it felt as though it would continue. We got in, we hung out, and we went to bed. This morning is different. Now some of these people are gone. Good friends have left and I don't get to see them continuously, like I had before. I can't say enough how much everyone in this trip has meant to me. From Don and Cassie all the way down to the people letting us stay in a church at night, my life has changed because of you.
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I made it to Seattle. The place I've dreamed of going for years. It's kinda crazy to think of the effort I put forth to get here and now the time has arrived. I've seen the space needle. I've seen Pike Market. I'm going to go see more of downtown, soon. First, I need to get my plans in order for checkout of this marvelous hotel and my rental car for this afternoon. Tonight, I'll be staying with my cousin. I hope I haven't forgotten how to drive a car..
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Thank you all for the support. And I'll be doing the souvenir lottery tonight. Best of luck to those who have donated!

1 - A Flash Back

Throwback to my first day post, because it's eerily similar.
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Nervous excitement, immense amounts of adrenaline, and soon to be a breakfast in Snohomish. Tonight is the last night of the trip. This journey has started since October of 2014 when I guaranteed myself I would change my life in order to change the lives of those around me. I could not be more proud of what I have accomplished to get to this point. I am 30 miles from Seattle. I have made best friends with my teammates. I have biked over 4000 miles and it feels like I could keep going.
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Family. I love you all. I can't wait to be home and see you soon. I miss you and only a week left until I fly back
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Framily. Thanks for putting up with my crappy messages all summer. I have a few days with you in a few weeks. Let's make it count.
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Natalie. All summer, you made it easier to ride. Thoughts of you got me through the summer. Long distance sucks, but I cannot wait to see you. I'm sorry I've not beem able to talk much recently.
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Those reading. Named above or not, you are supporting me and helped me complete this trip. I didn't finish it because of my pride or the people around the world who need help. This trip is to support those who are in need living with multiple sclerosis, but it's much more than that to me. This trip provides a way to show people that they can change lives in such drastic ways. My friend Erin and I are working our way across the country to help others in need. I want to convince others to do this. It's not easy or for the faint of heart, but I would never give up this experience. I'm now an adult. I work soon and this prepared me for that. I know I can conquer all.
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Time to go. Team bonding for the last night. Superlatives and alcohol. What could go wrong? Snohomish to Seattle tomorrow. 30ish miles. Easiest day of the trip. Celebrations all day. Booyah! Seattle, here I come!!

2 - Off Rouge

This will be short. I don't have much to say now that I have service. Many people are currently hammocking at camp and I even had my teammate Chelsea come and join me in my hammock. It was a beautiful day. Reminded me of the fast and easy ride into Iroquois a few weeks into the trip. I even rode with the same guy. "Rowdy" Reed and I averaged about 16mph today. Lots of shade to keep you feeling fresh and plenty of gradual downhill to make it easier to pedal. We talked sports. We talked future. We just had a good time. He was the last of the team to not feel so well, so climbing these mountains have been rough on him. He was back to being fast today, because he was pushing me to keep up at times. Can't believe I will need to say goodbye to him and a few others on the 4th after our celebrations. Reed and Kaylyn. Two amazing college students with bright futures will be heading on a plane the night we get in. It's going to be a tough goodbye, but I'll save that for a not so future blog post. Time to read and relax before our final true day of riding. I'll probably sleep in my hammock tonight. Snohomish tomorrow. Seattle the next. Time flies. I'll be home soon, everyone. Love you and God bless!

3 - Service is Slim

4 days of mountains done. 5 mountain passes complete. Over 10,000 feet of climbing. It was the final push. Last hoorah before Seattle. We made it. We went up. We went down. The bottom of Rainy Pass finds us in Diablo by the lake. What a gorgeous view. I feel secluded into nature, though. No cell phones. No stores. No restaurants. No flat land to camp on.
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Today we ran into the 4k for Cancer riders. They started in Baltimore and will end in Anacortes in Washington. On my way up Washington pass, I heard from a fellow rider that they were on their way up the mountain and acted like show offs, too. I proudly decided to make sure they never biked past me. They didn't. I went faster up. I stopped for less time to catch my breath and cool down. I reached the top of the first pass without even seeing a rider from 4k. At the top of the first pass, we ran into their van and one of my teammates helped this girl fix her chain that fell off (an issue I have dealt with a lot in the past few weeks). We then ventured to the top of the next pass and went on a hike to a lake hidden in the mountains. Still, no 4k riders. On the descent to Diablo, I saw them all coming down the hill behind me. I pedaled hard. I would catch one of my teammates and warn them, so they could tag along. I ended up with 5 or 6 teammates bombing the final stretch of the hill at 48+ mph. We got to camp 15 seconds before the other riders. I felt so accomplished. It was a remarkable day and I'm glad to have had that extra push to ride faster.
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An awesome person and one of the funniest people of the triptrip, Kaylee Schweet-hat-sir, and I are cracking up. We assigned everyone a role on how I met your mother and then asked people what they would be if they could be anything. I would be a puddle of water melting into the ground. Kaylee would be a starfish. We had some people say a couch or an adult sloth! This game will continue. Have a great night.

4 - Patrick Wanninkhof

It's going to be a late night due to blog posting. Technically, it's already the next day on the east coast. I apologize for those waiting to read this that have to read it in the morning instead. It was such a long day today, because of what happened yesterday. I climbed up Loup Loup Pass today and roughly 1/3 of the way up, I broke down into tears. This is why.
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Yesterday was a terrible day for cyclists all over asociated with a cross country organization. My team rode into camp early. We were out having drinks when my route leader came into the bar and went over to another leader. "Did you hear what happened today? There was an accident and someone was killed with Bike and Build". My heart stopped. I couldn't think. I couldn't move. Then my heart raced faster than it did the entire trip. Erin. Is she okay? What about her teammates? I fumbled for my phone. It took a minute for me to even get a hold of myself long enough to say "Hey. Are you okay?" As soon as I did, I felt a relief. She responded quick, praise the Lord. The accident was a separate ride for their organization, but her route leaders knew the man who died and some of her teammates knew the girl who was injured.
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How could I have managed if it was her? The girl who was inspired, perhaps even convinced, by my cross country aspirations. What would I say if it was her teammates who I know she must be practically best friends with by this point? Questions poured into my head as tears poured into my eyes at the bar. I stared blankly at my phone thinking about what if it was the other way around. What if it was my organization? If it happened to my team? If it was my friends? Me?
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I panicked. I panicked a lot on my trip up Loup Loup. If my orgnization had this happen, I would be petrified. So many people are working hard to make sure we remain safe and that can be wiped away so quickly. If it was my teammates, specifically? I couldn't finish the trip. Before the news yesterday, we calculated how many hours we all hang out with each other and compared it to how many hours you hang out with your friends in a normal week. By comparison, we have been friends for almost 2 years. I can't fathom a world where these people were hurt. We have had some close cars pass us and run us of the road, though we work hard to make sure we ride as safely as possible. If it was me who was hit, I thought about the disappointment. The fear and anger of those at home. The regret for letting me do what they saw as crazy.
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As a rider for an organization of this size, we preach safety and call each other out often. "You forgot your helmet!" "Car back!" "Loose gravel!" We make all efforts to keep ourselves out of danger, all we ask is for drivers to not add unnecessary peril. The tragedy that occured yesterday was not one that can blame the young man named Patrick Wanninkhof or the woman named Bridget Anderson. These two were hit from behind by a woman who was "distracted by her phone". I have never imagined this in my life. Today, I did. I replayed that scenario. I saw it in my head. My teammates getting hit. Myself getting hit. This young man named Patrick Wanninkhof. The young woman named Bridget Anderson.
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As a driver of a car, you're responsible. You control a vehicle that has the ability to kill of you are not careful. People are wreckless with that power. People text, talk on the phone, play with the radio, so their make-up. You name it, people probably have done it while driving. It makes me sick hearing about this death. It's selfish. The woman behind the wheel who deserves to remain nameless is under investigation. They're conducting a toxicology test to determine whether to charge her with something serious or just "inattentive driving". That's it. The woman hits two cyclists, admits to looking at her phone, and winds up with a $175 fine. Patrick graduated from the University of Florida in 2012 and immediately joined Teach for America. He began his career teaching science at a public performing arts school in the Bronx. His cyclist page told of his love for helping those in need, much like my own. His life was taken and might be replaced by a fine.
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Today alone, I had two major incidences where cars put my life in danger. Today, I wore a bright green jacket (which turned into a vest after it got hot) and my same neon yellow helmet. I watched a lady who had a stop sign at a fork in the road look both ways and then go straight towards me as if I wasn't even there. I slowed down as much as I could and proceeded to swerve around her. Later in the day, I had my descent from the top of the mountain. The speed limit was 50 and I was going what can be assumed was above 30mph. A blind curve was ahead and there were double yellow lines in the road. Going above 30mph on a bike is scary. One crack in the road, bit of glass, or patch of gravel can cause a dangerous wreck. I decided to ride in the road, because the shoulder was small and more likely to have those obstacles. A tow truck approached me and merged into the on coming traffic even with me in the center of the lane telling him to wait to pass. He forced me over to the shoulder as we approached the blind curve and just in time, too. Cars were rounding the curve towards us. This truck would have hit them head on or swerved and hit me. The amount of time it would have taken him to slow down from 50 to 30mph for roughly 20 seconds is not something I think is much to ask. I've even had a car pass me with an on coming bus and lose their side mirror, because they couldn't wait 15 seconds for the oncoming bus to pass first. Lives are at stake when you drive recklessly.
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I don't want to scare you into thinking I'm unsafe. We abide every rule we can and are always prepared. I'm also paranoid now. And to end on a high note, I want to share my highlight of today. After my breakdown while climbing the mountain, a car passed me. With my still puffy, tear-filled eyes, I saw a car approach on a place where I couldn't get over. They waited behind me for a moment and when they passed, a lady popped our of the window. "You can do it!" was all she said. Those simple words and 10 seconds of patience was all it took to become a highlight of my day and a memory for my trip. I thank God for those people and I pray that you, as a reader, will do at least the simple things like this couple did to brighten a biker's day.

5 - 102 degree tacos

Short blog tonight. Arriving early to camp was a great decision. I got here at 11am.I got a good meal, a chapter of my book read, and an hour nap before I normally get to camp. Shortly after I arrived, the heat was tremendous. It was 102 degrees for hours of the day and it's rumored to be 107 tomorrow at certain points. Unfortunately, tomorrow is a 70 mile day and it's nearly 90 at 9pm. It doesn't seem promising for a cool morning like we have had.
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To make it better, I took on the challenge of a Bike The US For MS alumni to set the record for tacos eaten from a taco truck. I managed to scarf down 18 tacos tonight. Placing myself above the challenger, but 8 away from the all time record. I might have held the 8 in, but I knew tomorrow would be rough if I tried. I'll call that a victory, still.
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Tomorrow, I hope to write a heartfelt blog about the tragedy that occurred today with Bike and Build with a driver hitting a rider. I'm sure I'll sob. I almost broke down today hearing about this because I have a good friend on one of the bike and build routes. All I can say is that prayers are needed. Prayers for cyclists everywhere. We may be "rival" organizations of bikers, but we care about each other. Nobody can doubt the sorrow we feel for that guys family or the organization as a whole. Our sympathies go out to those affected.
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My alarm says I'll be up in seven and a half hours. I guess the hour nap came in handy. Wish me luck falling asleep in this sauna of a tent. Good night.

6 - Breaking down my days

I would like to take this time to quickly plug the podcast my teammate had created. It is so impressive to have time for this and it's pretty accurate to our lives on the road. The podcast is called NoTiers (like no tears and northern tier). It can be found on iTunes or wherever else you can find podcasts. Pretty sure notiers.com will also get you places you want to be.
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I digress. A day in the life of a cyclist is what I want to talk about. Well, this is in fact a lot harder than I made it seem when I was preparing to leave and maybe even when I was calling home. "All I need to do it wake up and bike from one place to the next." False. I'll take you through the process, as it might be called (It seems more like a freeform ritual to me. A process is too structured and repetitive). Because of the random structure of a biker day, I'll go through 3 days in 3 segments. These segments of the days can vary so much, that order of this doesn't matter. I just want it to seem logical.
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Night 1.
Just got to camp. Find a pretty tree or pavilion to put your bike against. Hopefully, it's going to be a dry night (it isn't). Set up your tent and move almost your entire cubby of bags into it. Organization is key, because a tent only has so much space. The sleeping bag, clothes for tomorrow, snacks and water, and whatever else you might need to get some sleep. Then the clouds roll in. Great! Rain makes everything so fun. You hurrily grab some tuna, crackers, and maybe a piece of fruit of you're lucky enough to have one that's not spoiled. Time to seclude yourself in the tent, eat, and get some sleep. Goodnight!
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Morning 1.
You wake up bright and early. 6am was the alarm, but you snooze it until you hear some other bikers stumbling about. By the time the early crowd is ready to leave, you emerge from your tent. Everything is wet. Cool, it's frigid outside, too. You quickly roll up your sleeping bag, put on your padded shammy shorts, and start hauling your things to your cubby. Tetris begins. How did it fit last night? Yeah, the tent goes on top of the duffle bag and sleeping bag. Once it's all in, it's breakfast time. Bridget is already 30 minutes into her meal. You'll just have a few granola bars, peanut butter, and maybe a banana. Oh wait. You ate that last night. Oh well. Time to throw on the arm warmers and head out for the day.
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Day 1.
30 mile legs between rest stops today. A bit long with only fields to look at. At least the biking is keeping your body temperature from plummeting. Once the sun comes out, it changes. Sweat dripping. Why didn't you leave at 6am with the early crowd? Why did you spend so much time at rest stop one? Why did you choose to put myself through this? Questions run through your head. You can't turn them off. Some are about the day ahead, some are about your life, some are about your past. Drown them out. Drown them out with music/podcasts. Freakonomics podcasts? Nerdy, but it works. You zone off to Stephen Dubner talking about whether cheap wine really tastes worse than expensive wine. Next thing you know, you have 10 miles left!
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Night 2.
A church for the night. This is nice. You always love staying indoors. You're a lot less likely to get rained on indoors! You move my things inside and find a location near an outlet. Success. You get a shower as people are rolling in. The team all arrives and a few people want to get food and a beer. Food is much better when it's not canned or cold. It's expensive, too. You burnt 5000 calories today, but it will cost how much to get that back? I guess you'll go with a burger and fries. That's a lot of calories. Back at the church, you decide to catch up on blogging, Facebook uploads, and general conversation with loved ones. It's 10pm and you forgot about postcards and never got to the blog. That was the first thing! Well... Alarms are set. 6hrs and 42 minutes of sleep if you pass out right now. Goodnight.
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Morning 2.
Snoring, alarms, indoor voices... Control them! It's 4:30? It's a long day, but that's crazy. Time to put in headphones. You need to drown it out. An hour more sleep is all you can muster. The commotion is getting louder. There is a delicious breakfast place in the first rest stop 20 miles out. That's not far. You pack up your things much like yesterday and get on the road. Breakfast is crucial. You need good fuel for today as you've got a lot of hills and distance to travel. A helping of French toast with a side of hash browns will get you there.
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Day 2.
It's 9am and you've knocked out a quarter of your day. This is nothing like it was supposed to be. You have been jamming to eminem and drake all day at 17mph. At this pace you'll be at camp early. After a lunch of peanut butter on a bagel, you hit a wall. The speed you had isn't there. Music is just making you feel like you're not as fast as you normally are. Now there is self doubt. Are your legs finally done?Maybe you needed more to eat. Some stashed clif bars and trail mix gives you a boost. Seems like 12mph is your new pace as teammates are passing at 16. You try to tag along. Conversation gets going and you finish the day with a compromised 15mph.
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Night 3.
Camping again tonight, but it's supposed to be beautiful! You take out and set up your tent, much like you always do. It smells. It smells awful. Oh that's right, your tent was wet when you put it away 2 days ago and the last thing in it was tuna and a smelly unbathed biker. Open the vents and get on with the unpacking of your cubby. No food in the tent tonight, though. You go out to a restaurant in order to charge your phone, because the trailer battery isn't working, again. You even find Wi-Fi. On the way back, groceries are bought. You now have stuff for a few days. How will this fit in your food cubby? It won't, but you make it work. Hanging out with teammates for the rest of the night will give you energy, but bedtime rolls around and you feel a days worth of biking sneak up on you. You stumble into your sleeping bag and crash.
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Morning 3.
Good morning world! You've had a good night's sleep. It was chilly and your tent was on a great patch of grass. You are ready to go much earlier than the others going out to a cheap breakfast joint with you. You sit around and realize how much more of that great sleep you could have had. Oh well. Breakfast is worth it. French toast and hash browns, again? If it ain't broke, don't fix it, I guess... Everyone is at breakfast, so it takes forever to get food and pay. You leave the diner at 9am and there are supposed to be headwinds!
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Day 3.
First time in a while, you're leaving with the others. They pace much faster than you want to go. You hold strong, because falling behind means you can't draft. The wind is too brutal to not have some blocked for you. 30 more miles left, but legs feel like cooked noodles. You drop off. Music blasting, you chug at a steady 9mph pace. No need to hurry. Arriving to camp at 4 is not worth the pain. You arrive at 5 content with your slow and steady choice, because you still weren't last! You catch up with the gang that you let slip away and you realize that the day is over. No worries. No wind resistance. No regrets. Not until tomorrow, at least.
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It's tough to bike across the country. 3 days of biking can be so different, but in the end it is so worth while. I am blessed to be on this trip and with the people I'm with. Time for bed, though. I chose this blog post over an appropriate bed time tonight. Oops. Good thing it's a short day tomorrow. :)

Family versus Framily

Family - a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household.
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Friends - a group whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
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Framily - a group in our lives we would include in our family, whether they are blood-related or not, typically because we love them.
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Thank God for all of these in my life.
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Family. My backbone and the people who made me who I am today. My family stretches much more than the definition. I have my mom, dad, and sister who are readily at my back. While on my bike, I think about my life and how they have helped me become who I am today. I've learned so much from them.
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I see my immediate family as characters from the Wizard of Oz. My mother taught me to love, but also to be a bit stubborn. This trip is a great example of using both. I'm riding for a cause and even when the going gets tough, I won't accept riding in the van. My father taught me how to think logically, but how to think about others before myself. My dad always asked me questions I didn't know the answer to. He challenged me to know the world around me frequently as I grew up, but was first to remind me that being humble and unselfish was most important. Most of what I am is because of the lessons my parents taught me. I can't forget about my sister, though. She had the same parents, yet we are very different. She was the one who had to teach about adventure. Without my sister, I think I'd be an introvert. It is hard to think of what I would be doing, but I doubt I would have landed this awesome job or be a part of this awesome summer if any of these people were not who they are.
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I can't forget about the other family I have, though. My mom and dad both being the youngest of seven, I have a lot of relatives. Hearing from aunts, uncles, and cousins while on this trip has inspired me to not let my purpose in life go away after this trip. I am made to help others. I am built to be active. I can't let this journey end on August 4th. Hearing how I can inspire, seeing how I can make a difference, and feeling as good as I have felt in years, my family has taught me about happiness and how easily that is spread to others. Thank you.
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To my friends. My framily. I think I gloat about you all too much. We have a giant group message going and it's pretty much the first thing I look at when I get internet. All I can think of when I see it is how much I miss you, which is why I say that so often in the message. You all have seen the drastic change that has happened in my life. From welcoming me at my lowest point to my ascent into pure happiness, you all were there for me. I don't think I have time to write out to every one of you in the way I want, but I'll do my best before my phone starts dying.
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Shelby and Mariah. You're the staples to my happiness. You somehow took a tattered version of me and made him happy again. With all my dumb choices and ridiculousness, you loved me unconditionally. I am your flash puppy, but I felt that through thick and thin you were the ones loving me when I wasn't deserving (much like a puppy). You both taught me how much love means to those in need. Meg, Kait, Raj and Rachel. You are all so different from each other, but you all show me how to have a good time. All of you have been through so much stress and I have seen you overcome time and time again. Congrats on getting new jobs, quitting bad jobs, finding love, and doing what is best for you in life. You all are in theater, which means the job market is slim for you... But I've learned from Ed Wagonseller and you have proven to me that you can do anything you want if you're a theater major (even if it's not theater). The boys (Jackson, Josh, Sean, Gary, and Grant). I've gotten so much confidence from being around you all. I love your enthusiasm and carefree attitudes. You all remind me frequently what matters and what doesn't. I've seen you all in such silly states, but you know how to act when it comes to business.
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My framily is large, much like my family. Both have taught me to do what is best for myself as well as what is good for others. I can't thank them enough for support, the video messages, and prayers. I made it through this trip thinking about each one of you and how much I can't wait to tell my stories over and over again to each of you. My phone is at 9%, so I'll be ending the blog here (sorry it seemed rushed by the end). Make sure to call me, text me, message me on facebook, or do something to keep in touch with me for this next week. I love you guys!

7

...Deadly sins.
...Continents in the world.
...Seas.
...Colors in a rainbow.
...Wonders of the world.
...Days in the week.
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Seven. That is how many days are left in my cycling adventure. I'm feeling bittersweet about it already, because I know this week will be over very soon. However, this experience will stay with me for the rest of my life. The people I've interacted with, the people we have helped, and the effort we have given to make this world easier for others. I hope you have enjoyed my blogs. I plan to go back and add pictures to each blog as well as maybe give more information that I remember. I am not ending the blog now. Who knows, I might right a post every night until we get there, because days seem short from here on out (71 miles maximum).
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What I am going to do is keep reminding you that I couldn't have made this impact without your help. Your donations we're crucial in this mission and it's not too late to donate. Every dollar we raise from here gets donated to the MS clinic in Seattle. If you would like to donate, whether it is again or for the first time, go to www.biketheusform.org and click the orange donate button. It takes just a few minutes. You can donate to me specifically by choosing my name in the drop menu, or pick those from my team who I have written about. As you donate, you can also remain anonymous or out your name and a memo bragging about how awesome you are for donating. Trust me, the money is put to good use either way. Our fearless leader, Don, is all about the money we raise going towards the cause and not getting spent on anything extraneous for the organization (which is why we camp so often and don't stay in hotels or get free food). Please donate if you can. I have decided to do a drawing from a hat for those who donated $20 or more and pick one or more lucky donors to win free things I have collected from around the country. Who knows what you could win? I certainly don't know yet, but you should totally get in on that while you have a chance! I have some things already that you would want, so donate to my cyclist page and I will let you know winners later next week.

Apocalypse NOW?

This will be a short post. I'm hoping I feel well enough to finish the post in the first place. We are currently having our last rest day and it's 100% necessary even though our last rest day was 4 days ago. We are in Sandpoint, Idaho in a sports complex. This place is beautiful, but coming into this place our intern and route leader was very sick! He was puking and lost 15 pounds of fluids and things. Food poisoning, we thought. Tofurkey in a warm, water filled cooler and twice chilled protein shake isn't good for a stomach, we said.
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I'm the past 12 hours, five or six people have gotten sick. The worst two being the people sleeping closest to me last night. Yesterday, I shared a beef stick with two people that are now sick (one of which is the worst). I should feel sick right now. I should be puking what's in my system right now if my stomach history is any indicator of my immunity to stomach bugs. Please pray for us. We have 8 days left.. An easy ride out of Sandpoint tomorrow (30ish miles), 6 short mile mountain days with tough climbing, and an easy day into Seattle (30 miles). I can't imagine having this bug while climbing a mountain for 19 miles... Pray nobody needs to experience it.
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Thank you and God bless.

Bike the Us for MS Northern Tier 2015

How can I say this in a way that is fitting to the people I have called friends and role models for about 8 weeks now? I think I'll use different words that we have heard or used ourselves to describe the team, because it seemed to be a good blog format.
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Crazy. Indeed, we are. I have teammates like Emily Huber who has biked with BTUSFMS 4 years in a row with 1 year being the very difficult Bike the UK. Jack Shi left his job to come do this with us, but this lifestyle is attractive to some. It's attractive to my team. We are people who want to see the country we live in and it's beauty. You may think we are crazy and we might agree at times, but my teammates and I know that nothing this rewarding can come from a task deemed "tame".
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Inspiring. From my own experience, I know I've met the most inspiring people of my life while on this trip. Don Fraser and Cassie Wertz are prime examples of this inspiration. Don is the founder and the most chill guy ever. He is actually from Wrightsville Beach and reminds me of the surfers from Wilmington. A few years ago, he decided to ride self supported with some friends across the country. He wanted to do this to help raise money and awareness for the disease his mother has. Look at what that turned into. This man has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for a few years to pay for research and treatment of MS. He has touched the lives of everyone on this trip and has had the privilege of hiring a past rider named Cassie Wertz. Cassie is the only other full time employee working for this organization. If you've ever emailed BTUSFMS, Cassie is probably the one who responded to that in a matter of minutes. She works hard behind the scenes, but deserves an immense amount of credit. Seeing Cassie and Don gives me a strong motivation. Whatever those two are going to do, I would follow them to do it without question or doubt.
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Tame. We just had Phrom (Prom with a F sound) yesterday. What this means is we bought crazy outfits from all over the country and all wore them one night to go out for a bar crawl. Leo Lopez and I wore SDSU kids jerseys and the matching blue short shorts to accompany it. Others included a burning man hippie, denim diva, and soccer mom. We looked ridiculous out in public, but had so much fun. We might not be like past trips where we drink every night after the day is over, but we have fun on our rest days. Comparably, I can't say we aren't tame, but that doesn't make us straight edge folks. The non-biking stories I'll have from this trip will definitely make you disagree with the word tame.
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Athletic. False. Well... Maybe it's not completely false. Joe Letchford and Will Luck are two people who I wish I could be more like. They'll bike 90 miles and then workout on a jungle gym. Alex Webb and Brian Oliver are a different type of unreal. When they finish a day of bike riding, they often go out running. When I say running, I feel I undersell what they do. They'll go out for like 5 to 10 miles and run them at a pace that I would need to sprint to keep up with. I've heard of them running as fast as 5:40 miles. However, we have had many people who weren't cyclists before this trip. We are now fit, if we were not before. We are now cyclists, if we were not before. We are churning, bike pedaling machines.
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This trip has changed my life, but it's not the bike riding. The people are the true life changers. As always, thanks for reading this. However, I'm going to end this blog with a call to action. I've seen how much people can change lives or just motivate others to do good. Go out of your way to help others this week. It really feels good to help someone carry their groceries to their car or go out of your way to show someone else kindness. It's contagious. Until next time.

Thinking Thoughts (A Reminiscent Post)

I apologize for what will seem like a jumble of thoughts. 3 weeks left of this magnificent summer and I really can't seem to wrap my head around many things. If you haven't heard the podcast some of my teammates have created, please go to iTunes or any podcast app and find NoTiers. It's tremendous and they work very hard on it. I digress... I would like to say many things because as the podcast says, "I have a biker brain."
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#1.
I can't say enough how much everyone reading this means to me. I'm sorry I don't post here as often as I wanted, but sitting in my saddle for hours a day with nothing but your thoughts gets tough. I couldn't wait to share my stories with you all before this trip began, but now I know how difficult it is to relive and rethink these thoughts over and over. I don't know what stories I've told you or what stories I repeat in my head until I get sick of thinking them.
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I've had many mental breakdowns. I had another this morning while listening to the live podcast my teammates recorded. I don't want to spoil it, but they talked about what a biker thinks about in a given day. It's actually the most difficult part of this trip. My legs can bike 107 miles into 20mph Montana headwinds, but my head can't fathom it. It's weird to contemplate life as much as I have in these past months. I often think about my future. My job. My family. My best friends. All of the people who have made me who I am. I often think they have sculpted me into an amazing person who will change the world, but 6 hours on a bike in a day can make your head play tricks. I'm sick of music. I'm sick of comedy. I'm currently trying to listen to economics podcasts to keep distracted. People are even past that and listening to Harry Potter books. I cannot wait for Glacier National Park when we get more beauty that will help me be distracted from my thoughts.
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#3.
Dreams are funny. I don't understand them. My teammates aren't psychiatrists. They're making it harder and harder to sleep at night, which is why I'm writing this instead of sleeping. I've had dreams of my bike wheels shattering while flying down a hill, but then magically being okay when my teammates came to get me. I had a dream about crashing in cars that I needed to drive to support Bike the US for MS. I've even had the dream of being left behind and alone. It's hard sometimes because the team is so close, but I can't get out of my own head once I'm on my bike.
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#4.
I'm going to cry. I did this trip, because I love people. I love people who are deserving of the love a stranger can give. My teammates are roughly 30 people who deserve every ounce of love they can get. Some just love to ride, some have a strong connection to MS, but every one of them has been genuine to someone because they are kind deep down in their soul. I learned the other day that some people won't let us do service projects for them because the organization won't do background checks. Don (the founder, CEO, and our fearless leader) has sworn not to do them because anyone who signs up for this trip is tremendous. I don't know how I can leave these people in August. Some of them go out of their way to ask me how my ride was, some of them want to become best friends with my girlfriend, and some of them are already making plans to visit me. I am honored to be a part of this team and I wish it never needed to end.
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#5.
Bar Harbor was weeks ago... There were days when 70 miles was long. There were days when I got scared of a 2 mile hill. I've had a flat. I've had numerous bike repairs. I've gotten little sleep and slept in. I've gone over "The Kanc" and "Breadloaf". I've made lifelong friends and met patients who I will remember for a lifetime. I have been fed by churches, towns, and route leaders. I've drank floats, shakes, beers, and plenty of water. I've biked thousands of miles, skimmed through plenty of flood puddles, and waded one hundred or so feet of overflow. I've been on back roads, gravel roads, bike paths, and interstates. I've slept through strong winds and thunderstorms as well as alarm clocks and snoring. I've taken showers in churches, fire stations, parks, pools, houses, sinks, hoses, and lakes. Nothing about this journey is simple, but all I need to do is bike. It's just two wheels and me for the next 900 miles.
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God bless and goodnight.

Minneapolis MS Achievement Center

I'm going to preface this blog by saying the italicized words are my thoughts. I want you all to feel as close to what I felt during this day. Before I get into the emotions of the last day in Minneapolis, let me set the scene.
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The sun is centered above the head of thirty cyclists. We are travelling 3 miles through the city on their transportation of choice, at this point, in anticipation of a day that the founder of the company and only full time employee flew out to see. Arriving to the MS Achievement Center at first seemed like we got the wrong address into an industrial area, but delving deeper into what seemed like parking lots we found a hidden gem. The lot behind the center was turned into a precious garden and filled with patients and workers of the center. All you could see was joy, signs of appreciation, bubbles, and tears that were beginning to line your eyes.
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These people were clearly deep into the stages of multiple sclerosis. This was the first time we got to meet people who needed as much assistance with their disease. Many cyclists I'm with have relatives who they have seen at this stage, but I haven't. I've heard about friends and family who are hard off but still fighting. That is what I saw in these people.
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The first experiences with the patients both brought tears. We arrived in the clinic to applause and I was given a little windmill from a patient and a Hershey kiss from another. The best gift to start off the day was a CD that a patient made for us. He was once in a band that travelled the country, so he wrote and played us a song. We all got to sing along to his song. I would like you all to imagine the group of patients, workers, and cyclists singing to this while the patients played miscellaneous instruments (assisted by workers). This is the first bridge into the chorus (which is where I started to see the tears of my teammates and where I began to join them) :
But giving a donation to us makes you all our heroes
Fighting in a battle with out diseases everyday
A genuine concern to help us keep on getting better
Encouragement so given to continue on this way
Celebrate the meaning of this moment
By the grace of God we're standing here today
Humble in accepting what we got for free
So grateful for your service in this way
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Seeing these people was looking at the faces of the lives you have all helped us make better. The next part of our trip was lunch, where I got to know different patients like Jojo, Laura, Anna, and Michele. My team of cyclists split up and we all got to spend some time getting to know the patients through conversation. Topics include family, hobbies, and their experiences with the disease. After this, we listened to more thank yous, but this time read by the patients (more tears from me). Then they shared a movie about the clinic before we got to talk about our organization.
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The last part of the day was so tough to handle and it made up nearly half of the 3 hours at the clinic. 15 cyclists and roughly 20 patients went into their arts and crafts room and got into a circle. Cyclists would tell their name, age, hometown, and why they ride. Patients would tell their name, how long they've had MS, and favorite part of the center. Emotions ran high two people in when a patient could barely speak. Sobbing. Struggling to think of what to say. "Thank you". "I love this place". "I love this place"... I lost control of my emotions two people in. It was a roller coaster from there. We had patients who were witty and loved the spotlight to talk about their stories as well as patients who struggled due to the speaking because of the disease. As a cyclist, I didn't know why many people were riding along side me. The patients are my motivation, but the cyclist are my inspiration. These people quit jobs, cry when they see a patient that reminds them of their family with MS, and will never think of themselves first.
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It is so very hard to put you in my shoes for that day. It is impossible to make you feel what I felt in the center, but from the bottom of my heart I thank you. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to experience that. I thank you for allowing my life to change for the better. The patients in this clinic thank you for providing the donation of $25,000 to the clinic. And I hope you are thankful for the opportunity to assist these people. These nameless faces. These struggling patients of a center in Minneapolis. These wonderfully kindhearted humans.
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I am going to give whoever reading this two pieces of advice now that 99% of you will ignore. First. Donate to these people with MS. Whether that is through Bike the US for MS, another organization, or just your time for a local person with multiple sclerosis. BTUSFMS donations are collected at biketheusforms.org and takes money directly from our online donations to give it to the people in need. Everyone who is part of this organization wants every dime to go towards a cure and will make sure that happens with your donation. Second. Bike the US for MS. You will never truly understand the changes I have made in my life as well as others unless you try it. It is the most amazing experience of my life and it is extremely rewarding to see your hard work and efforts out directly into a cause worth fighting for. If you are motivated, if you love helping others, and if you have any span of time, you should bike at least a segment for this organization. I guarantee you will walk away (or bike away) a better person.
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As always, thanks for reading and God bless you all.

Mother Nature Hates Us

What a wonderful country we live in. We live in a land of great freedom and a large bounty of corn. For weeks now all I can see has been corn fields. Not a terrible sight (unless it's flooded - thanks mother nature). We get so excited to see soybeans or other things as we bike that I never thought were enjoyable to bikepast before. I must just be spoiled with my training being by the beach and ocean.
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The real purpose of this post has been weather. Most of you know, the weather is continuing its childlike tantrums and throwing them right at us. We have made progress though. We went from the freezing rain in New Hampshire to the thunderstorms of the northeast to the eventual tornados of the Midwest. I would just like to share how this affects our daily routines. It makes them stink! Literally and figuratively.
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Rain. From the first night in Belfast where it was cute and unfortunate to now Iowa where it is laughably predictable every day, the rain has reared its head and at the very least spit at us. It makes our bikes wear down fast, which leads to our mechanic being way too busy for his own sanity and health. It makes our clothes smell like sweat and wet dog. And it makes everyone have a pretty negative mood overall. We seem to be moving past the rain as an enemy, though. By the time the rain is accepted in this group, mother nature will probably give us scorching, dry heat.
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Thunderstorms and wind. Bad separately, but as I learned today are not terrible together. Winds from the west are the best, but winds from the east we like the least. My friend Mark is a professor at Central Michigan and taught me that western winds don't bring storms often, but winds from the south and east do. So storms aren't normally accompanied by headwinds, thankfully. There was a time a few nights ago that it got unreal though. I cannot tell you how fast the winds were going, but I can share a few texts I sent after the center of the storm passed us...
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To my family: "Just wanted to say that I praise the Lord for my tent. It's small and it's simple, but we just had hurricane weather for the past 30 minutes. I'm under a large pavilion tonight in it, but the wind nearly flipped it with me inside. I was holding a wall of it up against the wind. The waterproof sprayed walls were no match for the rain coming at me nearly horizontal under the pavilion, but only mist was able to come into the tent. Now I'm in a lake under the pavilion. I am still dry but my tent is laying in an inch of water. What a wonderful waterbed this is."
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To Natalie: "Take the tarp off your tent, they said. You're safe in the pavilion, they said. The rain won't go sideways, they said. All misinformed. It rained sideways... 50mph wind is a guess. My tent just collapsed on me the wind was so hard. Felt like a hurricane.
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As you can guess, rain, wind and lightning are not the best camping weather. We have been pretty understanding about it but luckily our route leaders are doing their best to get us accomodations inside for most nights knowing it has rained on us so often this trip. Thank the Lord for them. Fixing our bikes and helping us sleep indoors as much as possible. They're the only reason many of us are strong enough to press on. They are 50% of the motivation.
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Lastly, the tornado warning. During a United States womens World Cup game against Colombia, too? Me and a few others ran two blocks in the rain with tornado warnings due to one touching down in a nearby county, after which we were "stuck" in the pub for the next few hours. Tomorrow we are supposed to get a tornado watch. Luckily, we get tailwinds with our bad weather. Everyone is trying to beat the storm to camp, but it's a 95 mile day... Wish us luck and strong tailwinds.
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God bless.
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It's raining

Propelling a bike across the country is a difficult task to ask of most people, but this group laughs at the task. Riding a bike (nearly) every day for 3 weeks through storms and torrential rain knowing that 7 more weeks of cycling is left of the trip is mentally fatigueing, but this team just keeps waking up earlier to make it through the day faster. Riding through rivers and lakes that are now called Indiana and Illinois are outlandish and unpredicted, but I call this the best summer of my life.
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It's weird to think that we are over 3 weeks into my trip and I'm now through Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. I have made such amazing friends who I never knew existed before May 27th. There are people who are retired as well as people getting college credit. There are people who plan to self support themselves on their bike after reaching Seattle as well as people who don't know what happens after the trip. We all have such important differences that make us unique, but our individuality makes us a closer group.
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In 3 weeks, people know more about my life than I would care to share with my blog readers. We stick up for each other and are always rooting for people who need it. I don't have much of a story here. I just haven't written in a while and my teammate Kay told me I was a good writer. She is one determined rider and one great friend. She is always there to talk to me when I need it. Unfortunately, she got hurt the other day in an  collision with another biker. I hope she gets back out there soon, because I miss my riding partner. Maybe it will be tomorrow. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
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Best of wishes to those who sent letters and items in my care package. It was astounding and perfectly timed after a rough day. I will post again shortly when more stories arise. God bless.

Cleveland

It's still early, but it feels like biking is the only thing I know how to do. Social interactions become difficult. Talking is mumbled and misunderstood. Conversations lead to either chaotic nonsense or something that we deal with while biking (aka the road, the weather, or extraneous details about the ride). I have had some rough days since Lake Ontario, but some truly amazing ones as well. Going to Niagara for the first time in years was amazing. Buffalo as an adult became pretty sketchy, but still astoundingly beautiful (with delicious wings and an awesome theater district).
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After Buffalo, we had a shorter day to a campsite in Lake Erie. Then a long day following Erie into Ohio. 95 miles set my new high for a day of biking. Looking back on it, I think of it fondly. When it was happening, I struggled. I guess sitting in a hostel in Cleveland knowing you don't have to bike until late Monday morning will give you unsurpressed optimism. The long day included heats over 90, strong headwinds, and a thunderstorm to wrap up the whole day. It was a big bag of fun. I ached that night arriving at camp, but got plenty of sleep before the short 63 miles to Cleveland.
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I can't wait for everything going on in Cleveland this weekend. Plenty of fun activities today with free food, free tickets to Jurassic World, and then celebrating birthdays of some teammates while out on Cleveland. Tomorrow night I plan to go watch the Cleveland Cavaliers game in their stadium on the jumbotron because they have a viewing party there. But not exciting is tomorrow morning. We get to visit the MS clinic in Cleveland. We tour the building and facilities to start. After the tour, because of everyone's generous donations and my teams success in fundraising, we are able to present a huge check to the clinic that they don't know is coming. It's going to be an amazing feeling and I cannot wait to cry seeing how much good this money is able to do for these people.
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Speaking of people, we have met so many people touched by what we are doing. We volunteered on Buffalo to help a lady with MS around the house. Reed and I built a spectacular cabinet for her to put in her kitchen. We accomplished so much that morning before heading out on our bikes for the day. People have been astounded by our courage and donated while just passing on the street. We have met people who had friends with MS and a lady who had her husband pass away due to it. I feel great hearing from people in my life about how I am a role model for them moving forward, but that is slightly trumped when strangers approach you with such passion for a change. People are truly touched by every donation, which is why it is important to continue to donate. Every dollar we raise from here until Seattle will be donated to the MS clinic in Seattle. My goal is to give them the biggest check they have ever gotten from us. I'm working my butt off (literally) to raise money while on the road, but you are still able to donate, too. If you would like to donate or know someone who would go to:
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http://biketheusforms.org/cyclists/detail.asp?cid=656
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Or send a check to:
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Bike the US for MS
PO Box 10001
Blacksburg, VA 24062
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The checks can be written out to Bike the US for MS with Zachary Wasielewski in the memo line. Once the letter has been received by the organization, they will post your donations to my cyclist website (the one above). Also, any donations are tax deductible: Bike the US for MS Inc. is a 501c3 tax exempt organization; tax ID #27-2192426
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Thank you and God bless

Lake Ontario

I'm sorry that I don't have much news. We made it into New York and to Lake Ontario. Its so beautiful here and New York was a struggle going through the Adirondacks. I hope I have more news and stories soon. It's just been wake up, ride, eat, and sleep for a week. Thanks for the prayers and thoughts.

Biking for a Cause

This post is going to be hard to do. I'm feeling tears building now as I sit in this busy cafe. I've had an unpredictable few days travelling the mountains in New Hampshire. As many of my pictures on Facebook have shown, it rained the entire time in the mountains.
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As I was biking two days ago, I started sobbing. Not because of the numbing fingers. Not because of the trouble seeing through the fogged and rainy glasses. Not even the painful and struggling muscles in my legs. I was bawling for the people with MS, because I knew that those things in some form or another are what people deal with daily and very unpredictably. When I started this trip, it was to fight for those who couldn't do it themselves. I had no idea I would be able to connect so much with these people fighting day after day with MS. Believe me, my journey is tough, but my pain ends when the biking does. Imagine this being a nonstop struggle through your life.
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I'm raising money and awareness for these people. The donations I collect from here on out go directly to these people living with MS. This organization donates to research for a cure as well as assistance to those to help make their daily lives easier. Ramps, handicapped vans, renovations, etc. Every dollar goes to that, guys and gals. You might not know anyone struggling with this disease, but I can say without a doubt that each person who does is deserving of assistance. If you are lucky enough to have the extra money to donate, please do. Donating to me, the team, or a different cyclist. I do not care. The donations just need to get to those in need.
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This brings me to one final word. Meg (Bike the US for MS awarded the Diamond award this year for the amazing assistance she has provided the organization over the years) and the town of Thetford are some of the greatest people. Meg was diagnosed with MS in '96 and has been fighting ever since. She's the most uplifting and sweetest person. When she found out we were staying in her town a few years back, she made sure that they did everything to provide us assistance. Her town has definitely gotten on board, too. They have welcomed cyclists every year with open arms and all they can offer. This year is was after our longest toughest day with cold, rain, and mountains. We climbed those last hills reading motivating signs telling us how inspirational we are and how we are the change in the world. When reaching the top, we were welcomed with applause, warm towels, and homemade food from people all over the community. It was so touching. They let us stay inside even though we were wet, smelly, and muddy. People around the community even drive cars full of cyclists to their own houses to feed them, wash clothes, and let them use hot showers. These people were unbelievable. One woman was driving past us just to stop at each cyclist and wish us each luck and another man found some rain pants left at his house so he drove 50 miles to catch up to us and make sure we got them. I have so much love for the family that took me in for a few hours. This is the love I wish to see in the world. It all starts with one person.
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Thank you and God bless to those who have been praying, reading, helping, and donating. My cyclist page for donations is:
http://biketheusforms.org/cyclists/detail.asp?cid=656

I biked BelFAST not BelSLOW!

It was a tough day with the new bike. Learned a lot about biking and a lot about my teammates. They're such amazing people and absolutely hysterical. A few of them are doing a pod cast. I hope to share a link or something with you sooner rather than later. I know it will have some great stories about the people on the trip as well as the journey itself.
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Today, I saw some pretty sights and met some great people. A lot of the trip was near a body of water. It makes the riding easier when you have great sites to focus on. I also was approached by a guy at the first stop fighting back his emotions to talk to us. He said his daughter has MS and he was so appreciative of our efforts. Another lady talked to us when we happened to stop by her house. She offered us free bottles of water, which was great because some of us were low.
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Our campsite is gorgeous. It's a lakefront area. I found out I can't add pictures from my phone to this (sorry). The pictures will keep being posted to Facebook, so I hope you can see them there. We walked around the town tonight, ate pizza, then got rain poured on us. Luckily, my tent remained relatively unaffected thanks to one of the route leaders braving the storm to put a rain cover over it for added protection.
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After being drenched, why not go to the local bar? So a bunch of the team met up with the founder of BTUSFMS and the coordinator (i think that's her title, she is basically does anything any everything that needs to happen) and had some laughs and shared stories. The bar served hard boiled eggs instead of peanuts as bar snacks (*gag*). One of the guys broke their record by eating a dozen of them. It was so funny and he's sure to have smelly gas tomorrow.
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Nice "easy" 58 miles tomorrow. Wish us luck and keep sending prayers our way.

Day 1

Nervous excitement, immense amounts of adrenaline, and soon to be some breakfast... These are what I feel inside me this morning. I'm actually crying as I'm typing this because it's been such a long journey to get to this one day. This journey has started since October of 2014 when I guaranteed myself I would change my life in order to change the lives of those around me. I could not be more proud of what I have accomplished to get to this point and I need to give one more big shootout to the people I talked to last night as well as a few others.
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Shelby. Thank you for being there for me in October. Bringing me to the family and helping me see the good in people. You've changed my life so drastically for the better.
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Meg. You've always seemed like one of my biggest fans and supporters. You have helped me through many issues and struggles along my way, but I've gotten through them with your advice and support.
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Natalie. It has been a short amount of time since we have been close but you're already a close friend in my eyes. We have bonded since day 1 and I am grateful to have you praying for me and my team.
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Aunt Debbie and the boys. It's been 4 years living in Wilmington. I feel like I wouldn't be who I am without your influence on my life. Thank you for the camping gear. It has taken a huge burden off my back. I am so very blessed to have that time with you and look forward to finding some sweet postcards to send your way. :)
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The Seagers. You all have been supportive and kind since I moved down to Asheville. I cannot say enough about your kindness and generosity. From helping me with the fundraiser at church to donating yourself and even providing me extra supplies on the trip, you all played a big part in this journey.
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Those reading. Named above or not, you are why I'm doing this. Not for my pride. Not for the love and prayers. For the people around the world who need help. This trip is to support those who are in need living with multiple sclerosis, but it's much more than that to me. This trip provides a way to show people that they can change lives in such drastic ways. That's where you come in. It might be with donations or it might be with a place to stay. I'm here to try to encourage just one person to go out and try to change the world with their actions. As much as I would love to see it be with Bike the US for MS, it doesn't need to be. My friend Erin Danneker is riding with Bike and Build to help provide people with low cost housing. I have not even been on my bike for a day, but I am so blessed to be able to bike for a cure. I hope you all can find some charities or ways to volunteer and help those who are in need.
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Time to go. I need to shower, eat, and meet by the ocean. 68 miles today. Bar Harbor to Belfast. I will talk to you later.

"Begin with the End in Mind"

Author and speaker, Stephen Covey, focuses his attention on success through personal efforts that are ethically acceptable. In the book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," Covey lists the 7 imperatives that he says make you successful in achieving your goals. The second habit is "begin with an end in mind". Covey focuses this chapter on knowing what you want to achieve so you can make it a reality. This past weekend, I accomplished the goals I have set forth for myself.
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I graduated from the University of North Carolina - Wilmington with a degree in both mathematics and economics. I graduated with a 3.69 GPA (cum laude - almost magna...), university honors, and a highly coveted job at Bloomberg LP. I could not imagine my four years at any other institution or with any other people. I made such great friends through my time at UNCW, most from the honors freshman dorm way back in 2011 when we moved onto the beautiful campus for the first time. Graduating and finding a sense of family away from home were my two biggest goals when I was coming to college. I am proud to say I have achieved both of those things. A statistic I learned in my last class of college was that "there are 7 billion people in the world, but only 8% of them have a college degree." As soon as my classmates, friends, and I moved that tassel to the other side of our caps, we instantly became the 92nd percentile in the world in terms of education. As a economist and mathematician, I understand the magnitude of such a position. We are the people who are leading this world into the future. We are the people who others look to for inspiration. We are those few that people will look to for help. Without going into depressing facts about living conditions in the world, there are many people who are not fortunate enough to have affordable or available healthcare, housing, or food. This is why I believe that we, as motivators, innovators, as world changers, should make a difference in the lives of others. I have focused my life to this point mostly on myself and my education, but now I feel it is my time to share in the wealth that I have accumulated. It is my time to be the hero that my past self always wanted to be.
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My spring semester Junior year was the hardest year I have ever had to handle because I was promoted to manager on short notice while my entire staff was quitting and the job was changing drastically. I worked 30+ hour weeks as well as taking advanced classes in my major like abstract algebra. I was stressed and I was miserable. I wrote a note to myself a year ago right after this semester. Reading a note that I wrote when I was drowning in life, I did not know what to expect. When I started to read it, I realized that it was not what I expected. It was saturated with hope. It was about what I wanted to accomplish in my last year of college. I did not talk about going out with a bang or creating a legacy. All that I wanted was to "shine my light onto others." If I was to be known for anything, I wanted to be known for being a good person. For doing good for others. I ended my letter by saying that: "It is easy to put out the flame of one person. Spread it to others to make it a fire that is much harder to stop." Of the things that I have accomplished in the past year, this is one thing I am proudest to say I achieved.
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With the money I received from graduation, donations from coworkers, my company ProMetrics, as well as family and friends, I have reached my minimum goal for fundraising! I am not going to lie, I am scared. This is the first time I will be doing something that doesn't classify as preparing for the future. My life to this point has been about studying harder to make a better grade, making better grades to get a better job, and getting a better job to increase my ability to help others. Reaching this final place concerns me, because what comes next is nothing I can control. What comes next is sharing this ideology with others. It is spreading joy, compassion, and reason to those who are capable of helping. I am never going to be done helping others, donating or volunteering, but I have nothing left to build on. I would like to encourage you to join me. Maybe not in biking across the country (though, I will be proud and supportive if you do - Erin Danneker), but in making a difference. Helping an elderly person with their groceries at the store, letting a car in front of you when there is traffic, or simply smiling and saying hello to strangers as you pass them. These things are all contagious. All of these things inspire me as I go through my life of helping others. It might be a stretch, but I do not think I would have this goal of giving back without each of those things happening consistently in my life. Many seemingly menial things like smiling at people you pass on the street can make such a difference in a person that they go out there and make that huge action like Erin and I are doing by biking across the country.
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Again, thank you all so much for taking part in this journey and reading this blog post. I have reached my minimum fundraising goal, but I am not done raising money. My personal goal is $6,000! I hope to reach this by the time I arrive in Seattle on August 4th. My friend and one of my role models, Erin Danneker, is not yet at her minimum goal, though. She could use donations that will help her to go out and change the lives of others by providing low cost housing across the country. I promise that it will give you a warm fuzzy feeling inside by donating. Like spreading joy, there is no such thing as not enough. She will be travelling almost the same amount of miles as I am. With an average of about 70 miles a day, $70 will fund a whole day of riding/$35 for a half of a day/$10 for about an hour. Try to see it within yourself to help her shine her light on others. It is greatly appreciated.
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Thank you and God bless!
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Erin's Page for Donations - Bike and Build - Benefit the Affordable Housing Cause
http://bikeandbuild.org/rider/8312
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Zach's Page for Donations - Bike the US for MS - Multiple Sclerosis Research and Awareness
http://biketheusforms.org/cyclists/detail.asp?cid=656

What I learned at UNCW: A shout out to my peers

This post might not be about my bike trip, but I certainly think it will be a good read. It's a reflection on the past 4 years and who has helped me become the person that I am today. Without these people, I would not have the courage or faith to make this cycling trip from Bar Harbor, Maine to Seattle, Washington. I have been blessed with such inspirational people in my life who love unconditionally. By donating to this cause, my cause, you are donating to do more than help the lives of people with multiple sclerosis. You are contributing to a process that has been years in the making.

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When I chose to attend UNCW, I never knew that it would change my life in the way that it has. Yes, I'm sure that my life would have changed wherever I ended up. No, it would not have been as amazing as what I have found here at UNCWonderful. When I was growing up, I lived in upstate New York. I lived my childhood with friends and family climbing trees, wandering in the woods, skipping rocks in the creek, and just overall adventuring. On my 13th birthday (literally August 21st, 2006), I was in an apartment in Asheville, North Carolina.
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13 to 17 years old was a tough time in my life. I tried making friends, but realized that people didn't need an additional friend in their clique. The only thing I knew I could do was play soccer and exceed in school. For 4 years, this is what I did. My was lived 1/3 at home, 1/3 at school, and 1/3 at a soccer field. It was simple, structured, and lonely. When I was recruited to play soccer at several schools, I was proud. I had worked hard to get a great education and to be able to play soccer at a high level, but it wasn't what I decided to do. I visited UNCW by chance (and a bit of force from my mother). We were in Wilmington visiting family and my mom made me take a tour of a campus instead of going to the beach. Once I got to the campus, I felt at home. I am so blessed to have such great friends in Asheville, but I have been so out of place in those mountains.
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I chose UNCW over schools where I would play soccer and I could not have made a better decision. I have had a life full of events occur in these past 4 years. I was welcomed with open arms, but more than that I was embraced for who I am. Freshman year, I made the best friend that I have had since I was living in upstate New York with Tyler Turgeon. La-Rel Easter was a random roommate and could not have been a more perfect match. He taught me more than I learned in class freshman year (maybe that's why I got two C's.. or maybe it was the 8ams). Living with him, I learned about how to have a sense of self. The guys in my freshman honors pod were wild. Crazier than you could even imagine honors students to be (throwing fruit at walls and raving in the bathroom to Mac Miller crazy). Living with La-Rel in the famous room 104 is the turning point in my life. I went from doing everything myself to having a "partner in crime". Getting away from the world meant hanging out with my roommate. Without La-Rel, I would never be as caring towards others as I am today. A lot of credit goes to my parents and religion, but La-Rel showed me the true worth of both of those things. He was devoted to his family and God and made them a staple of his life, which is what I have been able to do since meeting him.
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My friendships grew sophomore year. I started working for Campus Life, taking classes in my major, and lived in a different building. Molly-wood, Chris Nelson, and Amy Johnson stumbled into my life. I could not have foreseen the impact they would have on me, though. Molly, allowed for me to see how stubborn I was (which seemed pretty obvious to most). A freshman at the time, Molly and I built a relationship that will never be broken. We were friends who stuck around through thick and thin. I even made her eat a burger and break her vegetarianism (sorry..). Chris was a completely different type of friend than I have ever had. I still to this day doubt that he sleeps, unless naps count. He made me leave my comfort zone. [My parents should skip over this sentence..] Chris was my teammate in beating the reigning beer pong champs at my first college party and still is the best wing man that I know. Without Chris, my life would have been drastically different. He taught me the value of being young and a participant in the community. Last, but surely not least, is Amy Johnson. I didn't know that my knowledge of old video game systems would help me out in life (TAKE THAT GRANDMA!). Meeting up with Amy and her roommates to play Mario Party gave me a group of friends that acted as a support system. Amy was always there for me and helped me in troubled times. She always acted grounded and humble. It was impressive to see someone who was so mature as a 19 year old. These three people taught me completely different things. I learned how to love others, live life to the fullest, and learn from my mistakes.

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My third year was one of change.  I was only in classes relevant to my major, I became the manager at work, and I made my first ever B in math. So many people entered my life that it is hard to name drop with detail, so forgive me if you don't get the shout out that you deserve. First thing I need to say is that college classes are hard. Economics and Mathematics classes are harder than hard. In my Junior year, I took classes like differential equations, econometrics, and abstract algebra. I got through these classes with the help of some amazing people. Qualia and Cyrus were in almost all of my economics and mathematics classes, respectively. Qualia and I built a strong friendship while in economics classes. We both excelled in lower level economics classes, but the advanced classes were entirely different (for me at least). I was never as good at taking notes as her and most likely never will be. She is going to be a famous writer and be published in the future, too. Talking to her brought out the dreams that I had. I might have been extremely indecisive about them, jumping from logistic bakery owner to sports economist to data analyst, but she made me look into my future. Cyrus, as dorky as he is going to be as a math teacher, has always been dedicated to things that were important. He's only going to be a teacher, but has to deal with so many problems to get there. I've seen the struggles he has had to deal with just to help future generations learn math and make little money while doing it. He, like Qualia, is going to make a difference in the world no matter what gets thrown at him. They've helped me get the motivation to work hard for what I believe in and not let anything stand in my way. This brings me to my job, where I learned that things will always be trying to get in your way. Over the years, I met amazing people like Carrie Rodriguez, Kyle Campbell, May Rogers, Erica Steele, and Sara Burgett. All of them taught me the importance of work ethic, happiness, and fighting for what you care about. My former managers, Carrie and Kyle, were both tremendous people. They had so much love and faith in people that it would rub off on you.  May and Erica were fellow managers. They were the biggest role models of mine because of their dedication. They were more than dedicated to the job. They always wanted what was best for people, even if it was to the detriment to themselves. They were people who would work extra hard in their lives to make sure their staff was happy. Sometimes, without pay or recognition, my fellow managers would work overtime to make sure the job was done. They didn't care that they were tired or sick, they sacrificed themselves today for a better tomorrow (and most times it was a better tomorrow for someone else). The last person from work I NEED to thank is Sara Burgett. An athlete, a sweetheart, and a coworker, Sara did Bike the US for MS last summer after she graduated. She showed me through her blog that helping the world is possible. You don't need fame or fortune. You just need dedication and trust. This has been my motto since day one of deciding to make this trip. I am dedicated to biking all 4,295 miles. I trust that God will protect me and that people are genuinely kind hearted. With these two things, a person will end up doing exactly what they are meant to do in life. Thank you to all of these people listed above and for the many unlisted that helped me set my sights on the future. I had the best peer role models to look up to in my junior year.

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Senior year. The finale. The goodbye. The last hoorah. Whatever you want to view it as, it is going to be a tough year to finish. In my first semester, I was thrown into the deep end of the world head first. My job was changing, many of my friends listed above graduated, and I was busier than ever. I began to drown in things that did not make me happy and realized that I had learned so many things, but not what truly makes me happy. Around the time where I was lost with this, God blessed me with a family that "adopted me" into it. Shelby, Mariah, Meg, Raj, Jackson, and others welcomed me and I immediately knew it was part of a greater plan. Every one of them has believed in me. I cannot begin to explain how much I have learned from being a part of their lives. I am fearless. I am strong-willed. I am confident/borderline arrogant (or maybe not so borderline arrogant). Most importantly, though, I am happy. This group of people have helped me to see the happiness I have when I spend my time doing things I love with/for the people I love. Going out to a party in a dress while sober and cold does not seem like something normal people do, but we are not a normal group of friends. My family will endure any condition to make sure that others are happy. The decision of biking across the country stems from this idea. It stems from the love they had for me (a stranger/classmate/acquaintance to them).

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This trip gives me the ability to showcase everything I have learned. I'm showcasing the most important lessons I have learned in college that were outside of the classroom. This trip will take every bit of support, faith, adventure, work ethic, and love that I got to experience in the past 4 years. As I said at the beginning of this (extraneous) blog, any donation is "contributing to a process that has been years in the making." Donating to this cause is more than donating to help those living with MS. Donating to my journey is a way to show that this cycle (unintentional play on words) continues for longer than my 10 week ride. I want people who read this blog and people I meet along the way to realize that they, too, can make a difference like the way you all have helped me. In fact, my friend Erin Danneker is doing just that. After talking to me, she has decided to bike across the country as well for a different cause. She will be traveling just over 4000 miles and collecting $4500 for low cost housing. I am so proud to have the people in my life that I have. I hope this kindness does not help with Erin and I. I'm sure I speak for her when I say that we would love to see more people take on challenges for a cause they believe in, because of what they have seen us achieve.

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If you would like to donate to either of our cause, Erin and I would greatly appreciate it. The links to our cyclist pages for donation are below. Even if you cannot donate, go check them out and find out what you can do to help!

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Zach's Cyclist Page

Erin's Cyclist Page

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Thank you and God bless.

Curing MS

This trip is a journey for all, including me. But more than that, this trip is a piece of hope for others. There are 2.5 million people in the world who are living with Multiple Sclerosis. This chronic disease damages a person's nerves in the brain, spinal cord, or optic nerves. Depending on where the damage takes place, people living with MS deal with complications controlling their muscles, balancing, speaking, and seeing. More than half of people with MS experience optic neuritis. This occurs when the optic nerve becomes inflamed, which causes blurred vision, loss of color vision, eye pain, or blindness in one or both eyes.
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The main focuses of Bike the US for MS is to help fund research for a cure or help the people currently living with Multiple Sclerosis. Research is a key part of MS organizations, because the root cause of the disease still remains a mystery. Doctors are finding trends that imply it is partially due to a lack of vitamin D , while some say it is related to genetics and geogkination. Nobody can predict who will be diagnosed with MS, but it is twice as common in women than it is with men and it typically occurs between the ages of 20 and 50.
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For those living with MS, there are many tasks that are made harder to do. Some of these tasks include taking a shower, going to the bathroom, cleaning, going up/down stairs, or travelling. Bike the US for MS is more than awareness and raising money. As a rider, I will be giving my all to help these people who are not as lucky as I am. During our trip, we will stop in towns across the country to volunteer for MS patients. These projects include yard makeovers, cleaning, painting, or anything else that may be difficult for people living with MS.
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I understand that it is hard to donate for some people. I have talked to many people who are waiting for pay day or can just support me with their words, but I urge you to try your best to donate what you can. Half of the money I will be raising will go straight to the research to find a cure for MS. The other half of the money helps to fund the trip and pay for things needed to help the people across the country who are living with MS. If everyone reading this donated even 5 or 10 dollars, it would make such a tremendous impact on lives of others who do not have the luxuries that many of us have.
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To dig into a little bit of the emotion that I have for this cause (and hopefully rub some off on you), I would like to tell you what is motivating me through my training and fundraising. I have always been blessed with athleticism, and I have always had loving parents who helped support me monetarily. It wasn't until last year that I realized that I did nothing to deserve what I was inherently born with. I was given these two gifts mostly from luck. There are people out there in the world who deal with actual hardships. I then asked myself, "why was I given these blessings while other people who might be more deserving get the misfortunes?" I knew I had to use my gift for people who could use it more than me. When I train and think about my aches and pains, I imagine what it would be like to do even the simplest of tasks with some of the complications that are associated with MS. Fundraising is easy in this situation. I couldn't think of a better way to spend money than to spend it on the people who could use some of my luck. There are two people I know that are affected by a relative having MS. Hearing about the love the people with MS have for everyone and their personalities, I was reminded of myself. They did not deserve the troubles they face, so please help me to make life a little easier for them.

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These donations are going to people who need it, so please take 2 minutes of your day to help me to make a positive difference in their lives with your donations.
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Donate online at:
http://www.biketheusforms.org/cyclists/detail.asp?cid=656
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Or mail a check to:
Bike the US for MS
PO Box 10001
Blacksburg, VA 24062
The checks can be written out to Bike the US for MS with Zachary Wasielewski in the memo line. Once the check is received, the donation will be posted on my cyclist page above.
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Thank you and God bless.