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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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.
.
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.
.
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.
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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Thank you and God bless.
