From Sea to Shining Sea

Because the journey never ends

[leilacrosscountry]

A typical day on the ride begins with us all waking up at 6 am, or attempting to thereof. We have one rider who likes to wake up at the crack of dawn, and patiently waits for us all to come out of our slumbers. As we crawl out out of our sleeping bags some are unable to fathom the early sunrise...

[whatsappu]

Many people have asked me what a "typical day" looks like so I figured I should write a blog post on it at some point - but my team mate Leila did it so well, I figured I would just share her thoughts on it. 

P.S. I am the person that she refers to that wakes up at the crack of dawn. I love the peace and the silence of the early morning - gives me time to think, introspect, and relax! 

[rideagainstaids]

Last Tuesday, July 8th we had a rest day in Edwards, Colorado and took the opportunity to spend some time with the kids at the Youth Foundation in Vail. Since the next day’s goal at the time was climbing Vail Pass (elevation: 10,662 ft.), we talked about what we’d need to ascend it in a physically and mentally sound manner. Sunscreen, water, bananas, iPods with music, and helmets are just a few of the items that ended up on the list. And as always, we finished up the day with a good old game of rock, tree, bridge and raced across in teams from one side of the gym to the other. Katelyn’s team won!

[whatsappu]

An excellent reminder of what Freedom means on our country's independence day and a reminder of why I'm on this journey.

#freedom #quoteoftheday #RAA2014

[whatsappu]

THE most appropriate quote ever considering all the rolling hills we encountered yesterday and the rockies that we will soon be attacking. I read this to my team mates as we were stopped on the side of the road taking a breather (in an absolutely miserable mood as a result of the 25 mph headwinds that made even descending the hills hard work). I hope it helped them push through - I know it made me determined to do so.

#quoteoftheday

[rachpicard]

Powering down Highway 50, making The Loneliest Road a little less lonely

[whatsappu]

Somewhere over the rainbow... (Jk it was in Nevada) 

[rideagainstaids]

Last Tuesday June 24th our team had the opportunity to speak with youth at the Fallon Youth Club in Nevada! We centered our discussion around physical fitness and nutrition, as these are important aspects of the Ride and are vital factors that contribute to an individuals well-being. The kids, in groups facilitated by riders, developed sample “healthy meals” that balanced the five important food groups: grains, fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy. (P.S. We may or may not have slipped in a few rounds of telephone charades just for kicks =D)

[whatsappu]

My favorite moment of the afternoon was when we first introduced ourselves and the Ride and one kid looked at us with the widest eyes and went "FOUR THOUSAND MILES?!?! ON BIKES?!? WHY?!?" The innocence of the question was undoubtedly endearing. I appreciated the comment also because it allowed us to explain why we rode the simplest (and in many ways, most powerful) terms: because there are people in many communities around the world that aren't able to receive healthcare when they are sick and we want to raise money to build hospitals and hire doctors that can fulfill that essential need. 

Even though we didn't talk about the issues of HIV, AIDS, and sexual health directly (as we can only address topics that the people who invite us to speak would like us to address), we were still able to connect our discussion at the Youth Club to some of the over-arching themes of the ride: fitness, nutrition, and health. 

[elizabethstockton-blog]

Snapshots from Eureka, Nevada!

[rideagainstaids]

Two days ago, we stayed the night in Eureka, Nevada - dubbed “The friendliest town on the loneliest road in America” and honestly, we couldn’t agree more! We met and had lots of wonderful conversations with people who had initially been complete strangers to us.

[whatsappu]

Two nights ago, we stayed the night in the town of Eurkeka, Nevada and it made the history buff in me tingle with excitement! We saw a REAL LIVE printing press in the town museum that was used to publish the Eureka Sentinel wayyyy back when. I thought it was super cool because it's something that we learned about in history class that "revolutionized communication" and it was right in front of my eyes!! I remember when I went on vacation to Peru last winter break with my family, my mom put the city of Puno on our itinerary because she learned about it when she was in school and really wanted to see it. I thought it was super corny/nerdy to do that but now, I totally understand how she felt!

P.S. For those of you that understand this reference, I feel like I'm playing Oregon Trail.... but backwards. LOL

[whatsappu]

Being the quotaholic that I am, one of my favorite rituals that we've established so far on the ride is the quote of the day! Every morning before we head out, I (or another team member) read out a quote to remind us of why we're riding, to supercharge us, and mostly, to remember that as much as RAA is about overcoming physical obstacles, it's much more about tackling challenges on the mental level. 

#RAA2014 #dayfive #qod

[whatsappu]

The night of day four, we stayed at Fallen Leaf Lake thanks to Stanford Sierra Camp's hospitality. The view was absolutely breathtaking. We also got the chance to continue one of RAA's traditions which is to jump into the frigid lake together. Hopefully we'll have some videos up soon =D

[rideagainstaids]

Random note left behind our front tire with a bag of goodies. Thank you random Bostonian! Your encouragement keeps the #RAA2014 going!

[whatsappu]

Friday night (June 20th) our team stayed the night in Davis, California. We had just come back from dinner with Leila's (a fellow rider's) family when we discovered a wonderful surprise tucked under the front wheel of our van. A bag filled with fuel for the ride (granola bars, aloe vera lotion for sun burns, etc) along with this wonderful note and a charitable donation!

Seeing this brought a smile to my face and re-kindled my belief in the inherent kind-heartedness of humans.

#RAA2014

[whatsappu]

"We live in a completely interdependent world which simply means that we can not escape each other. How we respond to AIDS depends, in part, on whether we understand this interdependence. This is not somebody else's problem... It's everyone's problem."

Bill Clinton

[whatsappu]

"I can't show you how exactly healthcare is a basic human right. But what I can argue is that NO ONE should have to die of a disease that is treatable"

Paul Farmer