Fund raising (click on image below)

Fund raising $4000 is no easy task. But it is certainly an incredible learning experience.

I have been carrying around a piece of paper, folded in my back pocket and a pen in my ear for the past two months now. And every time I think of another friend, I whip out my paper and scribble down his/her name. Then in the coming days, I send out an email or a letter, cautiously pressing "send" and hoping to hear a response. Often, I don't hear back from them so I just think of more friends and send out more letters. But sometimes, I do hear a response. And it’s an amazing feeling to get an email back from an acquaintance - my brother’s friend’s mother – who writes back all excited about my trip, how amazing of an experience it will be, and that she takes inspiration from my journey and dedication.

Such a response and accompanying generous donation is exactly what Bike & Build is about. It’s about raising funds – funds that will enable us to actually work building houses across the country. It’s about raising awareness to the folks I meet as I ride across America. And it’s about raising awareness right in my own town and circle of friends. Growing up, I never really heard much about “affordable housing”. A lot of people ask me, what does affordable housing even mean? And that’s a perfectly legitimate question because our communities are relatively homogenous and we do not have the chance to interact with people who cannot pay their rent. Oh yea, there’s Habitat for Humanity, I know that exists, but most of my hometown friends have never worked on a build site let alone know someone who lives in one of Habitat’s affordable houses.

It’s an amazing experience for me to talk about the issue, share my story and the stories I will hear from those I will meet, and it’s an amazing feeling know that my dedication will inspire others. This is exactly what my ride is about.

That’s why I am asking for your help. Through your donation, you will enable my hands to build, my legs to bike, and my heart to be changed by the people I will meet.

Training? During the Ithaca winter?! Yup, it's possible

So I am to ride 4000 miles this summer? Okay, so I've ridden twice around Cayuga Lake, which for non-Ithacans reading this, is one of the Finger Lakes in upstate NY, with a circumference of 100 miles composed of hill upon hill. Sounds like the perfect training ride? You bet.

But considering there is still snow outside, riding is a bit tricky during the winter. So for the past couple of weeks I've been practicing my new-found sport of cross-country skiing ( quite the cardio workout and the best way to enjoy the stillness and beauty of the forests around here). I recommend going at night - 10pm, early by college-standards, and slipping out to the golf course, skiing by moonlight and turning on your headlamp when you get freaked out from the eerie noises of the night. Then ski back to campus, leaving perfectly sliced tracks across the Arts Quads and then proceeding to ski downhill down The Slope [a downhill skiier myself, I get really excited when gravity is working with me, but without ankle support, I'm definitely on the border of out of control and ¿¿how can I stop??]. Hot tea upon my return and then the best feeling - waking up the next day, totally wiped out with that feeling of I don't want to move! Soooo satisfying.

I love spring and I love the warmth of this recent warm weather episode, but I'm not sure I'm ready to give up my cross-country skiing training workout quite yet!