Day Whoa.....

So it has been too long since I've checked in...
So much has happened!
I've survived week 1! I've roofed a house! I've biked ALOT! I've demolished some apartments! I had a day off in Greenville, GA! I've decided my group is amazing! I've gotten heat rash, I've been sweep, I've ridden through a rain storm, enjoyed a vegan potluck, and learned that church goers are the best!
Some of you will be surprised to hear that I actually love my bike...a very different situation from when I was training in Cville. I can now unclip without a worry (Many thanks to the best teacher, Derrick Thiel). I would like to ask that if anyone has suggestions for what I should name my bike, please send me a text/email/post a comment. Looking for a flavorful name....:)
The trip has been lovely:
Charleston, SC to Monck's Corner- We got lost and added about 10 miles and rounded out our first day at 60 something miles. Exhausted and euphoric!
Monck's Corner to Sumter- The day from hell....88miles, about 20 miles more than we should have...but altogether one of the best ways I've spent any day! It's funny, even though I slightly dehydrated, lost, and sun burned, I couldn't have been more content. I thought, what a blessed opportunity, just a chance to be, to be lost, to have an adventure in finding our way. Waves of nostalgia for my childhood came back, summer days of wandering, laughing with friends, being present for each moment....I learned quickly that B&B is really a chance to return to one's childhood, to regress to a state of youth, a condition of recklessness that's innocent because it's joyous and it's honest. Life is beautiful when spent on a bike.
From Sumter we rolled westward to Columbia, then Newberry, then Greenville, we crossed our FIRST state line and entered GA (Hartwell) and finally made it to Athens, GA! WOO!
We've had a build day and tomorrow we leave for Norcross, GA. It's a never ending adventure I promise to better chronicle.
The butt soreness has subsided, the endorphins are endless, and the people are amazing. I would like to send my gratitude to all the hosts that have made our stays better than we deserve. I've come to see that so many kind souls scatter the nation, so many self-less friends who eagerly help us out. The kindness of strangers is astounding. THANK YOU! Each time we stay with a generous host I'm more encouraged to ride out hard the next day, to pay it forward and to give back more than I received.. I challenge you all to pay it forward, be the smile in some one else's day.
I love you all and I miss you all! Be well, be light, be joyous! Hug each other for me and stay in touch!