Biking & Building Across America

In the summer of 2018 I embarked on what has been the most exciting achievement of my life so far. I rode my bike across the United States—Jacksonville to Santa Cruz—with an organization called Bike and Build. B&B raises money and awareness for affordable housing, while educating young adults about the housing crisis.

Over the course of 11 weeks, we spent 61 days on the bike, 14 days volunteering on build sites, and had just 4 days off. We rode anywhere from 60-100 miles each day, and stopped in tiny towns and large cities all across the American South. As we worked alongside local housing affiliates in each state, I was challenged in many ways, through listening to differing perspectives of community members and observing how each and every city faces unique issues in regards to housing.

Perhaps the most challenging part was spending 3 months with 27 other twenty-somethings whom I had met for the first time just a few days before we set off for the west coast. A random crew that would quickly become my teammates, we were from 18 different states, and none of us knew one another previously. Our group included a New York City filmmaker, a high school grad on a gap year, a couple of frat boys, some grad students, two (yes two) Wyoming farm girls, previous bike & builders, and a mix of midwesterners like me - all of us unique and bringing a completely different set of goals and values to the table.

We ventured across the rainy, buggy gulf to the hotter-than-hell, bumpy roads in Texas & Oklahoma; through New Mexico winds and red Arizona deserts and up into the mountains of Utah and Nevada, descending through a smokey Yosemite into California’s central valley, and finally, to the beaches of Santa Cruz.

We experienced a lot. We rode in two straight weeks of rain, we stayed up too late and took naps on the side of the highway, we got attacked by a goose in Texas and saw tarantulas scamper across the street before us in Oklahoma. We were harassed by rude drivers, but also witnessed authentic southern hospitality from the communities that took us in (providing us plenty of biscuits.) We camped, we hiked, we kayaked, we ate...we ate so much. We argued, gossiped, danced, drank, fell in love, took care of each other, and cheered each other on. We sustained broken bones, aching knees, saddle sores (don't ask), asthma attacks, and horrific sunburns, and pushed our bodies to their limits. I sweated more than I knew was ever possible.

I am still discovering how this trip made an impact on me. I spent a summer away from "real life" with a bunch of people I would have otherwise never met - and I think each and every one of us will tell you, this experience was unlike anything else we'd ever been through. I also got to see America in a way many people do not, using only my legs to get me from one side to the other, taking in every bumpy road, bug in my face, rude driver, 30 mph gust of wind, steep climb, summit, descent. On the days that felt nearly impossible, I had to remind myself that all I had to do that day was ride a bike.

I am more grateful now for each and every moment on my bike, even the painful ones, and have learned to navigate life’s obstacles with more patience and trust. I learned to work with and respect people even if we have nothing in common. I recognize these two wheels not only as a source of transportation, but a way to learn about new places, cultures, people, and most importantly, myself. I've found what I enjoy the most is traveling slowly, taking on each day without agenda or expectation, and finding beauty and humor in seemingly mundane, unplanned moments.