This trip was an amazing journey and I feel very lucky to have had the chance to do it. Although there were some times that were harder than others, I wouldn’t change a second of it. Having come back from being in Europe for a year I felt the need to travel again and see something new. What I realized is that many people look to travel to other countries to encounter new things and we often take for granted what’s in our own back yard. So, I decided to go on this trip to experience a part of this country that I hadn’t yet seen. Cycling down the coast made me realize how many amazing sites we have and how much of our country I still need to see. With going into this trip I probably should have trained a little more but my schedule didn’t allow it. One thing that I was scared of when I was starting out is whether my legs would actually be able to even carry me the distance. And, I am very happy to say that they did, and they did so with greater ease that I would have expected. That’s not to say that it was an easy ride, because it was definitely challenging with the changes in weather and the never-ending hills while cars were whizzing by me, but I exceeded my own expectations. With reaching the border of Mexico today, it feels like the trip has flown by just as quickly as it began. I know that tomorrow I will be waking up without having to jump on my bike to take me to my next destination. Nevertheless, even with knowing that it hasn’t quite fully registered. I think that it will probably take my body a while to get used to getting out of the old routine.
Doing this trip is something that has interested me for a while. Because I have always enjoyed doing different types of community service it just seemed right to do it to contribute towards a cause. I had chosen to do it to raise money for confidence events in girls and young women because I believe that that is a huge issue that we are faced with today. While I was on my trip I was reassured that this was the right cause to do it for while I was talking to a soon to be father about his niece and the issues she deals with because she is self-conscious, and she is only 7 years old. I believe that in our school systems we need to start addressing these issues more, rather then allowing them to continue being ignored. And that’s where Michelle Rogers and her events come into play. Because she pays for the events out of her own pocket, there are some limitations on what she can do and how many girls she can reach. So, although it may not seem like a lot, I am so happy to say that we were able to raise over $1000 for her to help expand her events. I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me through this journey as well as everyone who has donated to the cause. I also want to give a huge thank you to Mike from Wake and Wheel Bike Shop, who was helping me get things ready from before the trip even started and helping me keep my bike running till the trip finished. Another person I want to say than you too is my aunt Amanda, because I wouldn’t have been able to do this trip without her. She was my safety net and my cheering squad and was there to encourage me to continue on. I am so happy that I was able to do this and I look forward to volunteering at the next confidence event! Thank you for all of your support!
Going the Distance for CONFIDENCE 