Absurd

My friends told me that I was crazy for doing this cross-country cycling trip. I denied it of course. While they looked at the sum of my journey, I simply looked at the individual pieces, none of which seemed unattainable. However being on this trip has open my eyes to just how crazy this journey of mine is. Actually it's not crazy it is completely absurd. The more and more I am on this trip, the more and more I realize just how absurd it is.

The crazy part of it though is it's not the biking that is the most absurd part. I have been privileged to spend the summer with 31 other amazing people. People I would have never met without this trip. I was able to change the lives of a single mom and her son both through fundraising and by spending a week working on what will become her home. It seems I get to see more of the country everyday and I just seems to get more beautiful the further I get. Oh and I live out of a Rubbermaid container.

With all that in mind though, I think the most absurd thing about this summer is the change in me. Bike & Build has stretched further than I ever thought possible. I have had to learn how to deal with people that have different viewpoints and personalities than myself. I have had to learn how cope with difficult situations. I have had to learn to be outgoing even when everything within me just wants to be left alone. However, the biggest lesson I have learned has to do with my outlook on life.

I started this summer with a plan for at least the next couple of years. Through tragedy I have discovered the flaws in my plans. The fragility of life can never be looked over and therefore I have resolved to always strive to make the best of every minute because you never know if it will be your last. Never settle this time for next time because next time may never come. Decide what is important and go achieve it. Don't hold back for tomorrow because tomorrow may never come. It's not a ticket for reckless abandon but a call to do what you can today, and every day without hesitation. It is a call to live and love to the fullest of your ability. I am not entirely sure how this translates into my personal life but I still have about 1400 miles to figure that piece of it out.