The summer of my freshman year, I biked across the country with Bike and Build, a charity dedicated to raising money and awareness for affordable housing. Before the trip, I fund-raised $4,500 for the organization, the majority of which would go directly into the affordable housing cause to pay for materials, tools, and labor. We started the trip in Virginia Beach and after a few days of orientation, we began cycling, averaging seventy miles a day and stopping once a week to build housing. |
The days we spent biking were full of challenge, adventure, and support. We hit the Appalachian Mountains early on in the trip, climbing up the mountains at 6mph, and speeding down them at 40mph. In Ohio, we laughed at how fast tiny dogs could chase us through rolling hills. Through Illinois, the land of corn, and Kansas, the land of even more corn, we soaked in a heat wave and gallons of ice cream. As we biked closer and closer to the Rocky Mountains, leg muscles were growing and so was our confidence. While riding up these mountains was challenging, it was worth it for the stunning views, the elk we saw, and the confused look on drivers faces as we passed them on the way down. Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho, were memorable for their hot springs, dinosaurs, and potatoes, respectively. Finally, we crossed the last state border, pedaled through bike-friendly Portland, and reached the Pacific, where we spent our final days celebrating.
|
The days we spent building and learning about affordable housing were just as much fun as the ones we spent biking. I learned so much from all the construction that we did, including building foundation, hanging drywall, installing insulation, landscaping, and painfully sitting on fiberglass. We heard so many touching stories, as at most of the sites we were able to meet and build alongside homeowners. One memorable house that we worked on had been abandoned for thirty years after the owner had passed away. We were put in charge of removing all the waterlogged possessions that remained so the house could be remodeled. While dumping things into garbage bags, we found and tried to preserve old memories that we found, such as family pictures, antique jewelry, and even a box of old love letters that were written by an overseas soldier to his family back home.
I spent this summer with amazing people, saw incredible sights, and overcame huge physical challenges. Bike and Build is a great organization, and it gives people the opportunity to do something they love while making a difference in people’s lives. |