one last drive to Providence

It's finally come. I head back to Providence tomorrow for Bike & Build orientation, and we ride out on Tuesday the 15th. I'm ridiculously excited to meet everyone after a fair amount of Facebook stalking, and to tie up some loose ends in Providence. I wonder if it will finally sink in that I've left.

At one day to departure, I have raised a grand total of...drumroll please...$4,273.69! (The 69 cents comes from a bandie, of course - one Sara Powell.) Special thanks goes to the amazing Adrienne, whose donation tipped me over the edge of the $4,000 minimum. Remember, if you donated but haven't yet requested a postcard, it's not too late! In any case, I couldn't have done this without the help of a whole lot of amazing people. Family, friends, and community members have shown me so much support and given from their hearts to the cause of affordable housing. If you meant to donate but didn't get around to it, there's still time! Just go to www.bikeandbuild.org/donate and find my name.

I would also like to give a big thanks to Landry's Bicycles. If you're in the Boston area, check out Landry's for the best quality bikes, equipment, and expertise. Landry's also happens to be owned by my uncles and aunt, and they are support of bike advocacy and lots of charity causes. In any case, they not only sold me my beautiful Trek Pilot 1.2 WSD a few years ago, but in preparation for Bike & Build, they also gave me a fitting and helped me choose all the equipment I needed. Everyone who works there is wicked friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to help. Without Landry's (and especially my Uncle Peter), I would not have had the same level of confidence and comfort with my bike/equipment that I do. My Uncle Tom even took me on a few training rides last week (see the picture at the top) and completely revolutionized the way I cycle. Seriously. After riding with him, I felt like I could easily go for days without a problem.

If you want to track my progress across the country, the website has a handy route tracker with links to a photo album and other goodies. Speaking of goodies, there will be a number of mail drops along the way if you feel inspired to send me a letter (Grandma, I know you will!). I haven't decided where I am going to post pictures (since not everyone can access Facebook), but I'll let y'all know when I do. Finally, I will intermittently have computer/internet access, so I'll try to update this as often as possible, and emails will reach me eventually. If you'd like a more reliable way of contacting me, however, I'll be available by phone. Unless I'm in the middle of nowhere, in which case I can't always guarantee that Verizon will come through.

That seems to be all of the housekeeping details. I can't wait to get out there and start riding! Portia* and I have been through a lot of good times together and I anticipate many more. Just as soon as I learn to change a tire.





*Fun fact: I chose the name Portia because it sounded supremely elegant (and Porche-like?), and my bike is a stunning creature. I suppose I wouldn't have thought of the name if it hadn't been for Portia de Rossi, also a stunning creature, so I must give her credit. For added adorableness, I later decided to name my other (hybrid) bike Ellen.

The Graduate

As May 30, I am officially a graduate of Brown University.

I'm still kind of in denial about the whole thing. It feels like I'm just on break, like I'll go back to Brown at the end of the summer - even with all the preparations I've been making for next year. Having been to three prior Commencements, a lot of it felt like I was just pretending to graduate. A few moments made it real, however. Standing with the band seniors as we danced along to the band's performance of "Bad Romance." Walking through the Van Wickle Gates with my amazing friend Adrienne, surrounded by rows and rows of cheering friends, professors, and alums. Hearing Ruth Simmons congratulate our class on the grounds of the First Baptist Church in America. Feeling my heart swell with pride at the amazing accomplishments of my friends who had graduated Magna Cum Laude or who had made various honor societies. Trying not to cry as I gave a goodbye hug to my housemate, Masumi, one of my best friends since freshman year.

So here I am, graduated, with a Bachelor of Arts in Gender & Sexuality Studies. It feels like a big accomplishment. Even if we Brown students are, as honorary degree recipient Morgan Freeman put it, "a raucous bunch of miscreants," we've worked hard in school our whole lives and it's come down to this. I'm excited to leave, though. There is much that I will miss about Brown - being able to choose from myriad free concerts, plays, lectures, films, etc. on any given day/night; beautiful College Hill and quirky Providence; the general atmosphere of constant questioning and inquisitive learning; being able to take for granted (most of the time) a certain level of curiosity and understanding about social justice; and most of all, the close proximity to some of the most incredible people I have ever met. The friends I have made at Brown are worth every penny of the student loans I'll be paying off for what seems like eternity. At the same time, I am beyond excited to get out into the world. There is something about the college atmosphere that frustrated me after four years - I'm excited to have more of a work/life balance, to not constantly be at school. Most of all, I can't wait to dig in and get some hands-on experience, to directly affect change after years of intellectualizing it. And I can't wait to get to know a new city - in many ways, the ultimate city.

The day is best captured in pictures.

The band seniors celebrate.

Brown Band and seniors.

 Conductors of past and present!  

(L-R: Eli '08, Bryan '11, Scuzzo '10, D-Wash '07, Matt '05)

 

 Some of my best friends.

(L-R: Adrienne, Baird, me, Masumi)

 

Deodorant was essential.

Always wear sunscreen.

 Heading down the hill amongst cheering crowds.

Posing at the Van Wickle Gates.

My beautiful family.

A toast to the Gender & Sexuality Studies graduates.  
(L-R: Ana Carmen, Alanna, me, Ryan, Daniela. Not pictured: Jini)

And now, for your entertainment, Morgan Freeman.

Long-overdue update!

Wow, so I have completely neglected this blog for an entire semester. Boo. In that time, much has happened. I finished my capstone paper on Christian-based reproductive rights activism. I turned 22. I wore pajamas while playing sax while ice skating. The Huskies won again (love my UConn women). I ran my first ever (two!) 5k races and survived. I went to DC for spring break and saw the cherry blossoms. I started to manage my OCD. I took an amazing (and intense) Malian dance class. I got my bike fitted and upgraded and did a ton of training to prepare for Bike & Build. Which brings me to the three current, most important updates:

Update the first: I had to get my appendix out this weekend. Very unexpected, but mine actually ended up being a bizarre and lucky case. I'd had abdominal pains for about two weeks before anyone realized that it was appendicitis - normally the appendix will burst within 48 hours of the first symptoms, but mine somehow never even perforated! Things certainly could have turned out much worse than they did and I feel incredibly lucky. The surgery happened in Providence (luckily my mom was able to get there by the time I got out of surgery), but I have been home recuperating since Sunday. The plan is to go back to Brown today, though I will still need to take it easy.

It was actually good timing, if having one's appendix out during finals of senior spring can be considered good timing: a week or two later and it would have interfered with graduation. But as it is, I should be able to get all my work done and hopefully will be feeling back to normal by senior week, and it shouldn't affect my biking plans at all (except put a dent in my hard-fought training). Related fun fact: Apparently my heart rate was so low that the nurse wrote "Athlete" on my info sheet so that no one would be alarmed! Looks like all my training really has done me good - I'd never been classified as an athlete before!

Based on the fact that at this time last year I was about to get my tonsils out, I can only conclude that my body is shedding its vestigial organs and making me into a more streamlined, efficient human being. Excellent.

Update the second: I have a job starting in September!! I just got the job offer and accepted it yesterday. It's an AmeriCorps position in New York City, working at a school-based health clinic at a public high school in Manhattan. Students in this school don't get sex education until 12th grade, at which point, as you can imagine, it is often much too late. So my main role will be to teach sex education to 9th and 10th grade classes! I will have a lot of flexibility about the curriculum and the structure of the classes, which is really exciting. I will also be doing some one-on-one counseling in the health clinic as well as potentially coordinating a peer sex ed program. This sounds like the perfect job for me right now and an amazing chance to get a lot of hands-on experience and training in the field. I couldn't be more excited! Next step - find inexpensive housing in NYC!

Update the third: I have now raised $3,606 for Bike & Build - which means I need just $394 more to reach my goal! I'm in the home stretch! As I mentioned, I've been working hard at training (biking, running, spinning, dancing) and have also gone on a build with Habitat for Humanity in Providence, where I put up siding on a house. I also have another build planned for next weekend with some of the other Brown students on my trip. The next step will be working on a presentation that will be shown on the road involving case studies of Habitat and Rebuilding Together homeowners, in conjunction with fellow P2Ser Anthony. I'll do my best to post any relevant and interesting info that I come across!

In conclusion, if you find it in your heart to help me through the home stretch, it would be much appreciated. Simply go to www.bikeandbuild.org/donate and find my name. Any little bit will help make affordable housing a reality across the nation!

Merry Christmas!

I've reached 3.4% of my fundraising goal - help keep it coming!

Okay, now is the time when I begin fundraising in earnest for Bike & Build. I've already gotten a few donations from amazing people. My dear friend Saskia (who did the same B&B route last summer) gets the prize for being first, and most enthusiastic.

As I've mentioned before, between now and June, I have to raise $4,000 for the cause. Most of this money will go toward affordable housing initiatives, including Habitat for Humanity in Providence, with a small amount spent on program costs. This trip is going to be the hardest thing I've ever done, for a cause that I feel very strongly about, and I need your help. Your donation, in addition to helping to make this entire trip possible, will go directly toward putting a roof over someone's head. Lots of people giving just a little can make an enormous difference.

As an added incentive, if you donate, you can request a postcard from one of the states I'll be biking through (RI, CT, NY, PA, OH, IN, IL, IA, SD, NE, WY, ID, MT, or WA). I'll also be updating this blog as often as I can, so you can keep up with my progress. And if you're going to be near the route this summer, I'd love to meet up with you. That especially goes for Seattleites!

For more information, or to check out my profile, go to www.bikeandbuild.org - the easiest way to contribute is to do so online by clicking on "Donate" and scrolling down to my name. If that doesn't work, you can send a check to Bike and Build with my name in the memo section (instructions included on the "Donate" page).

Thank you in advance for your support - it really means a lot to me. Feel free to spread the word and let me know if you have any questions! I also hope to do some blog posts very soon about the affordable housing issue.

Next step - START TRAINING!

"His music never stops praying."

From Alex Ross's new (New Yorker-sanctioned) blog, a beautiful quote from contemporary Hungarian composer György Kurtág, upon being asked if he was a believer:

I do not know. I toy with the idea. Consciously, I am certainly an atheist, but I do not say it out loud, because if I look at Bach, I cannot be an atheist. Then I have to accept the way he believed. His music never stops praying. And how can I get closer if I look at him from the outside? I do not believe in the Gospels in a literal fashion, but a Bach fugue has the Crucifixion in it—as the nails are being driven in. In music, I am always looking for the hammering of the nails…. That is a dual vision. My brain rejects it all. But my brain isn’t worth much.

...this is going to be the greatest summer of all time. OF ALL TIME.

I may not know what I'm doing next year, but I do know what I'll be doing for the three months immediately following graduation: riding my bike from Providence to Seattle.

For those of you who haven't heard of Bike & Build, it's a phenomenal organization that raises awareness and money for affordable housing projects by organizing cross-country bike trips. On my particular trip, we will start off building at a Habitat for Humanity site in Providence, before heading west for the next two months. Averaging about 75 miles per day, we will also stop at 7 more build sites on our way to Seattle. At each host location, we will give a presentation about the affordable housing crisis, to raise local awareness for this important issue. When more than 5.1 million Americans live in "worst-case" housing conditions, and more than 13 million Americans are forced to pay over 50% of their income on housing, this needs to be a pressing national issue.

Personally, I have been invested in this issue since the beginning of high school. I was a part of a very active youth group that, on the week-long service trips we took each year, would inevitably be told by the organization with which we were working that we were so efficient at building that they had to scramble to keep up. During my first trip, I helped to rehabilitate houses in Appalachia. I had never seen the effects of economic inequality as dramatically as I did in this Virginia coal-mining town, and the experience stuck with me. I loved the hands-on work of building, the feeling that we were tangibly making a difference in the lives of others, with a product we could see by the end of the week.

If I know you personally, you'll definitely be hearing more from me about this, since I have to raise $4,000 for the cause. But if anyone out there is feeling generous, please don't hesitate to visit my profile on B&B's website and donate!

Throughout the trip I'll be updating this blog as regularly as I can. If you'd like a postcard (from any of these states), give me a donation and then email me your address and which state you'd like.

And like I said - don't worry; you'll be hearing about this again. My level of excitement about this summer is essentially off the chart. Biking + Building = a surefire recipe for success.