sponsorship

i am happy to announce that a new magazine called worldsurf will be sponsoring me on my ride from providence to seattle. this magazine is the creation of pete mellor, designed to highlight everyday people in their efforts to do something extraordinary. the first issue is going to be loaded with incredible stories, and is set to be published in late 2007. i'm really excited about this magazine as its central goal is to make people aware of the opportunities that exist to make meaningful changes in our own lives, in our neighbors lives, and in the lives of those the world over. i am excited and honored to have my story published in such a forum. make sure to check it out this fall.

aside from worldsurf, i happened to find myself chatting it up with an older man at EMS last night. he was the second man i had met within an hour who had done the seattle-san francisco ride down highway 1 (which i plan to do post-B&B). anyway, he gave me the name of the main bike guy at EMS and with a wink said, "he might be interested in a corporate relationship." thanks for the tip, buddy. i'm going to give this guy a call this weekend and see about sponsorship. i'm thinking i'll hit up REI with the same request.

south shore habitat for humanity

last saturday my brother avery and i took the train down to whitman, massachusetts to volunteer for the day at their habitat for humanity construction site. despite the cold, we had a really fun day building walls, sawing wood, and installing insulation (picture me on 30-foot high swaying scaffolding). swinging the hammer made me really excited for building :)

here are some photos (credit for these shots goes to Sue Moss):

South Shore Habitat for Humanity (Whitman)

enterprise or bruiser?

those are the two names i'm deciding on for the new trek1000. i came home from work on monday night to find the box propped outside my apartment door. in a moment of fury i let myself in, dragging the box behind me, and started ripping into it without even taking my gloves, backpack, helmet, or jacket off...and yet i still managed to get photos! actually, the moment of fury was a bit posed, i suppose. i actually did start ripping into the thing before even coming in and setting my stuff down, but in that moment i realized how ridiculous it was and thought 'i should get some pictures of this.' so here they are:





by wednesday night i had enough time to spend with the new beast to start assembling it and giving it some love. after all, it was valentine's day. here are some shots of the whole process (isn't it puuuurdy?)

Enterprise

then it got personal

so i have to admit, before now, i've had no real ties to affordable housing. i've never volunteered with habitat before (though i will be on february 17th). i don't have that one story in my back pocket about why this cause is near and dear to my heart. and truthfully, i've felt a little guilty for going all-in (and asking others to do the same) for a cause i know so little about. however, over the past couple of weeks, donations have started to come in. along with these donations have come phone calls, messages, and notes of all kinds. and i'm starting to get a glimpse of how important and how meaningful this really is.

i wanted to share a few of the stories and warm words i've received so far:

"I logged onto the Bike and Build site and learned that they donated to Slidell, LA after Katrina. We have old army friends that we have kept in touch with since 1971 who were forced out of their home there. We just heard that they are back home after quite a long road. I am sure the trip will bring you many stories and moving experiences. Good for you in wanting to do this and give back at such a young age."

"Every act of kindness matters and you will be touching the hearts and lives of many."

"We don't have lots of money but every year we have committed to donating to a few select organizations- usually my college, ProjectBread, Sierra Club and this year we're added YOU to the list!! Best of luck with all your preparations- you are about to embark on a life-changing adventure."

thank you thank you thank you all again, for sharing your stories and inspirational words. it's quite an experience to simultaneously feel the chills of such stories and the warmth of such kind words.

hit the mark

thank you to all who have donated so far! as of 1pm est today, a total of $1,000 has been raised -- this means bike&build should be in touch with me shortly to take my measurements and start assembling my custom-made bike (:

it'll be the third bike in my apartment -- the old beater peugeot (who i've neglected to name), naranja (the new slick fixie), and this new trek (name suggestions?) -- my roommates should start charging me extra rent.