The Beginning...

So this is it. I have been worrying about what I would be doing this summer since the fall, and on January 21 I finally finalized it. I decided that I would everyone and everything back in North Carolina for about two months as I head out on some journey across the country. The only thing is, I thought I would always make this trip in a car, not on a bike.

So I will head out from Manteo, NC, on May 21 (exactly four months to raise $4,000, ooo...) and head out to numerous states and finally end up on the west coast in San Diego, CA, on July 24. All of this is possible because of the non-profit organization Bike & Build, which is setting up the whole trip and contributing the proceeds to help youth-led building projects all across the country. My route from NC to CA isn't the only one, there are also several other groups heading out from FL, VA, RI, and MA and will ultimately wind up on the west coast as well. Going against those easterly winds all summer should be fun...

Along the way to California the group will be stopping in towns for the night, and will rely heavily on local groups, organizations, churches, and the like to house and feed us. By cutting down on the money spent on food, more money cannot be donated to the cause. I am not a stranger to sleeping on church floors, as it comes with the territory of being a club rower and having no money in the budget for hotel (or even motel) rooms. And as a southern Baptist, I know the ladies at the churches can cook, so if I needed any extra motivation, that would be it. Almost every night we will also be giving presentations to community leaders about the issue of affordable housing and steps to take to lessen its grasp on the country.

With less than four months to raise the money now, I have to get started soon. I have set this blog up to hopefully show any and everybody what this trip is all about and hopefully be able to write some during the summer to show all of you out there how amazing the journey will be. I will probably include the address to this blog in the letters that will be sent out soon. If you receive one (which will Probably be why you are here now), then thanks for checking this out. I encourage you to give to this cause. Affordable housing is a major issue in the United States, and through programs like this, resolution to the problem can be reached. This really isn't about me, it's about the houses. So give freely, it will undoubtedly pay off. I will do my best to ensure that to each donor.

If you have any questions about this trip or the money involved, please feel free to email me at thall10@email.unc.edu and I will get back to you quickly. I also can't wait to meet the other 29 people that I will be pedaling across the country with all summer. If any of y'all wanna meet or talk, feel free to get up with me, too.

I will do my best to keep up with this blog on a weekly or bi-weekly basis until the trip starts. Once on the trip, though, I am at the mercy of the road (and internet access).

Cheers