Daily Grind

Things have been busy over the last week or so. While it seems like yesterday was Bike & Build orientation, I feel like I've known these people and have been doing this forever. The days have blurred together and every hill looks the same. I have no idea what day of the week it is or what the date is, but I'm happier than I've been in a while. I may even be becoming a morning person.

5:15 am - Snooze alarm.
5:20 am - Switch alarm off. Remind myself that "I'm biking across the country today."
5:25 am - Stumble bleary-eyed to the bathroom to brush teeth and/or wash face. (I                         decided today that morning face-washing is pointless.)
5:30 am - Squeeze all the air out of my thermarest so that I can then roll it up as                             tightly as possible to stow away in my suitcase. Change into biking gear,                         pack pajamas and overnight belongings, and roll and pack my suitcase                           (read: shove it into the spaces in my suitcase).
6:00 am - Drag my bag out to the trailer so that trailer crew can pack it awaywith                           everyone else's.
6:01 am - Desperately hope that the host has provided coffee for breakfast.
6:02 am - (Hopefully) Prepare and sip coffee while helping with breakfast and/or                           cleaning up from the night before.
6:30 am - EAT. I am always hungry and I can eat more than you.
6:40 am - Wonder if I've forgotten anything or lost another sock.
6:45 am - Clean up after breakfast and make sure I've finished all my chores.
6:50 am - A.B.C. (Air Brakes Chain) Prep and clean my bike for a ride of 35-120 miles.
7:00 am - Route meeting: When the leaders tell us where to go and what to expect for                  the day. Half-way through the ride we stop for lunch (leftovers that we've                       packed into coolers).
5:30 pm - Arrive at the host and SHOWER. (Yesterday, I literally smelled like an entire                   hockey team. Not just one player, a whole team.) Usually we get in between                   3 and 5 depending on the ride.
6:00 pm - Dinner. So far, dinner has been provided by our hosts (most often churches                   and  a few dorms) and usually comes in potluck form. If the host doesn't                         provide dinner, we Donation Magic* it from local restaurants and                                     supermarkets, eat leftovers, or break into our emergeny PB&J stash.
7:00 pm - Dinner crew (a group of four or five riders) gives a brief presentation on                         Bike & Build and the logistics of our trip.
7:30 pm - At this point, we usually mingle with the hosts, go over logistics for the next                   day, explore town, or go to sleep. Or some combination of all of the above.
11:00pm - Lights out. I'm probably already asleep.

Things differ only slightly on build days. We usually can get up a little later (genearlly closer to 7am or 8am), and rather than biking from 9am to 4pm, we work on a build site.

*Donation Magic - Asking businesses for free items (most often food or giftcards) to reduce expenses on our trip. The more we DM (eg. the less we spend) the more money we can donate to affordable housing at the end of the summer.

Day one of Bike & Build orientation is coming to a close; after swapping stories, we each set Thermarests and sleeping bags head to foot. Honestly, this feels like camp. We've even joked about braiding each other's hair (update: no hair has since been braided). 

So much of our first day has been dedicated to presentations: A day in the life of a Bike & Builder, safety guidelines, expectations, how our fundraising funds are allocated (80% goes back to affordable housing!). What struck me most, were the constant references to respect. Respect your hosts. Respect each other. It seems basic, right? On the surface it is, but how often in our daily lives to we disrespect those we come into contact with by simply being selfish. We are all inclined to view the world and its happenings through the lens of how we, ourselves, are effected by it. Have you seen this video/heard this speech? I assume, by now, you have (It's right there for you!). Yes. Just, yes. 

For the last year and a half or so, I've been on my own and working. At times, I've loved my job and at times I've hated it. Always, the negativity of those around me ate away at me. It wasn't until arriving to B&B orientation this afternoon that I realized how much I had let it effect me. Looking around the room at these wonderful young-people who are giving their time and energy to both a worthy pursuit (Biking across the country) and cause (Affordable housing, woop!) it dawned on my that I was judging. I was trying to sort out where I fit in this group. This revelation disgusts me. I've whined and moped long enough. Here I am, surrounded by kind and warm people, and I'm going to take advantage of it. 

From here on out, I will be unapologetically enthusiastic. Only when I actually feel it, don't expect to see me in September and that I'll suddenly be a peppy, morning person. Though, I may be, who knows. This summer is my reset button, my detox from negativity, and I couldn't be more excited.