Flashbacks to high school. Standing in our host churches parking lot, riders arrive, kissed and hugged to suffocation by anxious mothers and fathers delivering their treasures to our hands. They all begin to mingle with that awkward fear of the unknown nerve if they will be like, if they will fit in. It was all too cute and hilarious at once. 30 minutes later I return to find that they had all self situated theirselves, sitting cross legged in the middle of the sunny parking lot in a large circle, boys on the left girls on the right. It was as though we were ready to play duck duck goose.
So in good news so far so good. We were fed heaping scoops of good cheesy overcooked pasta with fresh maine blueberry goodness for dessert. Our cooks were three plump blubbly lady's who fell in love with us and somehow made me want to just smile and love them like they were my grandmother pulling fresh baked cookies from the oven.
My leader team is king of my world right now. I've started to love these strangers who I've shared quarters with for only the past four days.
Had to steal a few words from my lovely leader Scott's blog to introduce them.
Kristen: An avid cyclist and native Californian, Kristen is doing Bike & Build in order to get back home without burning any fossil fuels, which in the Bay Area are known as "The Milk of Mother Gaia." She is quite knowledgeable about all things sustainable, vegetarian, and organic, but seems overwhelmed by the foreign East Coast environment she finds herself in, most notably Dunkin' Donuts and people who don't compost.
Morgan: Fresh out of Grinnell College, Morgan is a retired varsity swimmer who is delaying her entrance to the real world by biking. Her passions include human rights, Iowa, and lifting with her legs. Her vision is immaculate and she is anal retentive to the max. She is in charge of organizing all our receipts.
Collin: At just 21 years-old, Collin is the baby of the group, but without question the best at backing up the trailer. Collin chopped his lacrosse flow in preparation for the summer so that Kristen wouldn't mistake him for a Republican. His post-trip plan is to work as a deckhand in San Diego for $5 a day - a significant raise from working as a trip leader.
Scott: Retired history teacher of misbehaved high school students in an isolated town of Bath Maine, Scott, 24, is ready to bike across the country for his second time. Hovering at nearly 6 feet 4 inches tall he never gets sick of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Tomorrow we start to build with greater Portland maines Habitat for Humanity. Ironically we are putting the final touches on a home that was started by last years Maine to Santa Barbara route crew. But more to come on that.
This is a compilation of stories, days upon days of meeting strangers in the oddest of places, making friends with trees, barren roads, desert heat, and stuffed reindeer. About seeing the continent via a bicycle. And about falling in love, testing human limits, and restoring a faith in humanity.
Pages
- UTAH - Tent, Reindeer, Bicycle 2014
- Heading to Alaska on a Bicycle
- THE JOHN MUIR TRAIL: A Tale of a Reindeer and German Lover 2013
- JMT South to North: SOLO in the SIERRAS 2015
- Oregon: Willamette National Forest, Boy, and Mount...
- ONE COUNTRY VIA A BICYCLE 2012
- MAINE: Cycle Touring the Northern State of Blueberries 2015
Intro
Welcome to a story, or stories I should say. A compilation of adventure tales. An ongoing itch to see, smell, and touch the world, or at least the deserted roads and rarely trampled mountains of America. Characters within the descriptive paragraphs of these stories carve out the coming and going companions in life; vital life people and pieces that parallel a universe for moments, days, years. And then spear off, leaving granules of magnificent memories of magical places. They leave a lasting trace, a gained sense of courage to stand tall on oxygen deprived mountains and shout absurdities like: I love you Ralph! Ralph is a teenage reindeer stuffed of the finest synthetic polyester fiber poof; he says made in Indonesia but really tells me he is from the North Pole. Delivered through a chimney one December night 20 years ago, we instantly became cuddle buddies upon that morning's sunrise. He is the instigator. The inspiration. And the imagination. He breathes creativity. Laughter. His is a dear companion. And yes, at 4lbs he tags along atop a pack or strapped to a rack. In delirium of 107 degree heat, the small possession of material belongings gain a persona. Innate objects become friends of the road and trails. And as for the humans who accompany, their presence reads priceless. Without O'Reilly, a 29 year old New Hampshirian with superior taste buds, the mathematical six foot four inch tall German, or handful of organic peanut butter and 99 cent jam eating munchkins, there would be a lot less excitement. The encounters we make with our specie, encapsulating the world with their awkward ways and over consumerist love, somehow we have managed to become overly adored creatures. Their generous hearts restore a faith that goodness prevails in the upheaval of a sometimes lost humanity. As for myself, I'm just the navigator, paddling up the stream of life munching on Clif Bars, with an iPhone documenting the frailties and goodies underneath all the simplified complexities in the world we reside. So again, I welcome you to get lost and dream a little through this typed text and your imagination. My name is Kristen Gentilucci. I live in Berkeley California and I love dogs.