California Love

We made it to Santa Barbara! We arrived on Thursday, to fanfare and media and families and friends galore.   It was a really fun celebration, we had our tire-dipping, did some reflective closing activities, and enjoyed an amazing beach potluck lunch thanks to the families. It is impossible to describe how it felt to reach the Pacific after so long on the road.  It even now seems hard to believe that we started at the other (much colder) ocean and got all the way here on our bikes, through rain, hail, gravel, and mountains.  I can remember each individual ride from host to host, but it still doesn't seem possible that those days all strung together got us from one coast to the other.

I know that it has been an egregiously long time since I have updated, and many stories are missing.  For this I apologize and blame the craziness that was our end of trip, and general lack of internet in the desert through which we passed. I will write more exhaustive posts later detailing Vegas, Death Canyon, and our California days, and I plan to put all my photos up online, but for now just wanted to say that we all made it, alive, well and triumphant. 

The group has now dispersed, and I miss everyone terribly already.  I have never been part of something quite so amazing and with such an unsurpassable group of people.  I firmly believe that B2SB 2008 is and forever will be the best Bike and Build trip of all time, and I know we will keep in touch.  In short, this was the best summer of my life.  I have learned a lot about affordable housing, and Habitat for Humanity, and gained some construction skills. I have stories and memories that will last a lifetime and then some.   I have a beat-up blue jersey that probably won't last quite so long, but I will never forget what it felt like to put it on every day, two hours before sunrise, and hit the road with our unstoppable posse of energy legs.  Thanks to all who helped me get here, and love to all.