Hidden Treasure

The little town of Wichita Falls, Tx. was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Dusty and I arrived early to the YMCA who hosted us for the night, so we set out on an exploration of the town. Riding down the road a few miles we found the man made Wichita Falls. We later came across the "Hotter Than Hell" race building (a popular bike race) where we found a rad bicyclist mural on the wall, which had me missing all the unique artwork surrounding my hometown. As we continued wandering the side streets to see what other artwork was hiding, we discovered a huge shopping cart and a dreamy old school yellow mustang. Having some good fun, we took model pictures of all the beautiful little treasures that made the bare feeling of this tiny town original.

For dinner, one of the kind guys from the "Hotter Than Hell" ride club took us all out to dinner at one of their favorite burger joints. Without even reading the menu thoroughly, I immediately ordered a hamburger, onion rings, and a milkshake. Five minutes later it was all in my tummy. If there's anything I've learned about myself on long ride days, it's that I forget to chew. 

The next morning, we woke up to an unpleasant surprise...four of the tires on our van and trailer had been slashed during our slumber. This tragedy did not prohibit us from riding on, but put us back a couple steps with our morning routine. Fortunately, our awesome leaders handled the situation smoothly and promptly took care of the tires. One minor setback didn't stop us from getting to our next point. With positive attitudes, we all rode on!

Famous Sally

Finally, in Dallas, Tx. The moment we all were waiting for. The rumor floating around the bike and build world was that "THE best host" lives here. This rumor was NO lie. Walking through the doors into the beautiful home of our host, Sally had me almost faint in disbelief. There was so much food in the kitchen- all of us HANGRY bike riders couldn't even make a substantial dent. As I continued to tour the house, I glanced outside to see a pool, coolers full of cold drinks, and a blow up slip-n-slide. This was a sure invitation to scream out of excitement like a kid who sees the ice cream truck ride down the street.

The first night was full of crazy bikers splashing in the pool, music blaring so loud we couldn't stop singing, and the best home cooked meals. 

Day two we built with Habitat For Humanity. This project was a bit more hands on and in the early stages of building. As a team, we were able to finish nailing in the roofing wood boards. By the end of the day, the house changed so much we could barely remember what it looked like from the start. 

After a long days work, Sally surprised us with a sail boat ride on a glistening lake in Texas. My girls and I cruised down to the lake in her Mustang belting Beyonce's "single ladies". Let me tell ya, we sounded like the voice of angels (joking). The 3 days spent there we unreal, and was definitely one of the hardest place to leave to date. 

THANK YOU SALLY FOR EVERYTHING! You put a smile on our faces, brought out many laughs, and made this trip even more special. 

Adopted

90 degrees, and a long day of hills- sweeping my way into Athens, Texas was such an accomplishment. Many riders started dropping like flies throughout the day. We called this wipe-out the "aPUKEalypse", which hit and hit hard. By the time we had reached the host, at least ten riders had their white faces hanging over the toilets. Scared to touch anything and everything, I washed my hands an overly healthy amount. Better germ safe than sick, right?

After dinner, we were split up into groups of 2-3, where we became adopted by lovely hosts. Ashley and I were sent off with the most amazing bike and build parent for the night, Linnea. Driving just 10 minutes away from the church we ate at, we arrived at her GORGEOUS 100 acre lot of land with a to die for white house and pool in the backyard. To top it all off, she had two friendly horses, and two playful dogs that won my heart. Adopt me forever, please? (Sorry mom & dad...hehe). 

                 Love at first sight

              Friends from the get-go

                  

    

Crazy Fun

Looking for a day full of fun, I chose to ride with my silly leader Claire to Carthage, TX. First stop at a gas station, we bought lottery tickets. Unfortunately, luck did not fall in our favor...AKA: we were double losers. To mourn for our loss, we stuffed Siracha chocolate whammies into our mouth. The first bite was interesting, the second not as good, and the final bite was the worst. My mind told me every next bite might get better, but my taste buds told the truth that Siracha and chocolate are not a winning combination.

After lunch, we stopped at a mini go-kart track. There, a kind gentleman let us ride like crazies in circles. I've never driven so recklessly. Taken hands of the handle bars of my bike to finally touch a steering wheel again was magical. 

Being one of the last groups to arrive at our awesome hosts home, we were welcomed with a beer and pulled pork for dinner; one of my favorite meals. Everything was great until the moment we somehow managed to clog all three of their toilets while our hosts were celebrating a wedding...whoops! After taking a cold hose shower, we were able to resolve the plumbing problem and everyone was back in full force. I'd say I had a pretty crazy fun day. 

Living a Dream

Our lovely hosts Beth and Cliff started our morning off right with sweet potato biscuits for breakfast. I just couldn't get enough that before I knew it, I had 3 more on my plate before I finished my first one. 

At lunch we stopped in a Dairy Queen. The manager graciously donated 32 smoothies to my really good looking group. When I walked outside, a man named Artis Almond curiously asked about our mission. After telling him our crazy adventures, he donated $40 to the affordable housing cause. This was the first stranger money donation I had received and it was AWESOME! 

Riding 2 miles down a gravel road to see an inviting lake was totally worth the risk of getting a flat tire, or even falling off my bike. In my bike shorts, I jumped straight into the water. Shortly after swimming a couple strokes in the water, I became paranoid alligators were hanging out down below my feet. Later into the evening, Ashley, Conner, and I spotted an alligator moseying his/her way down the beautiful lake. That marked the end of my swimming days in Elm Grove, LA.

My favorite part of the day was playing "Indiana Jones" while crazily driving the gator cart around their 150 acre yard. I had my passengers screaming around a few turns and I learned real quickly that I may not be the best person to be behind the wheel...lies, we all loved a crazy bumpy ride. 

Also, couldn't be more stoked about the bug bite I discovered on my right butt cheek (joking). 

Lastly, THANK YOU SALLY (our soon to be Dallas host) FOR THE GOODIES PACKAGE!!!!! Can't wait to meet you. I can already tell you're GRRRRREAT! 

            Making waves to the sun

              

                  My dream home

                    Gator hunters

We Gon' Die Today

Pouring rain pounded on my helmet while bright flashes of lightening struck down from the dreary sky. Flash then boom and we kept jokingly saying, "we gon' die today." We eventually pulled ourselves together at mile 5. There we forgot what personal space was and cuddled into a corner under a blue tarp to keep warm. Once the puddles fully formed and we felt it was safe to hop back onto our bikes, we were escorted by 3 awesome police officers. Total count of flat tires for the day was 12. Luckily, my tires never gave up and got me 66 miles safely to Opelousas, LA. To end the night, we kicked the soccer ball around an open football field. Felt great to get a touch on the ball again. 

NOLA

Wind and rain didn't stop us from reaching New Orleans, LA. Seeing a bed and pillow the moment I walked through the doors of camp hope (our host), made me squeal in excitement. As much as I love blowing hot air into my thermarest every night, it was nice to catch a break. 

The first night we hit the French Quarters and Bourbon street. These streets reminded me of last Thursday on Alberta Street at home. Music, bars, dancing, and original people made the street so entertaining. 

On our first day off, I caught up on sleep and prepared for the 5 build days ahead. We worked with St. Bernard's project all week, which was incredible. As an ice breaker to get to know the SBP workers, we told our coolest scar stories. My leader, Dan told the my favorite scar story. Excited that he graduated, he jumped to hit a sign where he tore up his finger. The doctor who performed reconstructive surgery on his finger took skin from his leg...the skin on his finger now grows hair. We all were in hysterics to find this out. It's been 3 weeks with each other and no one even noticed. 

At the build site, we painted, sanded, and used putty on the walls. Days of work were long and hot, but we enjoyed each other by belting out country and pop music while getting the job done. We got a little weird and started painting our faces tribal style. 

BONKING

Made it through two of the longest back-to-back rides yet. Wednesday we headed from De Funiak Springs, FL. to Gulf Breeze, FL. Traveling a century (100 miles) through strong gusts of head wind.  It wasn't until mile 86 when I caught a serious case of "bonking." My cleets no longer wanted to clip into my pedals, my bladder was so full I could barely contain the pain, and the zombie-like expression started to take over my face. Pushing through the last and hardest 15 miles was mentally draining, but such an accomplishment. 

Thursday, we were eager to cross the boarder into Mobile, Alabama. My favorite day of riding through a down pour of rain and booming thunder. The amount of back spray from the bike wheel in front of me to enter into my mouth was disgustingly enough to keep me hydrated. Reaching the first lunch, in desperate need of food, I unshamefully stuffed an entire pb&j sandwich into my mouth with just one bite. When bonking, we will take desperate measures to fuel up. The best part of the 95.5 mike ride was taking a ferry at mile 60 to get to Mobile. The 40 minute cruise along the water made a great resting break and pretty scene of the unfimiliar surroundings. Making it to the host sopping wet clothes, while knowing the hot shower was in sight was magical. I had never been so excited to take a shower in my life. 

Today, we had our 3rd build day working with Habitat For Humanity. Ashley, Emma, and I teamed up to saw wood for the wall edging and painted floor boards. In all good fun, 5 of us working together in the same house plotted a dance attack on another house. Pretending to be sneaky, we hid behind cars, next to the house, and climbed through the window. Without being seen, we caught them if guard dancing our way around their house project. We thought we were hilarious, as for them, they're still in the process of coming out of their nutshells. 

To end the night, we held a bike clinic for children. We tuaght them about the bike life, and encouraged them to ride safely. With big smiles on their faces, they rode like pros around a mini obstacle course we created for them. 

                Peanut butter jelly time

                  Cutting wood

            

         Build day Jumping in the rain

Talla-hilly

Welcome to Tallahassee- I mean Talla-HILLY. Yesterday, we biked from Perry to Tallahassee, FL. During the ride we tackled hills that seemed to last longer then a turkey baking on Thanksgiving...the best way to describe it. It was hot and painful cranking up, but rewarding to finally leave the bottom of the hill looking at my rear end. After that, all I could think about was smoothie king, sonic, Hardee's, and basically every other place that I could think to grub at.

Today, May 24th, we had our second build day. We worked with Good News Outreach. Being such lovely people, they provided us with breakfast, lunch, and dinner; a triple whammy! We couldn't that them enough for being so gracious and engaged in our mission to serve.

On the site, we used saws to cut the border of the homes and nailed fresh slabs of wood to prevent termite infestation and a more realistic design for the surrounding area. There I met the cutest little boy in a Spider-Man t-sort named Bubba. Bubba was a trooper and worked by my side to pick up wood slabs from the ground.

My favorite part of the day was toward the end when our leader, Maddy created our original "mulch Olympics". The intensity of the race to fill up a wheel barrow full of tree bark and dirt made the job seem to fly by quicker. My team came in se...Zzzz (out like a light bulb)

Killin' It!

Woke up feeling only half way charged. Sleep is at a bare minimum these days since our bike mileage continues to increase. The earlier we get up (5am) and out on the road (7am), the less scorching heat we encounter. Temperatures almost reaching into the 90s was a clear indication that hydration was far most important. That being said, we made drinking H2O fun. Every time someone said "cheers", we simultaneously took a swig together. My favorite cheers of the day was "cheers for good gears!" That was my favorite since we battled hills and extreme wind conditions all day...a muscle burning combination.

Pulling up to the campsite was a great relief and seeing a clear lukewarm pool to jump right into was a sweet surprise. We dared Colleen Daly to body flop face first into the water with the incentive she would get a 20 minute massage in return. She did it, twice, only because the first attemp just wasn't good enough. Watching her land flat on her face provided laughs out loud for the group and seemed to sum up how we felt about our long ride for the day.

Sweep challenge of the day was to take a picture of roadkill and insert a sweet caption to explain the brutal scene. Without hesitation, my bike buddies and I got down and personal with an armadillo who blatantly had been run over more than once. There's two things I learned: 1. Armadillo roadkill truly does smell like death. 2. Don't "drink and 'Dillo-dally across the road" or else bad things could happen. Literally and figuratively speaking, we killed it today!

As for Maddy (my leader), she spilled it today. ;)

Pop Goes The Tires

Pedal Pedal...

Who's creepin'?...

SWEEPER!...

Sweeper who!?...

SWEEPER to the rescue!

Riding as the caboose of the bike pack made for a long eventful day full of unfortunate events. Molly B and I were chosen to be sweeper for our first big ride (80 miles!). Shortly after leaving Palatka we encountered two groups with flat tires. Luckily, we flew in with capes and just the right tools to get our friends tires spiffy again...or so we thought. Throughout the entire ride we helped replace new tubes for riders 7 times. It was a rough ride for a few riders to say the least. 

Once we got to the host site fashionably late, we were treated with a Taco salad meal. I don't think I've ever eaten so much rice and beans in one sitting in my life. I was HANGRY, HANGRY, HANGRY! 

Tomorrow will be another long ride (70 miles), so I'll be saying a prayer we have better luck with our tires. 

Bad Girl Watcha Gonna Do?

IOff to a slow start called for a morning cup of coffee at The Chocolate Turtle. The lovely woman working there provided us with a free and very delicious pineapple upside down cake the night before. The donation magic just keeps on rollin' in!

After taking a few right, but actually wrong turns, we finally made it to the top of the lighthouse in St. Augustine, FL. The view of the coastline of Florida was incredible. Climbing up the stairs was a great butt workout and well worth it.

40 long miles later we made our way into Palatka, Florida. A huge thank you to St. Monica church for feeding all 32 of us dinner, giving us access to clean showers, and a comfy building to sleep in. The hospitality here is contagious. Taking a tour around the town to see hand painted murals is one of the treasures that makes this place so special.

Bad girl, bad girl whatcha gonna do when the cops come for you...Did I mention I got arrested today? Gun pulled and handcuffed, I was one bad biker chick. To the two cops who played along with the joke, you made my night. The sweeper crew (last bike riders) made a challenge to take the BEST picture with someone in uniform and this was the BEST I could come up with:

When You Dip I Dip You Dip

Together we dipped our back tires into the Atlantic Ocean in Jacksonville, FL. to mark our official first day of riding. Riding down the A1A was beautiful. I have never seen so many houses I could easily call me dream home. Also, I got to see an armadillo for the first time; dead on the street. I never knew until today how potentally awful road kill smelt until today.  

Once my group successfully reached the church building hosting us for the night, we went out for some ice cream. I stopped in a cute organic Popsicle shop called "Hoppy". The employee working informed me I was just a minute too late from meeting Jack Johnson. I almost squealed from excitement of just know he was in the same town as me. 

Donation Magic was unreal today. The amount of giving companies and stores that donated food to our trip was eye opening. We were given a watermelon, pineapple upside down cake, turkey wraps, 2 boxes of pizza, and a bag full of candy. This was proof that there are good people in the world. 

Day 2: Build it!

Woke up at 6 a.m. to country music. Bike and Build already knows how to wake me up on the right side of the bed. Staying well hydrated in the hot Florida sun, I drank 7 bottles of water, which resulted in crystal clear urine...I think that alone calls for a celebration.

From 8-4 we helped build our first house with Habitat For Humanity Beaches in Jacksonville. My task assigned was to cock and paint the interior of the home. Tag teaming with Molly (another bike and builder) made the work go by quicker, especially when we started jamming to the tunes on my iPhone. Habitat For Humanity provided us with a delicious lunch of sandwiches, chips, and cookies. It's so great to see how many people support are mission and are first hand contributing to make this experience pleasant for every single one of us.

We ended our night leap frogging our way around the community center hosting us to go over safety rules. Lights are out and the guy next to me is snoring so loudly that the entire room just busted out into laughter...he had no idea. I think he might have eaten a monster. Oh, how I love finding humor in the little things.

        Elle and I getting ready to build!

                  House project #1

Loopy Laura

Day 1- Bike & Build Orientation:

Meet the crew I'll be spending my next         80 days with!

Today was a day full of ice breaker games and silly skits to create good vibes for the start of our journey together. Everyone has a great sense of humor and are fun to be around. This is definitely a trip I'm surely not going to regret. It's 11:30, lights are out, and I can barely keep my eyes open I'm so drained from the days activities. Loopy Laura is hitting the hay!

We Run DC (Nike Women's Half Marathon)

4-27-14 marks the day I left 13.1 miles around the streets of Washington D.C. in the dust. I finished my fourth Half Marathon, and most definitely not my last. Here is my shout out to the random, but winning husband cheering runners on with a sign that said, "Run faster! You're running in my wife's gas"...let me tell ya, that gave me an extra kick in my stride. If it weren't for those motivating words, I may not have made it across the finish line before your wife (joking). There really is no better sight to see down the last stretch than a gentleman in a tuxedo handing out Tiffany's necklaces' in a pretty blue box. I'm hoping the profuse amount of sweat dripping down my face onto the necklace really made it sparkle like a diamond.

 Pointing to my name on the wall outside Nike Town in D.C.

 Running around the Capital, while making my move to pass his wife. ;)
(^^read above)

 "My finale boyfriend" and a beautiful blue box that kept my heart beating.

I'll be back, DC.

Rebuilding Together

On behalf of National Rebuilding Day, I spent my day building a healthier home with "Rebuilding Together" in Arlington, VA. The organization and friendliness of the group I teamed up with made this experience notable and well worth my time. Being able to meet and listen to the sincere appreciation from Sabra, the sweet lady's home we repaired was overall rewarding. She shared childhood stories with me and even showed me photos of her granddaughter who just happened to live in Portland, OR (my hometown!) and got married in our famous "voodoo doughnut" shop. While painting the outside window pane of her home, Sabra exclaimed, "no volunteer makes mistakes" when dedicating their time to make an impact in the world.

The Rebuilding Together Crew

 Meet Sabra!

#Insanity

Stormy weather outside called for an insane workout inside. Yes, insane...I attempted the "Insanity" 60 day challenge. This DVD should have a disclaimer saying "WARNING: You may not be able to walk after performing a circuit." I'm pretty sure I could fill an entire garbage bin full of sweat by the end...My ass got worked, literally. Now that I can't feel a single muscle in my body, I think I'm going to stick to endless miles of biking.

Time Flies When You're Having FUN

Over a month has past and I just woke up from living the greatest dream imaginable. I'll try to make this short and sweet, but bare with me...I don't want to leave out the finest details.

It's February 26th and I have packed my bag full of tank tops, flip-flops, and my favorite pair of stilettos. Running behind schedule, I race down the airport halls to the security check. Minute by minute seemed to pass by more quickly since I was in such a time crunch. With 10 minutes to spare, I lit my (you know what) on fire to beat my flight from leaving my casually late tush behind. Yes, I was "that" girl who held up the plane, but only by a couple minutes. For the first time in my life, I felt more stares on me than when I grabbed my high school diploma at graduation...yikes. Once the plane took off the ground, my glands finally stopped sweating profusely and I was able to breathe like a normal human being again.

An hour and a half later I was reunited with my good friend since 4th grade, Ally in Tucson, Arizona. Driving past palm trees and dessert hills in this beautiful city won my heart. As soon as we arrived at University of Arizona, I was welcomed with open arms into the Alpha Phi sorority house. One short week later and I had some of the younger class-men fooled that I was a live in. The girls, food, and events were amazing!
While in Arizona I...
1. Went to my first bar as a 21 year old!
2. Met a beautician named Mandy who chopped half my hair off!
3. Watched my first spring training game!

From there I made a short but sweet trip home. To get more miles logged, I biked to every appointment scheduled. Most importantly, I got to spend four days cuddling with my cute doggy, Roscoe.

Saying good-bye to Oregon one last time was bittersweet. There's no place like home, but there's also nothing like traveling. Next destination: Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Nine exhausting hours on the plane, my friend Sarah and I met our friend Julia for a spring break worth remembering. Living in a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo with 12 gals was quite the experience. Lack of toilet paper and clean towels was definitely not a necessity for having a blast, and we proved that.

Since Florida just wasn't enough, I made a 20 hour drive back to Indianapolis, IN. to celebrate Julia's 21st birthday in style! One 5k beer run, two nights of bar hopping, and enough Sushi to feed all of America...I was a very happy woman. This trip made me realize friendship is the key ingredient for FUN!

Leaving Indianapolis to head back to Nashville, TN I hopped on the Megabus. Climbing up the stairs to the back of the bus I found the only seat available. To my left sat a mother and her daughter and to  my right was a man with dreads. Just a few minutes after the bus began its journey home, the man next to me chuckled and asked, "whyz you looks so mean?...youz looks like youz about to punch someone." Timid and unsure how to respond, I giggled and said, "I've never heard that before." He then asked if he could lay his head on my shoulder. I'm now Mega-scared of the Megabus (just kidding!)...he turned out to be a very nice guy after talking to him the rest of the shaky ride back.

Now that I've woken from my dream and finally got this blog post written, I think I'm going to go back to sleep for a while in hopes I can relive a dream just as good or maybe even better if that's even possible.

Denver, CO.

Minus the bitterly cold weather that decided to follow me, Denver, Colorado has treated me well and has treated me right.

I've learned that being lost isn't always a bad thing, especially when time doesn't seem to matter and you're with people who you can laugh with when the wrong turn is made. About 45 minutes past our destination, my sister, cousin, and I praised the Lord for the directional savvy invention called the smartphone. This was the perfect place and time for the use of my love/hate relationship for technology. This little moment of being lost, and in a sense lost in the right direction taught me that I enjoy the process it takes to reach a goal and not just the goal in itself. Although we took the long way by accident, we still were able to enjoy ourselves and make it to the places we were meant to be. 

Golden, Co. was a beautiful little town. We stopped in a cute coffee cafe filled with first date couples and a comfy couch that fit my butt cheeks nicely. The hand painted artwork lining the walls near the ceiling were unique and created a warm-welcoming vibe. To top it all off, their drinks were right on point. 

I took a week away from the bike and bummed a ride (with no hands!) on the back of this generous fellow below. Unfortunately, we didn't get too far.

Coming from Oregon, I was very impressed with the Denver zoo. The animals appeared to be lively and comfortable in their cages with plenty of room to roam. My niece, Sundari and I loved the elephants!

I spent my final night cheering my favorite home team, The Portland Trailblazers to victory at the Pepsi Center. The blazers ate the nuggets right up, leaving me a happy fan which made for a phenomenal trip in the great city of Denver, CO! 

Cartoon Laura

Yesterday I tackled my longest ride yet, a whopping 30 miles. Sore legs made for a day of rest. I now have 67 miles logged and 433 miles left to ride with 3 months to go.

I want to give a S/O to the lovely co-worker of mine, Stephanie for keeping a part of me on the map. Cool bike, sweet basket of muffins, and I'm loving the groovy outfit. Hopefully, I'll look just as stellar riding through the states as I do in this creative cartoon masterpiece:

Maybe not physically, but it is so possible to be in two places at once. Feeling the love from home.

The Love Tree

The feeling of accomplishment is such a comforting reward. This week I was able to attain two personal goals I set for myself. The first being a 20 mile bike ride around unfamiliar roads in Tennessee. Not having any clue where I am in this tiny town of Clarksville enables my mind to wander and heart to explore. Pedaling solo down roads I've never seen before can be dicey, but part of life is about taking blind risks to see what glorious place we'll end up at.

This morning, I ambitiously achieved my second goal. 21 degrees and snowing, I finished the Hot Chocolate 15K run in Nashville. I can officially cross Tennessee off my list of states to complete a race...2 states down, 48 more to go. Thrilled and to my surprise, I placed 136/1834 overall and 4/64 for my age group by running a consistent 8 minute mile pace. Hard work really does pay off and was the perfect justification for indulging the Ghardelli chocolate fondue after crossing the finish line.

For lunch, My sister and I strolled down 12th street in Nashville. This cute street reminded my of a street similar to NW 23rd in Portland. I was pleased to finally get a slight taste of home outside Oregon. Outside a popular coffeehouse called Frothy Monkey was a tree filled with love letters and attached was a welcoming note for strangers to pick one. I reached for a letter that read, "hello love" and inside were the handwritten words, "you are helpful, and you are loved, and you are forgiven, and you are not alone" -John Green. Such a sweet way to start my day, and a thoughtful gesture written by a stranger who I will most likely never know. Strange, yet wondrous how an unpredictable note that happened to strike my curiosity reminded me of the importance to love in this world.

LOVE ALWAYS xoxo

Getting Jiggy With It

Bike and Build update:
Tomorrow is the $500 fundraising deadline. Thanks to all my benevolent supporters, I have far exceeded that amount. To date, I have raised $4,285! Earlier today my fellow riders and I started documenting our training bike ride mileage to keep us all on track to reach our 500 mile goal before taking off on our adventure. Still finding my groove, I have completed 7/500 miles in one ride since I received my bike. One pedal at a time, I am determined to knock out these next 493 miles in the next three months before the real fun begins. I can do it, I can do it, I will do it!

Woke up feeling chipper for the first time since I've been battling this nasty cold, I finally was able to catch a breath of fresh air and not feel crummy while doing so. I strolled down my frequent route around Clarksville, but this time in a new style. Shuffling through the songs on my ipod, Will Smith's "Getting Jiggy With It" came on, and I started to jig. Luckily for the publics sake, very few cars passed by me as I un-ashamedly danced my way around. Dancing and singing, while tuning out the distractions around me was refreshing, exhilarating, and left my spirit feeling free. Zoning out in my own little world was just what the doctor ordered! :)

Under The Weather, But More Like Over It.

The sniffles hit hard and fast. Klenex and Riiiiiiiicola cough drops are the only things allowing oxygen to pass through my airways right now. I'm over this stormy winter weather that leaves my twinkle toes ice-cold each night, even underneath a pile of blankets.

White fluff on the ground didn't hinder my ride on my snazzy new bike. The slick black streets had me swerving down hills, but I'd take that over the chilly wind blowing straight into my face. After riding around for about an hour, my numb chin and Rudolph red nose had enough agony for one ride. Although I was miserable, I remind myself with "no pain there's no gain." Never am I satisfied ending a workout without a single muscle ache in my body. Exercise is my healthy impulse for self-discipline, and a boost of confidence enabling me to feel sane in this wacky unpredictable world.

Three days ago, I tightly squeezed my brother-in-law goodbye. Holding back tears from streaming down my cheeks, I watched him love my sister and nephew with one last kiss before he picked up his camouflage bags and walked away. I commend Nick, one of many brave soldiers who is courageously sacrificing his place of comfort, and placing his life at risk to defend our American dignity. Prayers, and high hopes his return home will be a remarkable moment worth celebrating.

Feeling 21

It's the big day. I Laura Katherine Schaeffer am finally 21 years YOUNG! Woke up when the sun was rising, tied my Nikes, and hit the road running. I devoted 21 minutes of my day in the 21 degree weather (that actually felt like -21 degrees) wiping tears from the chill, while kicking some major butt. Coincidence that it was 21 degrees outside on my 21st birthday?...I'll leave that up to you to decide.

Spent the rest of my birthday celebration in downtown Nashville. Surrounded by babies and minors, my choice of drink was the perfect nonalcoholic H2O. I'm saving the alcohol birthday drinks for a more appropriate time soon to come. More importantly, I enjoyed a lovely day spent with family and received much love from friends afar. I'd say my 21st birthday was a sober success!

Mega Bus, Mega Bargain

It's 2014 and I want to document that I just bought a bus ticket from Indianapolis, IN. to Nashville, TN. for cheaper than a gallon of gas. It was a whopping $1 thanks to Mega Bus service! Feel free to call me the Bargain Baller from now on.

Not only did I save big on transportation, but I snagged a 50% off Groupon coupon for a 5k beer run to celebrate my friends 21st birthday in March. I can't think of a more motivating way to actively ring in 21 years of life than running for booze every mile. Cheers!

Fans From Afar

There's nothing like an intense sunday night football game with these two goofballs. Without a doubt, the best 49er fans (Nick & Kyle) were here in Tennessee. Unfortunately, their cheering just wasn't loud enough...better luck next year. Being the black sheep of the group, I'm pretty happy with the final outcome. GO SEAHAWKS!! 

Visual Perspective

 Clarksville, Tennessee

Fell in love with this little red barn.

Rub-a-dub-dub!

Sunlight + Clean air = Photosynthesis. Stand Tall.

Be Happy

My adventurous heart is clearly speaking to my mind. Without any hesitation, I booked two different flights in one day. Denver, Colorado and Tucson, Arizona; get ready to show me a good time!

Received an encouraging letter from my cousin. The outside of the card read, "Be happy. It's one way of being wise." Being the quote fanatic I am, this one made it to the top of my favorites list. All the love, and support from my friends and family continues to encourage me to be a contributing member of society, so I  may selflessly express an appreciation for each beautiful opportunity life presents.

Feeling inspired, I decided it was time to clean the neighborhood streets. Carrying a black trash bag with a smile plastered on my face, I walked a mile down the side of a dirty road and picked up trash. Beer bottles, plastic straws, candy wrappers, and fast food bags said peace out to the ground and hello to the grimy green garbage bin. Keeping the environment clean!

Boom Boom Bang

Lightening, thunder, and rain oh my! Stormy weather excites me more than a child opening gifts on Christmas morning. The bright flash of light through my window is so vivid I feel like I could potentially be it's next target...lets hope not. One second, two seconds, three seconds I count until the thunder roars. I think I'm safe. Bring it on, Clarksvillle.

Also, a big congratulations to my brother-in-law, Nick for getting promoted to Specialist today! He just proved persistence and hard work consequently brings great rewards. That being said, God bless America and a sincere thank you to all the active soldiers keeping this country united.

Where The Sidewalk Really Ends

I finally understand why the chicken crosses the road (in Clarksville). It's obvious, there are NO sidewalks to cross anywhere. Playing chicken on my run, I ever so gracefully dodged every truck that came my way. After a couple honks and a few ankle twisting steps in pot holes, I am pleased to say I survived my first 5 mile run in this crazy sidewalk missing town.

Nick, being the awesome brother-in-law that he is, caught this humiliating moment on camera. I apologize for the blurry quality. Nick couldn't control his giggles. 

Getting fitted for my bike, the gentleman in red handed me a ruler with measuring tape attached. To get the most adequate measurement, he instructed me to hold the ruler straight between my legs and push up as far as it could go. Laughing while feeling uncomfortable, I looked at the man and said "well, this is awkward"...I'm so awkward. 

Ice Ice Baby

Currently, it is 4 degrees in Clarksville, TN and the tips of both my fingers and toes are number than numb. I mean, cold weather is chill if there's snow but all I see is ice...not so chill. Optimistically thinking, the freezing temperature was a reasonable excuse for me to spend the day lying under a pile of cozy blankets while watching The Bachelor and every other dramatically captivating television show. No complaints.

Right, Right, Right Left Right.

Woke up at the crack of dawn, packed an army backpack full of weights and left for Fort Campbell. It was time to put myself through the everyday challenge of a soldier. I went on my first 10 mile army ruck march with Nick and his Sgt. Being the black sheep of the group, I stepped right before stepping left. Like always, I chose to march to the beat of my own drum or in this case, chant.

Received an exciting phone call from my mother to view my Bike and Build fundraising status. Surprised, yet overwhelmed with much joy and appreciation to see a cousin of mine contribute a generous donation. I am now exceeding the amount needed to get my bike. I have been anxiously waiting for this day to come. Let the butt aching, long rides begin!

Watch out world, Kyle James is the futures next soccer star.

Day Uno

Panhandlers put down your signs and find a child. Giggles, and an undeniably cute smile leaves Aunt Laura and baby Kyle two quarters richer. The southern hospitality of being friendly is real.

As for food, I got a real taste for uhm, butter. With the intent of eating "healthy," I ordered a plate of egg whites, yet I was surprised with a plate full of egg yellows. Yes, yellow. The two eggs scrambled were cooked in so much butter that the color white was unseen. Sorry all you Portland hippies, a piece of kale or even a smidgen of olive oil might kill a Tennessean soul.

If there is one thing I didn't forget at home, it's my game face. Five rounds of UNO and I managed to pull off only one win to be the ultimate loser by the end of the night. Game face=1, Game face + winning= 0. Lesson UNO learned: leave the game face behind and play it cool.