I told you I wasn’t good at blogging…

The combination of lack of internet at some sites and my laziness/lack of free time really hasn’t helped my efforts to keep up with this blog. Going all the way back to Charlottesville, VA I’ll try to do a quick run down:

Lexington, VA: We left Charlottesville and had a monster day. We climbed up Afton Mountain and then did 45 miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway. For those of you unfamiliar with the road, we reached an elevation of 3500 feet and had multiple climbs and descents throughout the day. As a group, we were all nervous about the ride and it was definitely the hardest day of riding thus far. Then again, it was insanely beautiful and so much fun. We had some B&B alumni ride with us which really helped make B&B feel more like a family. Finally pulling into the church for the night after 85 miles was incredible. Even almost two weeks later, this was still one of my favorite days.

West Virginia: Our first new state! We were all excited to take pictures with a state sign and Wild & Wonderful West Virginia was great. Again, there were lots of mountains, but even more breathtaking views. There were a couple days where I thought my legs were going to fall off before I made it to the top of the mountain but it felt great to make it to the top.

Ohio: Ohio was a welcome change from the mountains of West Virginia. It also had lots of unleashed dogs, American flags, sneaky uphill climbs and some dangerous descents. We took some pictures with hay barrels and rode on a couple more crowded roads which makes for more cautious and less chatty rides. Overall, Ohio was pretty lame. We had awesome hosts as always but the days were not among my favorites. We did have a fun build day in Cincinnati. We worked with Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity on three houses putting up roofs and scaffolding. We were even able to stay together as a big group which doesn’t really happen.

Kentucky: While in Portsmouth, Ohio, we ventured across the Ohio River and saw Kentucky! We took pictures with the state sign and then promptly turned around and continued with our ride to Georgetown, Ohio.

Indiana: FAVORITE STATE thus far. Indiana was awesome, especially after Ohio. Nice rolling hills and wonderful people. We went to Columbus the Bloomington which was really fun. Indiana University is in Bloomington so there are lots of cute shops and coffee places so we had a great time walking around after a really short 40 mile bike ride. I even got a new dress to replace the one that I lost earlier in the trip. We then went to Terre Haute where one of the girls on our trip goes to school. Riding through Indiana with her was great because she had so many interesting facts about Indiana and corn and Terre Haute. Indiana was just a wonderful state.

Illinois: We first went to Effingham, Illinois (insert joke about Effingham here). Which was super boring. A long 50 miles on the same crowded road with a head wind is so boring. You can’t really talk and there is nothing interesting to see in central Illinois. SO today, for our ride to Greenville, we decided to make it Dia de los Locos and dressed up in crazy outfits and talked in accents the entire day. I had pink duct tape all over and other people did swimsuits and floaties over bike gear, sharpie tattoos and other fun outfits. We looked ridiculous but it was great.

Okay, that’s it for now!! I have borrowed someone’s computer for long enough. Also, please send mail. Today was mail day and I got a few letters and a package which seriously made my day much better. Thank you to everyone who sent me mail—you guys are the best :) Here is the info about mail: http://www.bikeandbuild.org/cms/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,347/

Love, Caroline