Blogs. I've never been a huge fan of them. Generally, I don't write 'em and I don't read 'em (except for yours, Laura!). In fact, most of my discussions about blogs haven't gone more in depth than debating the pronunciation of the word--is that a long o or a short o in there? As for writing them, I suppose I am uncomfortable with the thought of strangers reading my thoughts. With that said, I hope all of my "followers" will forgive me for blogging that will almost surely be intermittent and posts that are brief. I do intend to keep in touch with friends and family this summer, but for that I will rely on the much more personal form of texting. Oh, and an occasional phone call! ;)Now, for this post, I ask that you disregard my introduction. My intro implies that my future posts will not be extraordinarily meaningful (which may or may not be true, who knows at this point?). With this post, however, I can assure you that I am writing with the utmost sincerity. This is because today, I am writing to say thank you.Firstly, I would like to thank my parents. To start, I would like to thank you both for the monetary contributions that have enabled this ride. While financial support can be written off as "superficial", the help you two have provided in purchasing my bike and much of my gear has largely decreased the stress I would have felt otherwise. Flashback to Christmas day, I think that says enough about my level of gratitude!Money, however, is secondary to everything else you have done for me. The support you two have provided, Mom and Dad, is truly overwhelming. Dad, your enthusiasm on our family road trips has fostered in me a love of the United States, the outdoors and quirky roadside (or not-so-roadside, in the case of some of those Muffler Men!) attractions. This passion will undoubtedly keep me motivated on the days when the headwinds are strong and the hills are high. Mom, what can I say? This ride is for you. In this unconventional way, I hope I can show you just how much you mean to me and how thankful I am for you. As you have said more and more often these days, it's all about family. I could not agree more. We are all so incredibly lucky to have the presence of such a devoted and loving matriarch in our lives. You bring us together. And while I am dedicating this to you, I know it is worrying you. Don't worry, I promise to always be safe!To my siblings, relatives and friends, thank you for all of the wonderfully generous donations! Initially, I was concerned I would struggle to reach the $3,000 fundraising goal; however, the manner in which all of you contributed squashed that concern into nothing more than a measly afterthought. I want to recognize that your donations did much more than help me reach my goal, though. Each dollar you all have pledged is now a little soldier in the fight against cancer, bravely forging the way towards new treatments and discoveries! I thank you all, as do so many of the other people enlisted in this fight.Well, now I've gone and got all personal in a public forum, which is exactly why I was hesitant to blog in the first place. But c'est la vie. You all deserve to know how great you are! So, from the bottom of my eHeart, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.Love,Katie