As I sit here in the lap of luxury in a coffee shop with a drink, wi-fi, and chamois-less shorts; today has left me with a lot to think about. (If you know me, you know thinking is a favorite hobby of mine.) Today we rode through beautiful Minnesota. It was a different Minnesota than the one I had previously known; there were no dense forests, an abundance of lakes, or rock faces. Instead, there were rolling hills dotted with cattle (My cow!) and farmland framed by wispy clouds gently pardoning their way through the early morning air. It was a beautiful and comparatively cool day completed by my first experience with bagged milk and none other than That Store in Utica, where we found a plethora of colorful purchases that totaled to no more than ten dollars for our entire group of five. As we completed our ride with our newly purchased gold, leather, and hot pink fanny packs strapped onto our hips, we prepared for the next activity of the day; a visit to the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center.In particular, as we toured the radiation treatment area of the clinic, my thoughts went straight to my sister. Even though over the years, they have been able to employ newer technologies and comforting touches, it was still breaking my heart that children in particular had to go through this; had to lie in a room alone, barely able to move, as these massive machines moved around trying to cure them of this thing, this cancer. My sister at one point was receiving two radiation treatments a day and was determined to continue going to school the whole time. It blows my mind that such a young person was able to display such determination, faith, strength, and hope. Even though she eventually lost her battle with cancer just before her twelfth birthday, she is a hero and role model in my life. I can only hope to be a fraction of the person she was.I’m riding a bike across America, which admittedly is really rad, but all the credit should go to every fighter and survivor out there because that’s what you are; you are warriors.