Today was an amazingly scenic ride. We saw mountains in the distance and red rock canyons. We even spotted a herd of wild horses running on the side of a hill.Mack dedicated the ride today to his neighbor’s son, Patrick Alexander. He passed away a few years ago from cancer of the bile duct.Introducinggggg Mackenzie Bach! Mack is our resident fraternity star of the team and he always seems to be in a good mood. His signature phrase is “wow, what a good day”. Catch him speeding downBiggest weakness: beautiful womenWhat is your hometown like: Mount Prospect. It was once ranked the best neighborhood to raise your kids in back in 2005. Very cozy hood. Lot of old style houses and it fits into the Chicago suburban scene.What day of riding has been your favorite: My favorite day was June 26th going into Kadoka South Dakota, because that was my mom’s birthday for one and it was also gorgeous day. It was the first day where we didn’t see any suburbs or cornfields anymore. We passed through huge rolling hills and had lots of tailwinds. We averaged 18mph for all 96 miles, it was as quick day for such long mileage. This day was when I finally realized that this is i4k. Beforehand we were still talking to cancer patients and traveling the country, but that day where we saw so much beautiful land and scenery and I realized how broad of a scope I was reaching.Favorite part of a typical day: Dinner. We’re always starving, but dinnertime brings everyone together. Makes us feel like a family.Least favorite part: The first rest stop just because I know we still have so much mileage to cover… and that I have to put sunscreen on.What has been a lesson you’ve learned from this ride: I’ve learned that there is so much more out there that I have yet to see. The generosity and authenticity of people has really amazed me. And everything that nature holds, it made me realize that I just barely scratched the surface. From my years growing up in Virginia and Illinois I thought I knew it all, but truth be told I’ve only just begun.What do you do to past the time while riding: I like talking to people and playing the questions game. It allows you to get to know your teammates better and show who they really are…in a good way.What are you still looking forward to? Crater Lake and camping. Our camping days have been pretty cool because we were actually roughing it for the first time. With only a backpack when we go outdoors, that’s when you really feel like you’re actually doing it.How do you think i4k will impact your college experience? I think it will teach me not to judge anyone because there are plenty of people on the ride that are here for the right reasons. Also the generosity of people; from giving us water to doing our laundry for us, it reminds me that there is still goodness in the world.What’s an ideal ride for you? For me it would be riding through a mountain on the horizon with pine trees everywhere and the wind blowing in my hair.Describe i4k in one word: astonishing