Today's ride was a comparatively short distance of 55 miles from Wall, SD to Rapid City, SD, but we had several interesting things on the way. We dropped by Wall Drug to have several cups of 5 cents coffee and awesome homemade donuts, which made us completely awake. We also rode on Interstate 90 for the first time. Surprisingly, it wasn't that busy, and we enjoyed biking on one of the largest highways. Also, we bumped into another cross-country bike group. They are a group of 8 high school students cycling to raise funds for Ride 2 Recovery, which is an organization that helps returning soldiers with post traumatic stress disorder. They are doing things differently from us by biking from the west coast to the east coast. Today's weather was great with no headwinds. Everyone raced to the stayover to prepare for the prom tonight...Yes,we have an I4K prom tonight! We had an awesome dinner of sloppy joe's provided by our wonderful hosts, the Open Bible Christian Center. After 9 days of cycling, we are ready for the event day tomorrow!
Reflections on Wisconsin
I was pleasantly surprised by my time spent riding through Wisconsin. We started out in Lake Geneva, where we stayed right on the lake at a past rider’s house. The main street leading up to the lakehouse was beautiful. I certainly wish I had more time to spend shopping along the main street. Many of us watched the sunset over the lake after a long day of riding. I got to sleep in a bed and it was great.After Lake Geneva, we headed up to Madison, where the the University of Wisconsin is. Madison is definitely one of my favorite cities we have traveled through so far. We rode in on some bike trails along the lakes looking upon the beautiful Capitol Building and stopped at an awesome bike shop.The following days in Wisconsin, we stopped in Reedsburg and LaCrosse. The rides were mostly through farms and rolling green areas. As a team, we started playing a game called the cow game with lots of churches and cemeteries. It kept our mind off of the long rides. We were really impressed by all of the incredible bike trails, picturesque scenes of farms and rolling hills, great weather aside from some showers, and kind people.I also had the opportunity to see family in LaCrosse and kayak the Mississippi River, which was quite difficult! I am glad I am biking all summer, rather than kayaking, like my friend, Sam. Overall, Wisconsin was awesome!
Rockin' the Badlands
We conquered the Badlands today! It was a short ride, and we took many breaks to hike up rock formations and enjoy the scenic outlooks. Most of us have never been to this part of South Dakota which made the day that much more exciting. We have some very daring team members that took the risk of climbing up rocks to get some awesome pictures. The downhills were amazing, but were then followed by some steep uphills. All the passing drivers were supportive, and we even had some cheering us along as we climbed out of the Badlands.We were able to talk to many people today about our ride and met numerous travelers from the Midwest and, more specifically, the Chicagoland area. Even though the team didn’t want to leave the national park, we eagerly looked forward to arriving in Wall to experience Wall Drug. Wall Drug did not disappoint. Team members enjoyed ice cream, pie, buffalo burgers, and more. It was a fantastic day to one of the coolest days of the summer so far! Thank you St. Patrick's Church for hosting us tonight!
Western Time
The team had a 96 mile day today from Pierre to Kadoka. Before starting the ride, Matt Soltys dedicated our ride to Debbie Holden, a family friend, who passed away from ovarian cancer. Everyone kept her in mind during our long day of riding. The beautiful weather and scenery made the day go by quickly and was a fun ride for the team. We were also lucky enough to have tailwinds for part of the day which, was a nice change from yesterday’s weather. Along the ride, the team stopped in Murdo, SD where many of us stopped for ice cream and snacks.While taking a break at a gas station, we met Yolanda Campbell. Yolanda has had several family members diagnosed with various cancers including breast, lung, thyroid, pancreatic, and prostate. Many of her family members were not diagnosed until the cancer had progressed to stage four, and they died soon after. The death that hit her the hardest was her Uncle Jonny. “He was like a second father to me. I was so upset when he died. But Uncle Jonny also knew how to live. He would take off and go traveling around. That’s how I want to live my life. You don’t know how much time you have, so you need to do everything you can.” She also spoke about her fear of getting cancer. “Don’t be a chicken like me; get yourself checked. I don’t want to, because I’m so afraid that they’re gonna tell me that I’m gonna die. But you need to get yourself checked.”Before we hit Kadoka, some riders stopped at the 1880’s Town, a collection of antique buildings that were preserved and moved to create a western town. Once we finally hit Kadoka, the time zone switched to mountain time, giving us an extra hour of sleep. Aside from the time zone, it has become more and more clear that we are in the west with the sprawling fields of grass, distant mountains, and long distances between towns. We can’t wait to see what else the west has in store for us. We also have to thank the Presbyterian Church in Kadoka for hosting our team!
Where The Wind Blows
Today we started our 83 mile ride in Chamberlain, SD. We faced pretty strong headwinds for most of the day, which made it a tough ride for the team. Many of the riders were surprised at all of the open space along the route today. There was one stretch of road that did not have any towns or stores for about 47 miles. The scenery in South Dakota along the route was very pretty though and helped the teams push through and finish the ride to Pierre. We were also lucky enough to receive many food donations from restaurants in Pierre. We’d like to thank Arby’s, Hardees, and China Buffet for their hospitality and generosity. The team has a long day of 96 miles tomorrow, which means an early bed time for many of us.
"Let us never take our gifts for granted"
It’s so hard to believe that we’re already in South Dakota! Today, Day 34, marked the halfway point of our journey. We’ve gotten into a routine of wake up, eat, cycle, eat, laugh, cycle, eat, cycle, eat, shower (sometimes), sleep. Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture—we are actually cycling across the country right now, which is kind of insane when you think about it! It’s good to refocus on that fact. Each day is filled with beautiful sights, incredible people, profound conversations, and tons of memories. Pictures are great reminders of the trip, but you really have to live in the moment and enjoy everything as it happens, ya know?I had a fantastic English teacher during my junior year of high school. Her name was S. Kathy Christenson, and she was remarkable. She was a sailor, a snowboarder, a poet, and so much more. Mrs. Christenson started each class by reading a poem. We didn’t have to analyze it or pick it apart—she just wanted us to absorb it, reflect upon it, and then begin our class. She was so full of life. She was diagnosed with lung cancer in May 2011 and fought valiantly, but lost her battle in November 2011. After her death, her family discovered a poem that she had written but never shared.“Were There But One Sunrise”
S. Kathy Christenson
Were there but one sunrise a year,
who would not go out to look?
Who would not be filled with awe?
Who would not cry out in wonder and gratitude?
Were love to touch the hungry heart only now and then,
we might understand its value,
And guard it as now we do a precious stone
--whose worth is so much less than Love’s.
But we are surrounded by wonders.
We take ourselves—body and mind, our lives,
our opportunities for happiness, for granted.
Each fresh wonder, every unexpected gift
becomes for us nothing more than our expected due.
Surely, we think, the sun will rise, as in a million mornings past.
So let us remember to be thankful.
Let us never take our gifts for granted.
I recently dedicated a ride to Mrs. Christenson and I read this poem, because I believe it’s a perfect reminder to enjoy every moment of this cross-country trip and our lives in general. Go see the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. Dance like crazy during Heather’s moshers. Talk to everyone you meet. Herd some cattle in Minnesota. Eat ice cream multiple times per day. Stop by that little thrift shop. Skip rocks in Devil’s Lake. Have awesome conversations with your teammates. Many people aren't able to experience all of the things we are doing on this trip. So as cliche as it sounds, we have to try to not to take all of this for granted. I am having the time of my life right now, and I can’t wait to see what the second half of the summer will bring!
Halfway There!
This morning, we celebrated the halfway point of our trip, our 34th day of riding, just shy of 2,000 miles. As a team, we sang “Livin’ on a Prayer” to stress how good it feels to be “halfway there”. Though the morning presented us with a bit of rain coming out of Mitchell, South Dakota, the weather soon cleared up, and we enjoyed a nice day with lots of sun and a nice breeze. While eating lunch in Kimball, SD, many of us stopped at a great ice cream shop called Frosty King. We relaxed in the shade and enjoyed some ice cream cones and cyclones. While at the ice cream shop, we also happened to meet the former owner of the Frosty King who remembers previous riders stopping in for ice cream every summer. We arrived in Chamberlain, SD after riding a picturesque downhill into the town center. Much of the team headed to the local thrift store to stock up on clothing for our upcoming team prom. Finally, we enjoyed a great meal at our stay over graciously provided by the Zion Lutheran Church. After dinner, the riders ended their night by heading over to the river to take a quick swim before bed.
It's been a while..
It’s been over two weeks since my last blog post, and there isn’t enough time in my day after biking to recap it all in great detail. That being said, I will try harder to be a better blogger the last half of the ride. Now for my sporadic 22 day run-down:Columbus, OH: On the eve of our event day, we went bowling at the sketchiest bowling alley I have ever been to. I bowled a 131 (pretty dang good, I’d say) which instantly made this bowling alley one of my all-time favorites. The next day, a bunch of us went out to breakfast together and then cleaned our bikes (fantastic team bonding). The ride out of Columbus was my first century! Those 104 miles passed quickly with Kara, Cannella, Catherine, and Peter by my side.Indianapolis, IN: One of my best friends from high school (Brianna!) came and visited me. It was good to see her and catch up over dinner before having to return to the stayover. Our stayover had a turf football field in its backyard. This was an awesome perk, but after playing soccer, my ACL-repaired knee hurt for the first time all summer. It’s back to being pain free now, don’t worry (and I scored a goal, so it was all worth it).Champaign, IL: Riding into Champaign was very weird for many of us because we took a route that we often took during our training rides this spring semester. The familiar-ness gave my group déjà vu but helped us gauge how much longer it would be until we returned to our alma mater. I loved rolling up to the Alice Campbell Alumni Center and seeing my friends there to greet our team. (Special shout out to : David, Merril, Meridith, Neha, Julie, Linsey, Jackie, Charles, Brianna, and my mom!!) I was also able to head over to Grainger and help my little brother Logan register for classes for his freshman year! That night I was able to see more of ‘my gang’ that I had been missing (Molly, Alan, Hovey, and Becks). This day was a rush of excitement, and I knew these next couple of days in Illinois would be just as amazing.Clifton, IL: “My Hometown”- My family (mom, dad, Logan, Madison, and Grandma & Grandpa Orr) brought some food for the team, ate dinner with us, and bought me a delicious smores blizzard. (This day was my bud Robbie’s birthday. He and another hometown friend, Kim drove through a crazy storm to catch up with me!) Later that night, Catherine and I SaranWrap-ed Aash’s bike. It was fun to watch him unwrap it the next morning, and he has finally admitted that we were clever and that it was a good prank.Chicago, IL: We rolled to Millennium Park where many of the team’s family and friends were waiting. Even though I’m not from the Chicagoland area, I still had a few friends there to welcome me- Jess, Amy, and Steph! I stayed with Steph that night in Chicago and then went home the next day. I was picked up in Chicago by Kim and Kari, and then we picked up another friend flying in from LA—Megan! I loved being home this weekend, especially because it was my brother’s graduation party, and I was able to spend lots of time with my hometown friends, Sarah and Kim.(sorry for all the naming, but I’m just so thankful I was able to see so many of my friends and family these past few weeks)Madison, WI: We were fed by the UofI Alumni Club of Madison, and one of the members was actually best friend’s with my old principal’s son! (Mr. Pankey’s son, for those of you who know him) The food was amazing as always when provided by our stayovers. That night we went to the Union Terrace and hungout by the lake. The beautiful sunset and relaxing atmosphere of the University of Wisconsin campus made us all wonder if we made the right choice by attending U of I.Rochester, MN: I had been to Rochester previously with my Grandpa Orr on one of his cancer treatment visits. Our team toured the same parts of the building that I was able to see with my grandpa which was pretty neat. It was great to see one of the ‘meccas’ of cancer treatment and research shown by a current chemo nurse and cancer education specialist.Overall the rides have been fine, some days better than others. Recently we haven’t had the best of weather, but it’s awesome to have the ‘nothing can stop us’ mentality and blaze right through the rain and wind. I have a new pair of shorts that are about three inches shorter than my others, so hopefully my tanlines will get a little better. Another recent development is our team’s ability to get donations from Great Harvest Bread Co (2nd time now). I love bread and PB&J, but these past few days with rich, hearty bread have made my lunch stops even better.One last thing: I got my first two flats... simultaneously! I hit a rock with my bike and received a pinch flat in both tires. Now that's luck.
A full day at Mitchell, SD
We left Sioux Falls and headed towards Mitchell, SD. It was a 77 mile ride. We were hosted by the Avera Queen of Peace Cancer Center when we arrived in the city to learn more about patient support services. In anticipation of the strong headwinds on the way to our next stop, we started the day slightly earlier with a 5:30am wake up. Today we battled rolling hills and the scorching sun, keeping our rest stops to rehydrate and reenergise with some snacks as short as possible in order to get to the Cancer Center on time as scheduled.At the Avera Queen of Peace Cancer Center, we were showed the radiation therapy room and the chemotherapy suite. The staff at the cancer center showed us the various protocol patients would have to go through for their treatment. The presentation was very helpful in helping us understand what cancer patients go through while undergoing treatment, and we greatly appreciate Avera Queen of Peace Cancer Center's help in making the presentation possible. After that, some of the riders went out to see Mitchell's World's Only Corn Palace. We got to see a video and tour of the Corn Palace and how it changed over the years. It apparently takes 100 acres of corn to redecorate the Corn Palace, which happens once every year! The riders then ended the night with some souvenirs and, of course, some popcorn from the attraction.
Seeing things slowly
Greetings from South Dakota!!!! I cannot believe we have already made it this far and are nearly halfway done with our journey. This is our fourteenth state we have biked in, which blows my mind.One of the things I've been loving so much is the fact that while traveling on bicycle, everything is slower. If there is a little shop you'd love to stop in or an interesting road sign, pulling off to check it out or snap a picture is so easy. You also have the chance to actually notice these things. In cars, we're so limited and so fast. There's not enough time to fully take in everything around you. On a bike, it's different. And I love that.Two days ago, the ride into Jackson, Minnesota, was one of the most eventful days yet! In the morning, the whole team stopped at a gas station. One of the riders was speaking with a local, and we ended up getting interviewed for the radio! They interviewed people in pairs and are going to broadcast different bits every day for about a week!Next we stopped at a huge statue of the Jolly Green Giant! (Think green beans and corn niblets)
After snapping some pictures, we were chatting with the lady inside the visitors center. She shared with us that her husband had died of cancer, and agreed to do a portrait. Wow! It was an amazing story.Later that day we stopped at Bicycle Shoppe, a great bike store in Fairmount, MN. The owner recognized our group from previous years and was so welcoming! He bought us all tacos (delicious!) and even let us take out his canoe. Only a few of us actually took him up on it, but Jacqueline and I had an amazing time. We also conducted a portrait there and we're interviewed for a local paper!
We ended up getting into the stayover much later than normal, but everything during the day was worth it! I'll try my best to keep up with posts regarding updates everything in South Dakota!
Go West, Young Riders
We started out our day with donuts donated from Casey's General Store close to our stayover. After that, we went over our usual morning routine of going through the Mosher, where the rider who gets 'tagged' to do the Mosher has to get the team to do something or perform for the team. One of our riders, Elyssa, showed us a game where we had to start out with a coin which represents the "stake" we have in the game. The game uses a dice which decides where each person's coin goes. Three sides of the dice has a dot, which is a safe spot, and the other three sides are marked R,L,C which represents right, left and center where you would have to give up your coin and throw it to the center of the circle. The winner of the game is the one who has the only remaining coin in the game and wins the pool of money in the center. This game is actually a really good way to pool together money for coffee to reenergize us on our rides. Kara won the game in the end!The ride today was longer than our usual rides. It has become apparent to us as we move to the west that the states are getting less and less populated and harder and harder to find rest stops where we can get food other than the team supplies. Luckily, we were helped by some strangers along the way which made the day a lot more bearable. While we were at our lunch at a gas station, a kind stranger generously donated $200 to our team. Also along the way, we passed through Manley, a town that has a population of only 16 people. We stopped there for our last rest stop of the day. It had a gas station and an auto repair shop and that was basically the whole town. This is why we love biking across America, you get to see the diverse towns and meet these incredibly generous and kind people along our journey. We finally got to our stayover in Sioux Falls at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. We are very grateful for their generosity in allowing us to stay at their place for tonight, and are looking forward to exploring the rest of South Dakota! Yesterday, while at the Jolly Green Giant, we met Thelma Frerichs in Blue Earth, Minnesota. Thelma lost her husband 19 years ago to multiple myeloma. He was diagnosed when he was 55, and underwent weekly dialysis treatments at the Mayo Clinic. He passed away after three years. His sister had multiple myeloma and passed away shortly after she started treatment at the age of 48. Thelma’s daughter is currently fighting bladder cancer and has already had three surgeries to remove cancerous tissue, with a possibility of undergoing chemo treatment if more cancerous tissue is found.Thelma took time off work throughout the day to care for her husband instead of putting him in a nursing home. “I wanted to do it. I wanted him to be home. He felt more comfortable there. And he wasn’t in a lot of pain; it was in his bone marrow. Towards the end he couldn’t walk and was in a hospital bed in our room.” She received support from her family and her church “Everyone was really kind to us. When you live in a smaller community, everybody is. You get lots more support because you know a lot more people. Even the doctors and nurses were kind. And then the American Cancer Society gave us gas money for our trip to Rochester, which was a great help, because it would have been expensive otherwise. Our church is another thing that helped. We both went to church, so that gave us a lot of support. I always thought that, as I was going through this, that He won’t give you more than you can handle. I thought that the whole time, and that really helped. And I still think that.”
Jolly Green Fun
Nine more days. That seems to be the mantra of the team as we progress to the halfway point of our journey. Those nine days are what separate us from our next event day in Rapid City and a promise of sleeping in just a bit longer. The sunny, breezy weather that greeted us with open arms last week has all but vanished, and every morning for the last couple of days we’ve been followed by booming thunder clouds and howling winds. As we left Albert Lea this morning, we couldn’t even see the sun, but we could clearly see that a storm was brewing on the horizon. Luckily, the first 20 miles flew by and we raced along tail winds to our first unorthodox stop at the Jolly Green Giant. Yes, THAT Jolly Green Giant. You’ve seen him in your local supermarket providing only the best frozen vegetables and we met his likeness in all his 60 foot glory.With the threat of being drenched still looming, we sought shelter at a local Kwik Trip where we not only relived the sweet, glorious taste of 1600 calorie bagged milk, but were also featured on a local radio show “Welcome Travelers”. Several riders were interviewed and had an opportunity to explain our journey and what we rode for. Surprisingly enough, even though the clouds over our heads were as black as night, we did not receive a downpour. As we cautiously rode to our next rest stop, we kept hoping that the rain would not grace our presence. Our last a final stop landed us at an I4K favorite: Larry’s Bike Shoppe, 25 miles from our stayover. We were not only treated to tacos and bike advice, but we also gathered an interesting portrait. With our stomachs full and the sun starting to peak through the clouds, we finally arrived at our stayover fashionably late, but more importantly, dry. Tomorrow proves to be one of the more challenging days of the trip as we’ll exceed 90 miles and enter South Dakota, but our donated potluck generously provided by Burger King, Dairy Queen, and New China will surely help us on our journey.
Tailwinds from Chicago
I spent the past 25 days counting down the miles until reaching my home city of Chicago. It came down to about 1,200 miles between New York City and Chicago – where family, friends, familiarity, and best of all, flat lands awaited. I’ve seen NYC, DC, Philly, and many other cities, but nothing compared to the feeling I had while riding along the lakeshore looking northward on the picturesque skyline of Chicago. I am so fortunate to call this place my home.It was great to be home and to see family and friends. Talking with people really reinforced why I am taking this journey across the country. I am humbled by all of the love and support I have received, and this is what will carry me forward. My time in Chicago, the people who went out of their way to see me or to be at Millennium Park for my arrival or at the the picnic will be the force behind my pedal strokes.Thank you to everyone on the SRM leadership team at Aon for coming to support me as I rolled into your backyard, Millennium Park. Your support means a great deal to me.Thank you, especially to Kimi, Karen, and Kathi and Mary Keller, who have been my biggest cheerleaders!! Thanks Kimi for riding with me into Chicago – it truly meant so much to me!Thanks Gina Althoff for your endless support and for riding alongside me last week through Chicago. You continue to teach me so much on and off the road and I would never be where I am today if it weren’t for you … that said only because you are the one who taught me how to properly use my gears.My city, the Windy City, and all of my supporters there (as well as everywhere) will be my constant tailwind pushing me across this country, and I will be forever grateful.
Windmills in the West
After a relaxing day in Rochester MN, team 2013 headed out in the rain today towards Albert Lea. Fortunately, we didn't have any thunder today, which didn’t put any danger on cycling. The gusty wind and heavy rain did not stop the team from heaving a good time. We were able to stop at a local gas station. Coffee gave us more energy and we also talked with a few local residents. Now that we are leaving the dense population behind, the team looks for any chance to spread the goal of fighting cancer.The wind continued the whole day, but the heavy rain and gloomy cloud eventually moved away. The golden sunshine, giant wind mills, and rolling hills made the afternoon so much more scenic and enjoyable. The country roads in Minnesota remind us that we are leaving the busy cities and riding towards more sparsely populated areas. Unlike the traffic in the east coast, we barely need to call out for the traffic. The open landscape allows us to ride side by side and talk as we ride. We are all excited about the freedom and adventure in the west.
Relaxin' in Rochester
This morning, most of us woke up and felt so refreshed since we were able to sleep in a bit! Afterwards, a couple of the team members went to the Farmer’s Market to get supplies for breakfast and got to meet some of the people of Rochester and talk about our organization and the objectives of the Illini 4000. Some of our riders went to the Golden Harvest Bread Company and received several loaves of fresh bread and trail mix as food donations! The rest of the day was used to mostly relax and get some bike work in before the ride tomorrow, which was greatly needed. When dinnertime rolled around, we were so lucky to already have a Mexican themed dinner prepared by some of the woman of the Zumbo Lutheran Church! Before we sat down to ate, everyone shared with the rest of the group how they have been affected by cancer, which served as a reminder for what we were doing the ride for. Overall, it was a wonderful day spent in Rochester and we were so fortunate to also meet some special people. Once again, we thank the Zumbro Lutheran Church and the Golden Harvest Bread Company for the wonderful food.
Our Tour of the Mayo Clinic
This morning we were initially faced with some difficulties due to the weather. We decided the night before to have an early wake up so that we would be on time for our tour at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. However, the thunderstorms set us back a bit and we left later than we expected to. One group didn't leave until later and so Taylor was kind enough to invite them into the church for some coffee, which was very kind of him. Despite the set-backs, all of us rode hard and were persistent so that we made it to Rochester on time. Once we made it to Rochester, we went to take a tour of the Mayo Clinic, and we met the organizer for the Cancer Education Center and a hematologist, who was a former volleyball player who had been affected by Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. We also met the head nurse of the chemo suite, who explained about how they are able to manage so many patient treatments and answered our questions. We were fortunate to hear about the Mayo Clinic and what it does for so many people, and we were happy to learn more about it.
Into La Crosse
Today we woke up and left St. John Lutheran Church, after doing team announcements and making the ride dedication for Bradley Hettinger. The route today was a bit hilly, but we were lucky enough to have really nice roads to ride on. We would have liked to ride on the bike trails in Wisconsin, however the trails weren’t paved and we might have faced some bike issues as a result of that. Our route still took us through the same towns the bike trails did, and many of the riders had fun at the bike-related gift shops and landmarks. Some riders even got a discount at an ice cream stand by having a bike that matched their color of the day.Many of our riders kept a quick pace to get to the stayover early. Once we reached the First Presbyterian church, we were bussed across the Mississippi River to Dr. Chirs’ house. It was fantastic! We enjoyed a cookout, a pool, a hot tub, a campfire, and kayaking on the river after our 87 mile ride. The team returned to the stayover rested and ready for the following morning’s early wakeup.Thank you First Presbyterian church and Dr. Chris for making our stay in La Crosse, Wisconsin so memorable!
A very nice day to ride
Today we left from Madison, Wisconsin heading to Reedsburg, Wisconsin for a 66 mile ride. The weather was brisk in the morning, but turned into a beautiful and sunny day with a small tail-wind. At mile 44 the team stopped at Devil’s Lake State Park for lunch and went swimming in the clear lake water. The lake water was warm and it was awesome to have a good swim after 40 miles of cycling. At the lunch rest stop, some riders talked to the local tourists to introduce I4K and spread our idea.Tonight we got to the St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church located in Reedsburg and were welcomed by members of the parish who gave us ice cream suggestions and told us where to find the pool. After dinner, some of the riders decided to explore the town for the local music festival and some riders decided to relax for tomorrow’s 87 mile ride.Thank you St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church for hosting our team for the fifth time. We also want to thank the local Pizza Hut for the food donations.
[Journal] Day 5; Baltimore, MD - Washington DC
"Don't ask what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." - John F. KennedyFor each nation, its capital city symbolizes the history, culture, and people. Washington DC is not an exception, and I truly admire what true American spirit represents.The story of my mother nation, S.Korea, starts with almost 5,000 years of history. There has been so many different events and incidents, some glorious, some gruesome, some dark and full of sorrow.It was just about 68 years ago when my nation regained its independence (08.15.1945). Back then everything seemed so miserable that no one would truly believe this nation can rise up soon. Believe or not, my nation's capital city Seoul held 1988 Olympic Game, just 43 years after a long turmoil of foreign invasion had ended. G11 Conference was held in S.Korea couple of years ago, and some of the major companies well known such as Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia and Doosan's electronic appliances, motorized vehicles and power plants play the major role in the world industrial pool.What I am so amazed about the culture in America is that people remember those who have sacrificed themselves to protect freedom of this nation. American people appreciate their troops fighting off mainland, respect veterans of previous wars, and honor past generations.In Asia, the trend has been changed so drastically that the younger generation does not appreciate the values taught for a long time in the past anymore. The conflict among older generations and younger generation is one of the major political and cultural issues within most Asian countries these days. The awareness of sacrifice that is required for the true liberty is not highly valued at all. It simply is due to the human nature; selfishness. However, the degree is becoming more serious.My great grandfather's generation fought for my nation's freedom, and my grand father's generation fought to protect the liberty of my nation. My father's generation simply brought the whole new level of prosperity to my nation, and I hope my generation can bring the future generation a wisdom for one simple lesson; Freedom, to be earned, not to be given. To do so, sometimes comes the great responsibility and sacrifice. I hope I'm not afraid of those challenges, and that is why I'm part of Illini 4000 today.Great job, all members of I4K for reaching this far, and let's continue our journey and remember what we have been doing this for!
Where I'm Going and Where I've Been
It’s been four days since I left Chicago. That’s four days since the “real adventure” started. I say the “real adventure,” because in all honesty, we’ve had it pretty good the last twenty-six days. We’ve had the opportunity to take showers at least every other day, have had the comforts of populated rest stops such as McDonald’s and gas stations, and have been blessed by our hosts’ incredible hospitality and absurd amounts of food. We’ve had it much better than past teams, and in the first twenty-two days, most of us knew we were headed to our homeland in Chicago.But that has changed. We aren’t headed towards familiarity where our family and friends are. Now we are headed away into the unknown. We are headed towards less populated areas where we won’t be able to buy lunch, where showers won’t always be available, and where we will finally have to face the reality of pasta, lentils, and oatmeal. For a portion of our trip, we’ll be the trailblazers, the test drivers, and the guinea pigs for the new route. But it’s not as bad as it sounds. Much of the stories we’ve heard from past riders take place in the last two-thirds of our trip. Wall Drug, the Badlands, Yellowstone, bagged milk, San Francisco—all of these are just highlights of what we’re going to see. We may not know all of what lies ahead, but we do know one thing: It’s going to be awesome.I mean, just look at the incredible time we’ve had in our three days in Wisconsin. We’ve seen the sunset on a lake twice (some of us even got up early to watch it rise), discovered the incredible delight that is bagged chocolate milk, sampled cheese curds, swam in at least two different lakes, played intense games of “My Cow,” and enjoyed the incredibly beautiful scenery of Wisconsin. And I’m not exaggerating about the last part; the woods, hills, farms, and fields are breathtaking! I have no doubts that this is my favorite state so far (sorry Pennsylvania!).And this is just one state! I can’t even put into words how excited I am over what is to come. I can’t wait to see the people I’m going to meet, the roads I am going to ride, and the memories I am going to make. Yeah, the unknown is going to be awesome.
