Welcome to my Blog!

Headed South for Summer!

Warning: I have never had a blog before, but I have also never done anything like what I am about to be a part of.

If you have navigated yourself to my blog, then you have heard the news! I have decided to combine my love of cycling and my love of hammers and am going to be biking my way across the Southern US to spread the word about affordable housing!

Check out my juggling skills!
No, I can't actually juggle hammers while riding a bike, but I can juggle while riding a unicycle.
(I might have to unearth one of those photos in the future)

I am going to be spending the summer with 30 other folks, pedaling our way across the US and stopping along the way to build homes! It is going to be the summer of a lifetime and I am really really excited. (So excited, that when I got the acceptance email I was literally shaking.)

But lets back up a bit...

I first heard about Bike and Build from my friend Ben, we were in the garage talking about bikes and I mentioned that I was thinking of pedaling mine across the continent. He had a friend that had completed a Bike and Build summer in the past and told me that the program involved biking and building houses along the route. He had me; riding my bike and using a hammer, those are on my list of favorite things to do and so I immediately started researching. Which is when I discovered that applications were due the month before. After some serious thought, I decided this was something I really wanted to be a part of, so I contacted Bike and Build and found out they still had space!

After a weekend of ferocious essay writing and making sure my application was complete, I got to start the wait. And on Christmas Eve, I found out I get to bike across the country in 79 days spreading awareness about affordable housing; I will get to talk to people along the route, give presentations in host communities and donate my labor at build sites organized by local affordable housing groups. 

I am very excited to continue learning about affordable housing and will also be volunteering for the Whatcom County Habitat for Humanity in the months before I begin my trip.

Stay tuned for fundraising events in Bellingham this spring (or if you have any fundraising ideas, I would love to hear them).

[Check out the tabs at the top for more information about B&B and map of my route.]