Thursday, August 16, 2012

Reflections and the Rockies

The last few days have been breathtaking. Biking across Montana, reaching the Rockies, camping in Glacier National Park, climbing up 6,600 ft Logan's Pass (and descending at 30+ miles an hour on a 6% grade!)... It has all been beautiful. The rides have been invigorating and terrifying at the same time. Stormy weather, skinny roads, bad visibility, freezing temperatures-- but we pressed on, fueled by our adrenaline. I feel very alive from all of it.

I also feel reflective from the last couple of days. While we were camping, a terrible storm struck. We scrambled to tie our tents down, keep our possessions dry and ultimately, stay warm. We were hardly successful in our attempts. Our ride the next morning was tough- cold, wet, and exhausting from a poor night's sleep. My beloved moleskine journal that chronicled college/ this trip was also water damaged and became a blurred, inky mess. For anyone that knows me, you'll understand my devastation with this.

Sure, the camping experience was a taxing and unpleasant one, but I took away an important reminder. We only had to deal with one night of inadequate housing-- millions of people in our country face that on a daily basis. One night of being in a leaky, poorly insulated, cramped shelter really put the affordable housing cause back into perspective for me. As we pedal these last 700 miles, I want to make sure we continue to raise money and awareness for affordable and adequate housing.

And as for the journal, oh well. I'm trying to appreciate the enjoyment and opportunities for reflection my journal gave me. But not all is lost. I still hold into the memories it contained, and for that I am most grateful.

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