Would you watch a Liam Neeson movie marathon?

Made west, and made it back east. Undid 70 days of cycling in a matter of 4 hours by air. I learned on my flight that the skinny long haired Christian Bale is strikingly similar looking to Tom Cruise.

Riding down to the Pacific was amazing. We were greeted to a mob of strangers and family cheering and shouting for us as we rolled down to the beach. It is was all a complete blur to me from the run down to the beach to the rocky water we celebrated in. I get chills anytime I think of it. I find it hard to describe the feeling in words so I leave you with a couple of pictures that might scrape the surface.

We biked 3600 miles for affordable housing. We built for 13 days all across the country with Habitat for Humanity. And the word of charity was spread to the thousands of people we met on our trek. It was effective.

Amid our constant wheeling, each of us learned the past, presents, and futures of the 32 others on our team. They're stories and people I'll never forget.

Thank you to everyone who made this trip possible. Thanks to my friends and family for the donations and support. Thanks to all those who donated food and other products to us along the way. Thank you so much to all of our hosts for the hospitality, pot locks, and ground to sleep on. This trip would not be possible without out all ya'll.

"There are no ordinary moments."

Cheers,

Pat

"Guy on a Rock"

Hey, Hi

It's been a second, but I've found some internets. I want to thank Prescott Arizona's public library for the hostitallity and the ability to connect to the world. I apologize for leaving you all back in Colorado. Yup.

Since Monarch Pass. We've had some firsts and lasts. We apologize for jumping to conclusions Dominos, it was Rocky Mountain Fever, not food poisoning. Our bad. We were fortunate enough to experience first hand the sick taking care of the sick as our team in waves battled a 24 hour flu from Durango, CO to Bluff, UT to Kayenta, AZ. But now, appitites are back and Tums are packed.

We're through the Rockies, onto the the deserts. We've never been hit with rain on this whole trip so the desert was kind enough to grace us with a cool down.

I never thought I'd say rocks are beautiful, but first thoughts often change. Monument valley was incredible. The Grand Canyon, theres not much to say. There really isn't. At my first sight of it my stomach dropped, breath ceased, a realization that words are extremely ineffective, and it became crystal clear that there is not need to talk. The ride through the park along the rim was incredible. Helping others get through the last 26 miles of hilly national park roads by picturing myself as them with an overgrown beard and a big sock to pass energy on made it an extremely enjoyable ride.

Commonplaces of the Canyon and surrounding camp area:

-the word "rim"

-RV America (the best way to travel the US)

-a supermarket general store- the only way to rough it is to buy overpriced dried fruit from a flourescently lit super store

-"I'm not from this country"

-french tents, and eastern mini-vans

-"If your going to buy more than one of those beers from our coolers, I will scan the same one to save at least 2 seconds."

Thats that

One week until we drip Pacific blue and dip our toes into west coast sand. One more mountain range.

Cheers,

Pat

New Hampshire's State Motto is "Live Free or Die"

Today was easily one of the best rides of the trip. Skimming sides of mountains as we snaked around swift creeks and placid lakes. Yesterday we conquered the Monarch Pass at 11,000+ feet and saw snow for the first time in the summer time. Today was a 92 mile ride through a couple passes and views of peaks upon peaks. Colorado is incredible and I guarantee a return soon. A couple days we did plenty of work in the beautiful town of Bueno Vista and we're anticipating our next build day in Prescott, AZ.

A couple more days in among the peaks till we start cranking through the desert in the early hours of the morning to dodge the heat.

Cheers,

Pat

Pic: Oliver pondering 12,000 feet low

Cloud Country

Kansas was windy.

The tail wind lasted for maybe 20 miles of Kansas. The entire rest of the 250 miles was full of muffled speech and tilted bikers as we leaned into the wind to stay upright. Wasn't a completely enjoyable time but made everyone a much stronger rider. Colorado couldn't come soon enough.

Tonight we're staying in the fresh air Colorodo town of Rocky Ford. Tomorrow we will be camping out on a ranch in Pueblo and catching views of starlit skies uninterrupted by artificial lights. Colorado springs will end our 9 consecutive days on the bike. I think we're all looking forward to some time off the saddle and some time pumping nails through 2x4's.

"There are no ordinary moments."

Pat

Quentin Williams has family in Oklahoma. They make delicious cookies. I had them once.

Welcome to the dust bowl. I'm writing today from the small town of Grove, Oklahoma. The day started in Arkansas en route to Missouri, and ended in Oklahoma. Since we left Memphis several days ago, we spent 4 great days traveling through Little Rock and portions of the Ozarks. Yesterday should be the last climb until Colorado. It's amazing to see how much everyone has improved physically and mentally as everyone attacked the 1100 foot climb and peaked the top with no more than a drip of sweat off our helmets. We had a build day in Little Rock this past week. Rather than building we were doing some deconstruction. There was a very old post office full of nic nacs and treasures. We were basically combing through to find any items of value that could be resold at the local Habitat ReStore. We were invited to a community day for lunch there. There is an initiative to revive communities through block parties and renovations of houses. It was a great time as myself, Chris, and Grace stumbled upon a moon bounce.

Tomorrow we will be heading into Bartilsville, Oklahoma. I believe we will be having 2 build days there. Excitement has risen as we get ready for our Sadie Hawkins dance tomorrow night. Girls ask the guys, it's always a surprise. Ashley asked me in the greatest way possible. I awoke from a nap to find a tire by my head with stickers spelling out her ask and directions to check in the fridge. In the fridge I found a half gallon of chocolate milk. The chocolate milk was reminiscent of the chocolate milk date we were supposed to have for the past week, but that I kept forgetting to do. The theme of the dance is Pirates. Thrift stores are loving our business right now.

We completed our first 100 mile ride the other day as well. It was one our easiest rides surprisingly. I'm excited to see how the next one pans out.



Take care ya'll










This was our crew for the 103 mile day.

"I'm a straight shooter." -Dave of Memphis

We rolled into Memphis, Tennessee yesterday. We started the state of Tennessee in Gatlinberg about a week ago and find ourselves entering Arkansas tomorrow for a total of 2 states under our belt. A couple of us left Swanee the other day and took an accidental turn off the route and ended up at the bottom of a mountain 2 miles from crossing the Alabama state border. Thanks to the very generous Melinda, we hitched a ride back up the mountain in exchange for helping her unload her truck bed full of 2x4's. I been lacking on posts and pictures. The internet in Tennessee is on strike. To remedy this I'll just post as many pictures in this post as I can. -Roofing in Maryville. Colin's jean cutoffs

-After roofing in Maryville

-Somewhere in Tennessee

-Tennessee plagued me with a week full of flats and chain trouble

-Dunlap, TN. Stayed at the TN National Guard Armory

-Go to the Lemon Fair in Swanee, TN

-Poluski was a town of amazing hosts. Their Bike community washed each and every one of our bikes. Thanks yall

-Early morning ride out of Dunlap. Foggy and had an empty construction road to ride on

- Typical Ride

-Juan Valdez of the Coffee Club at Joe's Restaurant in Bolivar, TN.

Sorry for the terrible formatting. I had some trouble trying to figure it out but this is the best I could get.

Take Care Yall,

Pat

It IS illegal to chalk side walks in national parks. You ARE responsible for cleaning it off even if it means draining all your water

Ello,

Maryville, Tennessee today. A couple days ago we passed the state line at some 4000 feet and rolled down into Gatlinberg, TN. An interesting town that was. Take Niagra Falls but drier and enhance the tourist notoriety by 10 and add Dolly Parton's amusement park, and that is what you get.

Yesterday we took a short 45 mile ride to Maryville, TN. My bike was acting up again so I had to play with a stuck chain and a couple flats. It made the day a bit longer but had the company of Nick and Cathy the whole day to keep humidity and heat from getting to me. Maryville is a small town with a big heart. We worked on two houses there today with Habitat for Humanity. 2 walls were raised, almost an entire roof shingled, a shed built, windows installed, siding installed, and a deck framed. Productivity under a hot, hot sun. Turns out it was a great night to be at the church that hosted us. Every Tuesday, they host a dinner open to any and everyone. They call it the "Welcome Table." Everyone from the homeless to middle class families show up and share a meal at the same dinner table. It was an incredible experience meeting a number of locals and helping serve the meal. What the churches of the area hope to do is eventually be able to host a dinner somewhere 7 days a week. Right now there are 2 churches doing 2 dinners per week.

We'll continue to cut through the Tennessee mug as we head to Sweet Water tomorrow. With fresh air pumping through my lungs and a smooth chain cranking my bike, Graceland is only a week away.

The clip below is how we start every morning. I couldn't be more excited that we all believe in lessons learned from a comical masterpiece.



peazy

Jesse Direnzo's Birthday is Today. Tell him happy birthday and send him a card or something maybe a gift

Asheville, NC is a great town. Rated one of the healthiest cities with some of the cleanest air. After 3 days of nonstop climbing it was refreshing to be able to spend a couple days off of the saddle and build some homes. We saw some of the most amazing sights over the past 3 riding days as we traveled along the Appalachian Mountains. We rode the famous Blue Ridge Parkway into Asheville. Our first climbing ride was a 2300 foot ascent. As we got to the top, a couple of us accidentally made a wrong turn and found ourselves undoing the days climb. While the descent was fun, at the bottom we realized there were not enoiugh cliff bars or water to get us back to the top of the mountain. Luckily a great man named Bobby drove into our lives with his Equinox and pony tail and hitched us back up the mountain and left us with some good wishes and a renewed energy. Thank you Bobby for that.

The next day of climbing was 65 miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was our toughest day yet but possibly the most fullfilling achievement most of us have ever accomplished. We eventually made it to an elevation of 5500 feet, as we gazed out accross the endless Blue Ridge mountain range. After that hard day of climbing we were treated to a 12 mile descent down the mountain straight into Asheville.

We worked with Habitat as well as an organization called Mountain Housing. We worked along side some great people and got to meet many of the home owners.

We'll be biking to our last town of North Caronlina tomorrow. ONE STATE DOWN! 7 more to go I believe.

Remember to tell Jesse happy birthday.

take care yall.

Nancy Snider is the reason Jimmy Carter was elected

Chap Hill, NC for the past few days. Michael Jordan was in town this weekend actually to visit his alma mater and visit his shrine in the UNC basketball museum. This was our first couple build days. The very talented and friendly Mr. Hoyle Anderson, led the way and showed us a thing or two about hanging vinal siding. His wife Janet kept the the crew going with her delicious oatmeal rasin cookies. We were working in a 50 house completely Habitat for Humanity community called Pheonix Drive. Chapel Hill has a high population of Burhmese people. In short, churches in the area have been hosting Burhmese families who are escaping the genocide back home. This amazing community was started a year ago and to this date has 15 finished homes with at least 4 currently in construction. 33 of us complimented the already busy and bustling construction site. Over the past 2 days we completely finished the vinal siding on one house and painted the inside of another. It's refreshing to use all the knowledge I've been learning in school in actual construction. The Habitat build crew here is justs full of lifelong volunteers who continue to do it several times every week. It's awesome. Today we got to see a house dedication and were hosted to an amazing cookout from a baptist church. Special thanks to Hoyle and Jon for teaching us to swing our hammers enthusiastically but skillfully at the same time.

On another note. Donation magic got us mohawks. Donation magic is a tool that helps us to raise more money for affordable housing. We rely on the generosity of people to donate food, supplies, and other things so that our trip costs can be minimized and the extra money can go to the cause. Donation magic can also be used for services that are needed as well. It gets hot and sweaty on a bike. Long hair is no good. No hair is no good. Some hair is good. Mohawks are good. Shout out to Legacy Cuts in Chapel Hill for hooking it up.

Wake Forest for the night. Chapel Hill tomorrow and our first 2 build days! I have limited time to use the computer. Today was interesting. Out millage today was supposed to be 90. I was rolling well through the first 30 and took a nasty spill. I ended riding in the trailer for a second to make sure no head injuries. Walked away with nothing but some road rash and some torn shorts. I ended up doing the last 35 miles for a total of 65 for the day.

Take care yalll

Atlantic Inlets & Sweet Tea

2 days into the trip now. We find ourselves in the hospitality of Belhaven, NC. The past few days have been incredible. I've become friends with an amazing group of people I call my team, and have been overwhelmed with the hospitality of the south. Today was the first time I tried banana cream pudding and that in and of it self was a life chaning moment. I just learned from a couple teamates about a game that came abotuaround the time of the invention of the GPS. "GeoCache." t's a natin wide, possibly worldwide, treasuehunt. Consult thei webste for more details. There were 3 geocahces in Belhaven, of which we found 2. We attempted the 3rd but determined that it might of been flooded out. Also we got to go into this museum today of this lad who jus cllected stuff. There was everything from a 10 pound tumor in it to an original front page of the newspaper to follow the Lincoln assassination. Great Day.

The past 2 days have been relativey short rides. (only 30 miles a piece) The true test will start tomorrow with a ride of 58 miles.

till next time......................................................

Fireworks and Bobblehead night at the Pirates Game

With only 2 days until I head down to Nags Head, I realized this is the first time in the past 2 months I've REALLY thought about what I was getting into this summer. With my past 2 months as busy as they were, there wasn't really time to think about it. The money's raised. The sweat equity completed. The 500 training bike miles rode. The school projects, exams, busy work, done and over with. The apartment is cleaned out and the dry wall patched. This brings me to now. I'm gathering gear and tying up loose ends that need to be done before I leave. Before I left I knew I wanted to reflect on and share what I'm doing this summer, and why I'm doing it.

What I'm Doing

This summer I will be biking from Nags Head, NC to San Diego, CA. That is over 3600 miles being covered through pure human energy and will. The project is called Bike & Build. Over the past several years, they've organized 8 cross country trips each year. The goal is to raise awareness about the affordable housing crisis across the country. We will be stopping along the way to build houses with organizations like Habitat for Humanity. Through our massive presence across the country a generous spirit will be created.

Why I'm Doing This

About 18 months ago I had seen a friend of mine raising money for something called Bike & Build. I was curious and checked it out. Since then, I couldn't drop the idea and knew I had to do it no matter what. A father and mother can work multiple jobs apiece and still not afford to sustain comfortable lives for themselves and their children. I have always had a warm home and a comfortable life and am grateful for it. Now I intend to help bring that same environment to others who are having trouble attaining it. I am constantly learning more about construction and how buildings work whether it be from my classes or my own curious research. I am an asset to the affordable housing cause and I will make an impact. If you can't truly selflessly help a fellow human, then what else do you have? I get the feeling that Bike & Build will leave a positive impact on everyone that comes in contact with us in one way or another, and the that positivity will grow exponentially. Positivity is contagious and it's positively the greatest asset when trying to accomplish a goal.

The Only Concern I Have...

3600 miles over 70 is a long time through a long distance. The only concern I have that I won't be able to take it all in. I find it sometimes hard on any given day to absorb my surroundings, but how am I gonna it now that I'm keeping pace with a rolling wheel 8 hours each day? Maybe instead of just focusing on what my eyes have to offer to my body and mind, I'll try to balance out all 5 of my senses. Not just what I'm seeing, but what it sounds like, how it smells, what the air tastes and feels like. The beauty in every mile.

What I Hope to Get out of This

To be simple and short without going into detail. I hope I experience everything I was expecting and nothing I was expecting.

I'll be keeping this blog throughout the whole trip. I hope I can give you a accurate idea of what moving across the country at a speed 1/5 of a cheetah is like.

-Pat

Soundtrack to this post, "Narrow Stairs"-Death Cab for Cutie

Gratitude

It will begin with a thanks. I'm sure it will end with a thanks as well. I really just want to extend a thanks to everyone who has helped me make this trip happen. I am truly honored to have friends and family who care enough about me and want to help me, help a cause I sincerely believe in supporting. Whether you responded to one of my letters, Haiku offers, middle name raffle, donated cause of the never ceasing facebook posts, or just donated cause you like the idea, the affordable housing cause and myself sincerely appreciate it.

Thank you to...

My parents, Aunt Kim (the first donor!!), Caitlin Laemmle (also the one who influenced me to do this trip), Erik Olmo, Jeremy Warner, Uncle Len, Billy and Megan Mchale, Cassie Cullins, Diane Mattingly, Debbie Benvin, Amanda Small, Nathan Pierce, Angie, Katie Perugini, Linda Ntugen, Jeff Repko, John Tarallo, Rajeev Ramesh, Maureen Parina, Aunt Di, Jerry and Maureen Lamora, Uncle Bill, Gary Berkstein, David Culins, Matthew and Robin Richards, Matt Vandersall, Nick Ramondo, Pete Morris, Dan Mcgee, Quentin, Anne Mary and David Cullins, Devon Saunders, Sally Quade, Emily Wychock, Jeff Sopinski, Allie Withrow, Amanda Miller, John Gallis, Aunt Sue and Uncle Joe, my grandma, Leah Cullins, Sharon, Jason Warner, Mr. and Mrs. Lepore, Mel, Mr Hostetter and Dr. Ambrose, Mr. and Mrs. Marchione, Beth and Jet, annd Nick Costa, my brother, the Callahans, Joyce & Jim, Mr. and Mrs. Flaherty, the Gallos, and BioLife (for buying plasma and for giving me an inconspicuous but extremely memorable scar on my left arm) . I apologize if I forgot anyone.

I want to also point out a couple people who have been extremmeelly helpful and generous. Without them I'd still be way far from reaching my $4k goal. I want to thank Mr. Joe Massaro of Massaro Construction and Mr. And Mrs. Difiore for being extremely generous and just being awesome people. Also I want to thank Mr. Massaro for the stylish and fresh gear. I have enough Massaro apparel to convince anyone that i played for a weekend intramural Massaro basketball team. Mr. Difiore just opened up a martini conversation bar called 1947 on Ellsworth. Your sure to leave with a full stomach of the delicious mac n' cheese and a stiff buzz. For any of your commercial construction needs Massaro has get the best quality in town. They built the Pantheon. Check em ouut.

A thanks also goes out to everyone who supports me in ways money can't. I know I have backing and encouragement from everyone and that really means a lot to me.

-Pat

Soundtrack to this post, "Idaho"-Pete Bush and the Hoi Polloi. The best musicians this side of the international date line. I'm sure of it, I checked. Get their album. It's truly life changing.

...another pre-trip post to come in the next couple days.