Spring Ride Recap

I have officially finished my first bike ride as Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure trip leader!

On March 15th I met 32 awesome new friends in Nashville and we spent the next week biking nearly 400 miles on the Natchez Trace Parkway to Jackson, Mississippi.  We rode bikes, we helped rebuild homes and we told everyone we met along the way about the Fuller Center for Housing and the great need for affordable decent homes that we have in our world.  It was amazing, intimidating, inspiring, stressful, and all kinds of other adjectives.  The experience both stretched me to my limits, and renewed my energy for this role I've somehow been led to fill!  I wanted to write something to try to share the experience with everyone who has supported me in this little detour I've taken to Americus, GA to volunteer and lead this bike ride.  I hope this can express some of the gratitude I have for everyone who's helped me as I take on this awesome challenge!

Two of my fellow cyclists and new friends:
Bud, age 75 (left) and Jack, age 85 (right)
... two of the most inspiring guys I've ever met.
photo credit: Dan Sheridan

My favorite part of the ride was definitely the people.  I've (sort of... not really) started to get used to talking with reporters, and they often ask what kind of people do a bike ride like this.  I just say "awesome people!!" ... I don't think it's quite the answer they're looking for, but it's so true!  The combination of loving biking, loving adventure, and loving people makes for a pretty awesome sort of person, and the 2013 Spring Ride team was no exception.  As I think back on each rider, every single one makes me smile for their own unique reasons.  There were the silly ones who were always making everyone laugh, the ones who always seemed to have the perfect words of encouragement at just the right moments, the ones who were willing to do whatever needed to be done and more, the ones who always had great wisdom and advice to share, but were still so open to new ways of doing things.

Of course, not every moment was perfect (like the morning we had no coffee...), but amazingly most moments were!  It's especially surprising when I remember the weather.  We had a day of thunder and lightning, a near-100 mile day in 40 degree temperatures, then another 75 miles in 35 degree rain ... and most of the riders came from up north, hoping for an idyllic spring cycling destination with wild flowers and sunshine!  But instead of complaining they just pulled the plastic shopping bags over their socks, duct taped their shoes for wind resistance, put shower caps over their helmets to try and block a few drops of rain, and got on their bikes.  Everyone kept a positive attitude the whole time, encouraged each other through the challenges, and laughed about them afterward.  They kept riding through the rain because they were grateful that they could, because they knew that at least they'd have a warm church floor to sleep on when they finished, and because it's more than just a bike ride.  They did something a little bit extraordinary to remind people that extraordinary things are happening everyday--things like Haitians living in the dirt under threadbare tarps, or elderly Americans confined to one room of their home because the roof is leaking everywhere else.  It's such a blessing to get to call these wonderful people friends, and an honor to get to plan an event that brings them together.

A rainy pace line (I'm third).
photo credit: Dan Sheridan

There were so many other things I loved too...

• getting to visit "towns" like Duck River, TN
• experiencing the amazing generosity and love of the churches we stayed with
• working alongside a family in need in Tupelo, MS, helping them to make their home simple and decent again, and giving the local Fuller Center a boost of bike adventure energy
• raising more than $28,000 as a team to help those in need of affordable housing
• the fact that my job now requires that I ride my bike and spend massive amounts of time outside seeing beautiful places like the Natchez Trace Parkway (even if it's cold!!)

I could easily write a play by play for each day we were on the ride and go into even more detail about why this has been such a wonderful opportunity for me, but since my fellow cyclists already did all of that on our official Bike Adventure blog, I'll just give you the links.  Of course their words help show even more of what this ride is really all about!

Day 1:  Everyone arrives in Nashville and we spend a day getting to know each other, learning about the chore teams that will be working together to complete tasks like packing the trailer and making breakfast, and going on a practice ride / tour of Nashville.

Day 2:  After attending the early service at our host church in Nashville, we had a short send off ceremony, and a visit with our first TV reporter!  Then the adventure officially begins! We finished the day at one of the tiniest and most generous churches I have ever experienced with warm showers in the church members' homes, and an amazing meal (my first fried chicken in a very long time...).

Day 3:  The first rain ride ... we cycled through a storm so big that it earned itself a name, and coated most of the southeast in hail and even sprouted a few tornadoes  but everyone arrives safely at another generous church where I got to practice my presentation skills (which still need lots of work!) and share what the Fuller Center is all about.

Day 4:  A very cold 96 miles ... but thank God for no rain!

Day 5:  Build Day in Tupelo!  Also, one of my most stressful days, as I did everything I could along with the local volunteers to put our 30 enthusiastic cyclists to work.  You have to be very organized to make a big impact in one day's work!  The stress was worth it though--a big difference was made for a family truly need, and I think the local Fuller Center leadership caught a second wind from our team's energy (somehow we always manage to have some energy to share, even after biking almost 100 miles the day before!).

Day 6:  A short ride and another amazingly generous church, complete with 30 lbs of pulled pork!??!

Day 7:  The really cold and rainy day...

Day 8:  This was probably my favorite day (and not because it was the last day!).  The weather was perfect, the scenery seemed a little extra beautiful, and much of the team road together in long pace lines to share the experience.  Plus, we received a surprise police escort for the last few miles to our final church host and our amazing 85-year-old rider lead us in behind the police car.  It was a perfect celebration of our accomplishments that I couldn't have even tried to plan!  We were also treated to a gourmet dinner with the president of Tougaloo College, and learned about how it's rich civil rights era history is intertwined with the Fuller Center's!

We were in the news in Tupelo: A group uses bikes to serve others
Florence, AL: Cyclists on ride to help others
and in Nashville, Williamsport, TN, and Houston, MS.

The experience of planning and participating in these bike rides has brought so many new and crazy challenges to my life.  It has definitely not been easy, but I'm learning so much.  Whenever I take a step back from the chaos and endless details and remember what this ride and the Fuller Center is all about, I feel so blessed to be a part of something so simple and good.

Thank you again to everyone who's supported my crazy leap of faith.  I couldn't do this without your encouragement and friendship!  If you'd like to contribute funds as well, I know it will go a long way to help people who are truly in need.  You can donate here.

Celebrating at the finish line in Jackson!
photo credit: www.beretmeyersphotography.com

Celebrity Guest Appearance!!!

Not long after I left for Luxembourg Brett got to go to build some houses with some of the coolest people who occupy this planet (i.e. anyone who's ever been involved with the Fuller Center for Housing). I wanted to hear all about it, so he wrote me little "blogs" every day while he was there.... and I'm excited that he let me share some of his cool experiences here! Traveling is fun, but I think these are the sorts of things that make a real vacation :)... enjoy!

After failed attempts to travel to Haiti and then to the Congo to build with the Fuller Center, I figured a domestic trip might be my last shot to have some fun while alleviating substandard housing conditions. That’s why I seized the opportunity to head down to Louisiana for the 3rd Annual Millard Fuller Legacy Build. I was also glad I could drive to the worksite, instead of further subsidizing the commercial airline industry by purchasing non-refundable tickets. The 1100 mile drive to Minden, LA was the perfect chance to put some miles on my “new” 2000 Honda Insight. This chick magnet averaged 67 MPG on the drive down, making this a very inexpensive adventure!

A local Methodist church camp was kind enough to provide free lodging in their cabins. Unlike what I remembered from summer camp as a kid, these cabins were equipped with heat, AC, a toilet, and HOT showers! Ours also came with a golf ball sized black widow spider to greet us in the bathroom. My roommates were a bunch of retired guys who had been working with Habitat for Humanity since the beginning, and told stories ranging from mishaps on past projects to their experiences working with Jimmy Carter. They were also eager to give construction tips and tricks to their young bunk-mate.

At the registration dinner Sunday night, the plans for the week were laid out. Eight new homes would be built on Millard Fuller Drive, and 7 nearby houses would be refurbished. Upon registering, we were given toolpouches, pencils, and cool t-shirts, then treated to a Mardi-Gras style celebration. Amidst all the excitement, I managed to lose my shirt and toolpouch. There are probably pictures of me attempting to dance floating around the internet somewhere, too. It was great to see friends from the Bike Adventure again!

I was assigned to work on house number 4, a new build led by a carpenter from Pennsylvania named Barry. There were about a dozen of us, including a few Americorps volunteers, building this home for Ms. Rose Fuller ( no relation to Millard and Linda Fuller). In order to complete the build in one week’s time, the concrete slab for the foundation was poured in advance, and the majority of the materials had been delivered to the site. Our first task was to find numbered sections of the framework for the house and bolt them down to the foundation according to a provided set of blueprints. I’m told convicts from a local prison had been onsite prior to our arrival to assemble the house frame, then disassemble it in order to make sure things went smoothly for us. Whatever the story, things fit together easily. In less than one day, we had erected the whole structure of the house, and had mounted plywood to half of the roof. I ran the hammer-drill used to run screws into the concrete. If I ever end up with carpal-tunnel, I’ll know why!

Go figure, it rained the night after day one-- before our roof was installed. We arrived the next morning to an inch or two of water inside the house. We were able to sweep it out and set up a fan to dry the inside of the house, and work resumed. In spite of the rain and chilly temperatures, the external “shell” of the house was put together by the end of the second day. We installed the tin roof, windows, and vinyl siding the following days, as well as electrical wiring. I got plenty of experience installing electrical boxes, hanging vinyl siding, mounting soffit, and installing a metal roof. That’s a great thing! I definitely feel like I could build my own house from scratch if I wanted to, just based on everything I learned while working on this house.

At the end of the day Friday, it was time for us to dedicate the house to the new owner, pack up, and go to the closing dinner. Unfortunately, we just weren’t able to finish everything on the house. If you drove down the street, you would think the house is done—everything outside looks great (minus the lack of landscaping). The inside could still use a little help. The electrical and plumbing were done, and the sheetrock was hung and mudded. However, the walls needed to be sanded and painted, the cabinets still need to be installed, the floors need finished, and the appliances need to be moved in. That sounds like a lot of work! Luckily, the Webster Parish Fuller Center will be finishing up the work we couldn’t get done in time, but it will probably be a while before the family can move in. We held the house dedication ceremony with the homeowner, regardless of the state of completion of the home. It was definitely satisfying to meet the people who would benefit from our labor and also hear their appreciation. Ms. Rose (the homeowner) would be raising 3 little boys in the house we built (her grandchildren, I think). It was cool to think we could provide the boys with the opportunity for a better future.

Out into the world again

If there's one thing I've learned from traveling, it's that no matter how amazing the mountains are, or how incredible the history and the food is, the people are always the most beautiful things. Here's something I wrote down because I didn't want to forget it... in a little hotel in Germany, on my way to Rome on October 28th. (Don't worry, there will be more about Rome soon!)

I’ve been nervous about this trip. I still don’t feel settled and confident on my own in Luxembourg, and now I’m going out of my way (and spending money, which I always have a hard time doing) to add more uncertainty and general unrest to my life (a.k.a. adventure). Plus it’s last minute and poorly planned. I bought my plane ticket a week ago, the decision of whether I would drive to the airport early in the morning, or get a hotel nearby the night before, was put off so long that I ultimately reserved my hotel room 10 minutes before I left on this adventure. Things haven’t really felt simple, safe, comfortable... home-like… since I began on this spontaneous journey to Europe, and it's been starting to wear on me. So perhaps a similarly spontaneous long-weekend trip to Rome was not what I needed. Or perhaps it is!

I’m not in Rome yet, but I’m in that hotel room I reserved a few hours ago, in Sohren, Germany, preparing to get a little sleep before my flight out of Frankfurt-Hahn airport tomorrow morning at 6:20am. The drive here was about 2 hours from work in Colmar-berg, Luxembourg, and although it wasn’t long it wasn’t exactly relaxing. I drove through the usual city traffic to some narrow, wind-y, typical Luxembourgish roads, and started to feel relieved when I got onto the highway. However, I guess I haven’t driven on a true European / German highway yet. Vehicles are going at speeds ranging from about 100 km/hr to probably about 250 km/hr, all on the same road, so if you’re traveling at a reasonable (in my opinion anyway…) speed of maybe 120-140, you’re stuck between tail-gating a trailer full of donkeys, and pulling into the left lane in front of someone who may be going twice your speed. I guess it wasn’t really that stressful, but I definitely don’t know why my car has cruise control.

Then in the dark, with an hour left in my journey, I exit the highway toward my destination, and enter the craziest winding road I think I have ever experienced. Probably not quite as narrow as the Lux roads, but many more hair-pin turns and of course full sized semi trucks coming in the other direction… and no street lights anywhere to be seen. I’m sure it was a beautiful mountain in the daylight, but for some reason, alone in the dark, it was a little less pretty. It reminded me of that show on the history channel where the truckers risk driving into Himalayan valleys to deliver cement. Probably a little overly dramatic, but in any case... even though I had no idea what to expect from this totally random hotel I’d booked (my co-worker’s advise when I booked it was “just make sure there are no rats”), I was ready to arrive to just about anything. This is where I am in awe (as I seem to be so often these days) at how lucky I am!

The hotel is easy to find… a huge street sign (one of those stereotypical ones that you'd probably see marking streets in Disney world with 100 signs pointing in every direction… I wish I took a picture) points me in the right direction. I search for the entrance, but not finding it I try the adjoined pizza shop, hoping someone will speak enough English to help this linguistically challenged, stressed out, mess find a place to sleep. It may have just been a show for the tourists, but the restaurant was decorated in exactly the way I would assume an authentic German home would look like, and it smelled like a wood burning fire place (and pizza of course). And I was greeted by an impressively energetic, kind hearted, grandfatherly man who fluently speaks 5 languages!!

He immediately said “Melissa! The American!?”, showed me to my room, and invited me for pizza. Dan will be happy to know that I did indeed eat the pizza… because it was the only thing on the menu… and this part sounds creepy, but the grandpa guy even gave me this cool drink in a tiny wine glass. I guess you had be there :). I was impressed when he talked with me in perfect English, but all evening it seemed like greated every guest in a different language. I asked him how he learned to speak 5 languages, and he said 5 girlfriends. Figures I guess :).

So, my first trip to Germany was an unexpected, and very welcome, beautiful experience. And, at the very least I suppose, there were no rats!

"We touch other peoples lives simply by existing." - J.K. Rowling

Catching up!

Once again I have abandoned my blog... but never fear! It has only been a short while and my absence owes only to the many new, excellent adventures that have been occupying my time! I'm back, and I have lots to share, so look for more posts about Italy, Germany, and Belgium, and lots about good friends along the way :).

First though, I want to go back to where I left off two weekends ago (~ October 22nd). At this point I was still feeling pretty alone (and tired of not being able to share everything with the people I love), but also determined to continue to fill my time with adventures, and not stop appreciating the opportunity I've been given.

When I'm feeling a little down one of my favorite things to do is find a new place to run... and lucky for me there are lots of new places in my life these days! Saturday morning I thought I'd search for the best places to run in Luxembourg and found this article about an olympic runner who claims that her favorite place to run in the entire world is Luxembourg City (she's from Luxembourg, so she may be biased, but still... I'm sure she's run in a lot of places)! So armed

with the suggestions in the article, and my well used map from the tourist office, I set out from my house for what was definitely one of the coolest runs I've ever been on (perhaps rivaled only by the bike paths in Boulder, CO :) ). I descended into the valley, or the Grund (which I think, literally translated, means "low city"). It's filled with crazy old architecture, gardens, a river, and little pubs and shops. Then I happened upon a beautiful bike path, and decided to go a little further than planned (another sign of a good run!). It took me along the river, under some crazy old bridges, and past some locals preparing their gardens for next year. I think I also passed the water treatment plant... it smelled a little like the Cuyahoga (mmmm home :) ). Then on my way back I decided to take the public elevator from the low city to the high city, and run through the downtown shopping district to get home. Luckily Luxembourg has had uncommonly beautiful weather every weekend I've been here so far. It wasn't quite warm, but super sunny with no rain in sight--pretty much a perfect Saturday morning :).

Then for the afternoon I decided I'd try to catch a tour of the Luxembourg "Old City" that I'd read about on the Luxembourg tourist office website. I guess it makes sense, but I've found in my adventures recently that I can go see something beautiful in nature and be awed into appreciation immediately, but with man-made beauty it adds so much to the experience to know the story behind it. So thanks to this tour, I now know all about all the cools things I ran past in the morning :). Here are some pictures!

The Grand Duke's business castle (he also has a castle that he lives in in Colmar-Berg where I work... I wonder what its like to have two castles... :) ).

The old monastery (right of the river) and the monks' gardens (left of the river), which are now kept up by the city of Luxembourg. I'm not sure who gets to eat the veggies though... I should have asked :).

This was inside the tunnels carved into the old city wall. Soldiers used to live in here to protect the city.

This is one of my favorite pictures... the river is beautiful!

I also got to talk to some of the other tourists (about things that aren't round and black, and don't involve spreadsheets :) ). I met a couple from Michigan who were touring Europe for their anniversary and took a few pictures for me. They took trains from Frankfurt (Germany), to Amsterdam (Holland) and Bruges (Belgium), and toured France on bikes! I've determined that all kinds of people might decide to take a vacation to Paris or Rome, but if you decide to vacation in Luxembourg then you're probably pretty interesting people :).

While I was at the tourist office I also picked up a book of 201 "rambling routes" in Luxembourg... basically the book has maps of 201 very well marked hiking trails all over the country! I went on a hike on Sunday that brought me to this beautiful lake... but I think that all getting the book really did was make me sad that there's no way I'll be able to hike all the trails while I'm here :).

Friday night on the town!

Well, before I get to Friday night, I guess I should say a little about the rest of the week. Since Monday I didn't do much beyond working and some running... but that's exciting stuff when you're in a new country! Adjusting to my new project at work has been going pretty well. I have an excellent mentor who spent all week with me explaining the new systems and processes I need to learn to navigate, and everyone has gone out of their way to make sure I have everything I need to have a happy and productive stay here, both in the office and out. On Wednesday I went running around my apartment again, visiting the horses up the street :), and on Thursday I ran on a bike path right across the street from The Company! The bike paths here continue to impress me. Also been enjoying some excellent foods... have you ever had an organic, fair trade banana? Not really a Luxembourg thing... but I've never had one before, and I had no idea a banana could taste so good! I also bought a loaf of bread and enjoyed a slice every day this week... probably the best bread I've ever had. Haha.

On Friday I finally made another attempt at the bus! It was actually really easy. The stop is right at the end of my street, the bus comes every 20 minutes until about midnight, and I can take it downtown and be there in about 10 minutes. I already knew this, but it definitely hits home the fact that Akron could learn a thing or two about public transportation :). I went to a restaurant called Mesa Verde that was suggested by a fellow mostly-vegan friend who did a similar 3 month assignment here a year or two ago. I thought I might be able to get my first legitimate vegan meal, but my monolingualism failed me again, and my plate was pretty much coated in cheese. Luckily, however, the friendly Indian restaurant owner (who probably speaks 5 languages) was able to steer me clear of the fish on the menu, and despite (or perhaps because of...) the cheese, my dinner was delicious, and as enjoyable as eating out alone among many groups of happy friends celebrating the weekend can be :). I also got to see a little bit of the city at night... the pictures do it no justice of course, but it was beautiful!

I think I'm also finally digesting the fact that I'm actually here. I think because everything happened so quickly I wasn't mentally prepared for picking up and moving to a new country... so I've been trying to find my way through a weird daze for the past week or so, but this weekend I think it really started to hit me. I'm starting to really realize how crazy, different, and exciting the new things I'm exploring are... everything from driving to work, to exploring an ancient city fortress.

At the same time my tough "world traveler" shell is cracking a little, and I'm realizing how much I wish I could be having these new experiences with my best friend, or sharing the all the beauty and valuable lessons with family and friends at home.

I feel a lot better burning off the fog in my head, but with all the excitement of moving and flying and adjusting and exploring, I'm also seeing how easy it is to get caught up in myself and my many "problems". After all, this is a pretty challenging endeavor... within a week learning that I'd be moving across the globe and then showing up in a place where I can't speak in any of the local languages, living truly on my own for the first time in my life, and trying to make the best of everything without the support of my loved ones that I've gotten so used to. It also doesn't help that I've had to put my work with the Fuller Center and Engineers Without Borders on hold while I'm here, basically abandoning all my outwardly focused efforts for a pursuit that is pretty much purely self-motivated (however right it may be for me to pursue this opportunity!). I'm going to have to make a conscious effort to remember that I'm in one of the top three (depending on who calculates it...) richest countries per capita in the world (I wasn't sure exactly where Luxembourg fell on that list so I looked up this wikipedia article... how ironic is it that the last country I tried to travel to invariably falls at the bottom of the list...). I have to remember that I am so fortunate, not only to have this unique opportunity, but to be so comfortable and capable, despite the challenges!

To make sure I don't forget this I've been trying not to lose track of some of the things I did at home to stay in touch (in whatever small way possible) with the world outside my bubble of comfort. My normal commute with NPR has been replaced by Aljazeera TV (today I watched a documentary on two girls my age in India who started a home for daughters of sex workers, terrifying footage of the earthquake in Turkey, and live coverage of Libya's liberation ceremony), Brett's been keeping me updated on his latest adventures (stay tuned for a guest post from him about the 2011 Millard Fuller Legacy Build in Louisiana!), and I've been keeping up with my usual blogs. Here's something awesome I found today:

... still can't make huge contributions to the solutions the world needs, but I suppose at least I can still feel informed and grounded... and inspired by new bicycle riders :).

In other news... I won't be alone for long! Next weekend I'm going to Rome (!!!!) to visit my friend Lisa, Fuller Center Bicycle Adventurer and World Traveler extraordinaire! Then my friends Mike and Charlotte, who will be moving here soon, will be in town for their home hunting visit, and we have plans to explore together the following weekend! Not long after that I will hopefully receive a visit in return from Lisa :), and four other friends from Ohio--Jamie, Lisa (different one... there are a lot of Lisa's in my life apparently), Ryan, and Karla--have made plans over the past week to visit in the beginning of December (... although last I heard, some of them don't have passports yet... :) ). And of course Mr. Brett and I will be taking on Europe for Christmas and New Years! I definitely have some crazy friends, but I love them, and I'm so glad they're coming to visit!!

More soon about the adventures of Saturday and Sunday... this post is already long enough!

Gudden Owend!

"When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together."

- lessons from kindergarten