week three

Describing PA school to people who have never done it is a very hard thing to do.  I think that I thought I knew what it would be like, and that that is probably similar to how people think it is for me.  What I mean to say is that when I was applying and researching schools and reading blogs and forums about every little detail of the process, I gathered that PA school would be hard.  Of course it would be, it is a bunch of information and it's presented in a short amount of time.  When I thought about condensing four years of medical school into two years it sounded like every minute would be jam packed with a crazy amount of information and requirements.  Thinking about it in theory though is far different then how it actually feels.  I suppose that is true for many things, but maybe what I mean is that probably you can't ever be as prepared as you should be for something like this because it is not possible to understand unless you are already doing it.  Am I making sense?  The reason I bring this up is because I was trying to describe to my sister how school has been going for me, and here is what came spewing from my mouth. 

Take immunology for example.  This entire course is presented to us in five 2-hour lectures.  All of it.  All of the immunology that I have never seen but will be required to have a very detailed understanding of.  I think if this was all that was going on, it would still be difficult but passing would be probably be attainable.  Unfortunately that is not the case.  For virology, (which we are also in the middle of) we get three 2-hour lectures and one 1-hour lecture for the entire subject.  All of it.  This also applies to cell physiology, bacteriology/mycology and parasitology.  Yiiiikes!  For each of these we have one exam which is worth 20% of our biological sciences grade.  Holy effing Moly.  But, you know what?  I think for that exact reason you can only take it one day at a time.  Is it kind of sad that I look forward to the weekend immensely because during that time I will have 48 whole hours worth of potential studying time that will not be interrupted by the presentation of any new information?  Yes, but I am moving forward one day at a time and that's pretty good for right now.

Last week I was really overwhelmed after taking my first exams (Neuro/Anatomy/Anatomy practical) which by the way I did pass (WOOOOHOOOO!.....ahem), and JP said to me "well, when you finished your first week of bike & build how did you feel?"  When I thought about it, I realized that I felt very similar to how I am feeling now.  I was overwhelmed, exhausted, physically and emotionally spent, full of doubt in myself and my ability to actually see this thing to the end.  It was a new experience and it was really, really, really, HARD.  Every morning I woke up early, got back on that bike and biked.  I'm not saying I didn't complain or cry or feel like giving up, because I did all of those things, sometimes within the span of just an hour, but I never gave up.  So much of this experience reminds me of bike & build which seems amazing because in so many ways they are completely different.  It gives me a tremendous feeling of gratitude for that group of people and that experience, and for the group I am with right now.  Life is pretty great, isn't it?

P2SF reunion '011

Oh yes, in case you were wondering, vacations are still amazing in my book. This one was extended a bit because of a crazy blizzard that hit the East coast the day I was supposed to leave, but for me that just meant an impromptu trip to Portland, ME to hang with my brother and sister for a few days while we waited out the storm! In any case, that portion of the trip is going to be part 2 since I have to return to work tonight (in an hour) and I wanted to get the first portion up for you all to see! For some reason there wasn't much photo documentation that went on, probably because it was too cold to take off your mittens to get the picture, and because it was such a chaotic quick trip for most of the visitors! In any case we had a blast being back together again! The majority of us stayed in Erica's apartment (I think there were 20 staying there!), where lined up thermarests took over any available floor space, it was nice to be cozy, squished in together again! We got out to see some NY staples like the Rockefeller Center, (where we missed seeing the tree by less than a few hours!) and Central Park. We ate yummy food both at restaurants and at Zach's apartment where the NYC'ers made us amazing GF chili that was gone pretty quick! Mostly we just hung out together and reminisced about our crazy summer. It was pretty perfect.

A really awkwardly spaced picture of some of us while watching the zambonie in Central Park.


Melon and I. We were seriously mistaken for twins TWICE while I was there.

Erica, Kristie and I after stuffing our faces with chili!

the fruit of our labor

Remember when I was in Lawrence, KS this summer in the ridiculous heat building a house? Well... the house was just recently finished! They had the dedication last week and sent us a photo so we could see what we helped to create. Here's the before shot of us busy putting up the outer and inner walls:

And here's the finished product:

What better way to keep this summer in our hearts then by getting a photo like this? We did make a difference!

shock

As many of you have probably heard, Bike & Build had some devastating news on Tuesday when a rider was killed while on the road in South Dakota. Paige Hicks was a leader on the Providence to Seattle route, and was stopped on the shoulder with another rider when a truck with an over-sized load hit her and she was pronounced dead when the paramedics arrived on the scene. We heard the news Wednesday morning as we were preparing for a 100 mile ride from McCook, NE to Holyoke, CO. We were all so shocked and shaken, not even beginning to realize the far reaching implications. A few riders chose to ride in the van to make sure they were mentally prepared before getting back on the bike. It was so hard heading out that morning, an overcast foggy day, to do the exact same thing that Paige had been doing when she was killed. I think many of us had been lulled into a false sense of comfort, thinking that we were invincible and not remembering just how dangerous an endeavor like biking across the country really is. The morning started out rough, nobody talked except to point out gravel and to call out cars from behind. People were jittery and afraid on their bikes, which for many people was the first time that had felt that way. Megan and I were riding sweep that day, which means we were the riders who have to stay behind everyone and carry a first aid kit and extra tire in case they are needed. We knew it was going to be a really rough day. It's hard to get out of your head when you are on the bike, something that can serve as a real distraction when you are focused on upsetting news. My mind just could not stop thinking about the girl who was stopped on the side of the road with Paige and was unharmed by the truck. Eight miles into the day Sarah was riding in front of me and slipped off the shoulder of the road when a semi truck came blaring past her. She tried to regain her balance by jerking her bike back onto the shoulder, causing her to flip over her bike three times in midair and breaking her collarbone. I was riding right behind her, and watching her fly through the air made my heart just stop, I was so incredibly helpless. The timing of such a horrible accident couldn't have been worse, and the image in my head is something that I will never forget. While calling the ambulance and the support van, Megan and I were strangely calm, but when the paramedic asked us if we were alright and we told him about Paige's death we both just lost it. The rest of the ride to lunch was just about 40 miles, and it was the worst ride I have ever had. We were so scared of every car and got pushed off the road two or three times be trucks speeding by too close. After making it to first lunch we were vanned and Robby and Rudy took over our sweep duties. It was such a horrible day, so unreal and indescribable. I can't imagine how the P2S group is dealing with their loss when it is hitting my group so hard. I'm sorry if this post is a bit disjointed, the week has been a tough one and the processing is still very much happening. Last night we had our family meeting for the week and it was centered around Paige and how we want to honor her and how we will move forward both individually and together. I invite you all to send mail to the P2S route as they are going to continue on after Paige's funeral and I know first hand just how much mail days mean to everyone on the road. Their maildrops dates are on the website, and I am sure they would appreciate any words and prayers that you could offer. I admire their courage and strength more then I can express. I can't wrap my brain around how awful it would be to lose a member of our group, we have truly become a family as we work our way across the US. Please keep us all in your thoughts, and know that we are taking every precaution to be safe on the road. Tomorrow is our first climb in the Rockies, being back within sight of the mountains have really helped to center me and soon I will be on top of them!

Always with us.

a busy, busy day

Yesterday was crazy, the temperature reached 101 and we rode 98 miles. I was one of the only people who had water right up until 3 miles out as the last gas station/sign of life we saw had been 60 miles back. Kansas, as I mentioned, is really not flat. Rolling hills and long slow inclines were the name of the game, combined with heat, humidity and no shade to speak of. I had a great day though, Robby and I made up lame games and played them all afternoon. We had slow races and no brake races and in general acted ridiculous for the better part of the ride. I love so much that on bike & build everything is hilarious. I think it's a combination of exhaustion, absurdity and maybe a little insanity but I have never laughed harder then I do almost everyday on this trip. I even once fell off my bike mid climb in Pennsylvania into someones front yard because I was laughing too hard to stay upright. So much fun, and such good people. Today was a busy, busy day for us even though we only went 68 miles. The pictures below should explain it, and now I've got to go make dinner!

First up yesterday we reached over 2,000 miles and today was our official halfway point!

World's largest ball o' twine came next.

Here I am at the geographical center of the US!

Rudy and I on the flagpole at the center of the US.

Another state line, which means next up is Colorado!!

Mid-morning break to eat clif bars in a field..

Kansas and another visitor!

Our ride into Lawrence, Kansas was a hell day. SO hot and So crabby was basically the theme of everything that day. It was just a long ride, that started with a bad road and drained what little patience I had in the first few miles. GUH. But, Lawrence itself was an awesome place! I was so surprised to find this hip little town in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, with so much to do! Nora came into town from Minnesota to hang with us for a few days, and that instantly lifted me from my crabby fog. It's been so nice to see so many people while on the road and Nora traveled quite a distance to see us. I feel bad cause I forget how cracked out we are while traveling, and when we interact with the real world we must seem so odd from constant exhaustion and the need to eat copious amounts of food at every sitting, but Nora handled it well. We even got to sleep with her at a hotel, which was a welcome change from the church floors we have been curling up on all summer. In Lawrence we all went out for some games of pool, thai food, bike shop sales, and even a photo booth. It was a really great break, and we spent three nights there making it our longest stay in one town since Providence! The build days were fun, our first site that was basically ground up. We put up the exterior walls and all of the interior walls too. It was sweltering hot there, 100 degrees with a heat index of 115, but we ate popsicles and took turns sitting in the shade and made it a fun time.

Crossing into Kansas! Secretly Kansas is not flat at all..but it sure is hot!

The build site in Lawrence.


Together again! Nora even let me borrow her dress and I felt kinda like a real person!


Robby and I at second lunch, dinosaur vs. shark.

A real live computer!

Hello hello again. I have access to a real computer today, which is kinda exciting! We rolled in to Chambersburg, PA late this afternoon after a humid day of rolling farm land. Forgive me if this post is a random pile of thoughts, but B&B lends itself to that kind of thought process. The days jumble together to the point that it is hard to recall what city/church/place we stayed in the night before, and all of the climbs/descents/flats become one long long memory. The trip has been so great, lots of hard work and I have never been so tired in my life. Once we get to our destination we are like the living dead, showering and scarfing down ridiculous amounts of food and then passing out in the middle of a crowded room with lights and music going on around us. Or at least that's what I do most of the time. My ability to sleep anywhere has reached new heights entirely, thanks in part to my sister's idea of wearing a sleep mask over my eyes. It's like a magic light switch and I love it. I've never been so sore in my life either, I can feel every one of the muscles in my lower body and stretching has never felt so good. We are gradually shifting into a routine which goes loosely like this: wake up at 5:00, pack our totes, load the trailer, spandex it up and eat breakfast around 6:00. At just about 7:00 we gather in front of the church and go over the days route, getting our cue sheets that have the mileage, turn by turn directions and phone numbers for the sweep riders and the van driver. After that we all shove off and spread out, riding in various sized groups until lunch which is generally at about mile 30-35ish. At lunch we eat and eat and eat, sandwiches and leftovers and anything else that has been jammed into the coolers. We gradually leave lunch and usually get to the host site at about 4 or so. It's nice to have a routine, and it works best for me when I don't think much further than the next step. Certainly when I wake up I don't think about getting to San Francisco, I just think getting to breakfast. After starting I think biking to lunch and after lunch I think biking to my thermarest. Taking it one day at a time and one hill at a time makes every ride manageable. I still can not believe it's been such a short amount of time since we started, we have done so much and come so far already! The whole group wasted no time settling into a comfortable place together and we have had conversations on the side of the road or in the aisles of CVS while looking for diaper rash cream that I never thought I would have. It's been great. Tomorrow is a build day here in Chambersburg which translates roughly to a day off for us. We build at a local affordable housing place, habitat for humanity much of the time, but it's nice to give our butts a break and stay in place for more then one night. Tonight we are super spoiled, staying at a cold weather homeless shelter of all places, and each get a bed to sleep on! Hooray! After days and days of thermarest floor sleeping, it will be nice to have a little more cushion and a real pillow. Let's see, what else? I can't believe I am ACTUALLY biking across the country and will be in Ohio by Sunday. Crazy crazy. In any case, here are a few pictures for you but I can't figure out how to rearrange them or write anything below them on this computer so a brief explanation of them goes like this: 1. Taking a break to snap a few pictures on the side of the road. 2. Rocking chairs at the country store on the side of the road where we stopped to get ice for the camel backs about 14 miles from Chambersburg. 3. and 4. Our trailer that we painted in Stroudsburg and 5. We crossed into New Jersey and Pennsylvania in one day a few days back but there was only a sign for PA. Hope you are all doing well in the real world!