Back in Richmond for a few more days before moving even further south to Greenville, SC, and the start of a new job with GE Energy. These last few days promise to be full of excitement as everything gets packed up and stuffed into the Versa for the six hour drive to my new home, but the past week and a half gave me some time to catch up with old friends and reflect on the future. I know now why I am on the course I am currently piloting, and I have faith that it will all work out in the long run. The million dollar question, of course, is how long the “long run” really is, but I’m trying to live each day as its own until we get there.

 

The Half the Sky charity bike ride ended up working out about as well as it could have - through friends, family, and other connections, we managed to raise nearly $3,000, well over my original goal of $2,008. The ride itself went well for the most part, with each segment providing something worthwhile to the whole trip. In DC, I caught up with current and former Summer Institute Trumans as well as getting the chance to give back a bit by helping at the So Others May Eat soup kitchen. Baltimore was a great place to spend some time biking and bowling with Andrew Parker, a friend from the University of Cambridge who is a much faster biker and a much better duck-pin bowler than I am. In Philadelphia, Laura Boyce and her Teach for America friends welcomed me into their group, taking me to breakfast at Carman’s Country Kitchen and leaving me with over $90 in my pocket from generous donations. Ryan Merola, ever the gentleman, picked me up from Princeton, NJ, just as the rain clouds were bearing down, and proceeded to drive hell-bent towards Brooklyn and his first love, the city of New York. Luis put me up for the night and showed me the meaning of “mid-town closet” while Brendan Acord, a friend from China, brought me back to my time in Beijing with an introduction to one of his close friends. Biking through the Bronx, I made it to Yonkers to spend a delightful evening with family from my father’s side, enjoying an excellent pot roast and some motivating conversation with my cousin Joy. The next day brought a long and tiring ride into Connecticut, the state I found most difficult to navigate because of its poor road signs. Former GE co-worker Justin Billard met me just as I was getting soaked from an outrageous downpour, and we enjoyed a simple dinner before I risked life and limb by proceeding to my hotel in East Hartford as twilight turned into darkness. The next morning, I rode through Rhode Island (only demarcated by the change in license plates) and into Massachusetts. Finally, with a shout of joy, I rushed down Beacon Street to my friend Antone’s apartment, back in the city of Boston! The time spent in Boston was short but enjoyable, and the fireworks and the Fourth of July were a great way to get pumped up again about the US of A after having spent the past eight months in China.

 

What the trip really showed me is how generous people can be and how a little, crazy idea can become something worthwhile with a little planning. While my legs and rump are sore, my heart is happy, and the memories that were made won’t be fading anytime soon. Thanks for the adventure, the support, and the love...