Public Speaking

July 6th - Reno

After cycling the back roads in the heat of the day I finally reached Reno Nevada. I was drained after a long day on the bike and I was starving for a good home cooked meal. I checked into the Wildflower Hostel and just a few doors down I came across an authentic Italian restaurant. Fresh pasta and carb loading was just what the doctor ordered so I hastily mad my way inside. I was not in a very talkative mood so I planned to sit alone at the bar and enjoy a quiet meal to myself. Despite my original intentions, I ended up meeting a girl who was also an active public speaker. She traveled through small towns in Nevada and spoke about the dangers of eating disorders with high school students. She struggled with anorexia as a teenager and after overcoming her eating disorder, she felt compelled to share her story with others. Her travels seemed similar to my own in many ways. While we spoke on behalf of different causes we were both inspired to spread awareness and serve others. She told me that at first she was afraid of public speaking, but she overcame her fears because her message is too important to keep to herself. I agreed wholeheartedly and I told her that our courage to share our messages with others is much stronger than our individual fears. 

Why Cycle with limited Experience

July 5th - Carson City

After a favorable experience with warmshowers.com in Lake Tahoe, I decided to try it again in Carson City. I stayed with a delightful family who hosted over 100 touring cyclists over the years. The family had many quinine stories to share with me and I was interested to hear about the other riders that passed through. Some cycled for a cause, a few for recreation, and one cycled to fulfill a lifelong dream at age 60. Although the family had met many cyclists over the years, they never met a cyclist with such little experience. They explained that most of the people that they had encountered were either life long cyclists or members of an organized group. I have only been cycling for three months, and I had no prior experience with a road bike or any kind of bike that shifted more than six gears. The family was shocked that I was embarking on this journey for Support My School, and they asked me what inspired me to cycle across the country all of a sudden? I explained how I truly believe in the fundamentals of Support My School. Ideals of education, continuous improvement, service, and community interaction. It was a combination of these principles along with the positive results that Support My School has had on communities in India that inspired me to become active with the initiative. This campaign has inspired me to spread awareness and cycle across the country, and even though I lack experience I am dedicated to learning all that I can. 

4th of July

South Lake Tahoe  -  July 4th

Lake Tahoe has an average total population of about 20,000 people, But on the 4^th of July over 100,000 people flock to the lake to watch the spectacular fireworks show. Originally I planned to stay in a hotel amongst the tourists, but fortunately I found another place to stay. I discovered a free website called warmshowers.com were cyclists open their homes to fellow touring cyclists. So for example, I can stay with a host in Lake Tahoe and then latter on I have the opportunity to open my home to a cyclists passing through Cincinnati. I stayed with a cyclist, named Ross, who has cycled over 7,000 miles total, toured in 49 states across the U.S., and toured in over 10 countries in South America. Needless to stay Ross had many spectacular stories to share with me, and he gave me some great cycling advice. Ross wished me luck on my travel, and said he that when I was tired I should think of Support My School and push through the pain.

Night Ride

Placerviller - July 3rd

Cycling into Placerville it got dark surprisingly fast. I was about 3 miles from my hotel and just after 9:00PM the roads were pitch black. With no street lights and only a small insufficient light on my bike I stopped at a local gas station. I noticed some young men my age and I asked them if them would help me out with a ride to my hotel. The guys where more than helpful as they lifted my bike into the back of their truck and drove me down the road. I told them why I was cycling and they where glad that they could be of assistance on my journey. After thanking the guys they said they were glad to support the campaign when it was too dark to cycle on. 

Presentation in the Sacramento Rose Gardens

Sacramento - July 2nd

Today, I met with a group of students in the Sacramento rose gardens. A group of catholic high-school girls arrived in a small white van and everyone was wearing black. I jokingly asked them if they were coming from a funeral, but they explained that they were all attending a black dress birthday dinner after our meeting. I went on to deliver a brief presentation on Support My School and my cycling journey to spread awareness for the campaign. I explained the purpose of Support My School, and then discussed how I was inspired by the campaign and took up cycling as my way to contribute to this educational initiative. The school-girls where shocked by my story and could not believe that I planned to cycle from San Francisco to Cincinnati with such little experience. I explained to them that this journey would not be possible without dedication and a collective effort. I have been training for months and I have also utilized the assistance and knowledge of many individuals who came together to make this journey possible. I worked with fellow students and a cycling coach at Xavier University to get in tip-top physical shape. I met with countless bicycle shops to learn about bicycle maintenance and to find the best routs to travel on. I also collaborated with Coca-Cola India to develop a presentation and schedule public speaking engagements. Similar to they way that many individuals came together in preparation for my cycling journey it also takes a collective effort to improve educational standards in India. Support My School helps to build schools, construct bathrooms, and provide other basic amenities, but the campaign is successful because of the way it inspires community involvement. In order to insure that there is sustainable improvement Support My School utilizes a network of local NGO's and charities that are familiar with the local communities  that they enter. Then through a grassroots effort they bring a community together to support education initiatives and provide sustainable improvements. The discussion with the school-girls in Sacramento stressed the importance of a collective effort and we discussed the endless opportunities that can be developed when individuals work together.

Kind Stranger

Sacramento - July 1st

While cycling to Sacramento I passed by a great deal of farm land and wide-open spaces. There were not many places to stop and as luck would have it, I suddenly needed to use the restroom. I was in between two giant fields with little privacy from the road, but off in the distance I saw a small lonely house. I cycled up to the welcoming residence and quickly knocked on the door. A few moments later a tiny grandmother appeared before me and invited me into her home. After using the bathroom the grandmother offered to cook me breakfast and so I sat with her and told her of my travels. As she tossed flapjacks high into the air I went on about Support My School and all of the positive work they are doing to improved educational standards in India. The grandmother was moved by my story and was very excited to hear about my passion for service and community involvement. As I left the old woman explained that in a quiet area like this she did not get many visitors. She said that it was God's country and that she could stand in one spot and see the sun rise and fall. She thanked me for stopping by and said that God would protect me as I cycled to spread awareness. I thanked her for her kind words and hospitality, and then I continue on down the empty road.

Lost on the way to Sacramento

Lodi - June 29th

In preparation for this trip I spent many months panning a detailed route and itinerary so that I would know exactly how many miles to travel each day and where to stay each night. I also included local restaurants, gas stations, emergency contacts, hotels, and a specific list of turn by turn directions along my route. Despite a great deal of diligent planning, I anticipated there would be many unexpected challenges that I would have to overcome. The first of these challenges came when I was cycling along Hwy 4 in California.
With record heat waves in California, I woke up at 5:30AM on Saturday morning and set out for Sacramento.  Before departing that morning I carefully reviewed my route and the route that my Garmin GPS suggested. I originally planned to travel along California State Route 160 but the Garmin GPS suggested a more scenic detour on Hwy 4. The millage added up the same and so I decided to go with the route my GPS suggested. To this point I had never had any issues with my Garmin and I believed that the suggested route was accurate. Unfortunately, once I got on the road I had issues finding satellite reception and my GPS would randomly turn off. I finally got the GPS working and it directed me to take Hwy 4 for 29 Miles. The final total mileage and final destination were the same as when I started and so I proceeded to follow the GPS. I stopped for lunch after about 35 miles of riding and checked my route progress, I constantly review my route to insure that I don't not miss any turns or cycle of in the wrong directions. So upon checking my GPS it began recalculating and changed my final total millage to 70 miles. So basically I had cycled an additional unnecessary 20 miles. I was incredibly frustrated and so I called Garmin. After checking my device we determined that my software was not up to date and I required an update before I could proceed. The operator mentioned that without an update the total millage while riding could be inconsistent but it would correctly calculate the total mileage upon the completion of a ride. I was forced to make a decision and with the temperature climbing over 104 degrees I decided to cycle into Lodi and find a hotel for the night. I was upset that i cycled an extra 20 miles but I was more upset that I did not catch my mistake sooner. The GPS appeared to be working correctly, but I should have double checked the mileage with my smart phone. After this mishap i updated the software on my GPS and I have implemented a system to insure that I stay on the original course. Now I upload my specific route onto an application called Garmin Connect. With this application I can transfer a course that I design directly to my GPS and get turn by turn directions, and it will also track my exact location and upload my live status online. My phone also sends me live updates to track my progress and insure that I stay on the right path. It was frustrating to cycle an extra 20 miles, but I adjusted my plans so that the mistake did not interfere with an of my other plans on the itinerary and I also took corrective action to avoid other mistakes in the future.