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I am a mild-mannered freshman at the University of North Carolina. I hail from Concord, NC, and I will be biking across the country this summer in support of poverty housing.I heard of Bike & Build through UNC’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Within about 10 minutes of hearing about it, I was sold. Biking across the country was one of those things that sounded simply amazing, and it fit the bill for something I absolutely wanted to do. Still, it took me a while to realize that Bike & Build was actually a possibility. It was just the beginning of college, after all, and I was in awe of all the possibilities that confronted me. (I still am, to an extent.)

I am excited both to work for affordable housing and to do this impressive bit of cycling. I have wanted to work with Habitat for Humanity for a long time, but I have never gotten much of a chance before coming to college. Moreover, I have always been a recreational bike rider — I have enjoyed bike rides with my family since my early childhood. I love to travel, and I really want to see our nation. Bike & Build, I think, is the perfect opportunity for me: I am ready to go.

In addition to my interest in Bike & Build, I am involved in a variety of activities on campus. I play violin in the UNC Symphony and race with the UNC Sailing Team. I also volunteer at a low-income high school (through one of my classes), and working at the geology lab. I thoroughly enjoy college, though I am finding little time to sleep. However, such is life.

I have heard that this summer will be one of the best of my life, and I don’t doubt it. I don’t know exactly how it will unfold, but on this blog, we will be able to watch it all happen over the course of the trip.