Dear Friends:
Thank you so much for supporting Cesar and i on our ride across the country this past summer.
I am writing this short blog to let you know about an exciting event that i will be taking part on this May.
I will be participating in is the Annual AIDS Life Cycle. An annual event that gathers hundreds and thousands of cyclists coming together for an important cause; to raise money for AIDS Research, prevention and care. This will be the first year that i will be participating int his event. It is a 545 mile ride that will take place from May 31st to June 6th. As a cyclist and participant in this event, i am responsible for fundraising at least $3000 by May 6th. I am setting myself the goal of reaching $3000 and then $2000 more before the deadline. So i really need all of your support in order to achieve this. I know these are hard times, but it is important to support these causes that affect so many of us whether directly or indirectly. Anything you can donate, as small or silly as you think it might be, will most definetly help make a difference! Thanks again for your constant support. Love, Peace and Bike Grease! - gaby

You can check out the website for the event at: http://www.aidslifecycle.org

I was raised by my parents to always “finish what i started” because the sense of completion after accomplishing a goal is so inspiring that it builds your spirit and sets the foundation for success.

Today, i rest in a hotel room in New Jersey a night before the elections; with the background of Obama’s last speech in Virginia broadcast on CNN, after two slices of broccoli pizza, and a heartwarming conversation with my boyfriend all the way on the West coast; I lay in my bed wondering how to be most productive this evening, after organizing receipts from my recent travels and putting my finances in order, after writing a “to-do list” which included laundry, apply for my first credit card, and call my New York friends, i found a gift certificate for kiva.org inside my binder. It was $25 that Cesar had gotten for me while we were on the road.

Kiva was introduced into my life on a cold summer day, after a snow blizzard in Montana, as we rode up a mountain at 4mph and we shared stories about things in our lives which inspired us. Cesar told me about micro-economics; and that is when i first heard about kiva.org. We knew that we wanted our summer adventure to stand for something meaningful, and not even a week passed when we declared kiva.org to be our inspiration for the rest of our journey, we would dedicate our efforts, our challenges, our overcoming, our strength, in honor of this great organization.

So i find myself still awake at 3am in Wayne, NJ, writing this blog. Because i want to finish this journey that, due to an unfortunate accident, came to a premature halt only 700 miles from reaching the east coast of Virginia; I want to jump back on my bicycle and ride through the Appalachian Mountains, not just with Cesar, but with all of our friends who would like to challenge themselves to be part of something amazing this coming summer of 09!

This blog is an invitation to all of YOU to join us as we ride 700 miles form Berea, Kentucky, the Gateway to the Appalachians, up the mountains, through the valleys and to the coast. We ask that you join us not only by riding alongside us (or driving a support vehicle if you cant pedal), but also by joining kiva.org and making a donation that will change someone’s life by providing them with the possibility of growing their business.

My goals are the following:
* that at least 10 of you, our friends will chose to join us this summer for two weeks of both physical and spiritual challenge that we will overcome together, as a team.
* that everyone who joins us on this journey (the whole group that rides with us) will also become a kiva member and will be making loans to entrepreneurs in third world countries.
* that we will learn about teamwork, that we will grow as individuals and with one another, growing closer as friends on this adventure
* that we will do something extraordinary and that we will feel proud and empowered to accomplish more extraordinary things in other sectors of our lives.
* that not just my friends and family, but that all of YOUR friends and families will support our journey and will learn about kiva.org
* that we will have a super fun and unforgettable 2 weeks of summer filled with adventure and laughter and challenge and growth, and natural beauty!!!

So i urge you friends, to start thinking about taking those 2 weeks in the summer, to take your bike in for a tune-up (or just bring it to Cesar!...he’s become quite the expert at tuning and fixing bicycles), and to start setting things up in your life so you can make this happen for yourself!

Check back to this site for updates, because we will hopefully have dates in mind soon, and if you think that this adventure is one you would like to be a part of, then send us a comment on this blog so that we can get an idea of how many of our friends might be interested.

I am so excited to share this with all of you!

love.love.love.

Change my World, by the Agape Children's Choir.

We have been in Miami for 5 days now, and though it was a conscious decision that we made to postpone the last 700 miles of the trip until Spring of 09, we were still not ready to accept that our big summer adventure had come to a momentary end; so two nights ago as we walked along the colorful south beach strip; agreeing on a need for closure from the summer experience; we came up with the idea for a celebratory day in honor of all the miles we had ridden and the amazing experience we had had. It happened kinda like this...i said “Cesar i think that in order for us to get closure i want to take a day to celebrate our accomplishments” and Cesar said something like: “How about tomorrow” and i said “Well isn’t that too soon, don’t we want to take time to plan it?” and he said “No, every time we rode our bicycles we had to plan everything the day before, so to celebrate this trip, it would be appropriate to organize the celebration tonight, and we go and do it tomorrow!” And so we spent the next hour sitting on a beach bench feeling the night ocean breeze on our faces and watching tourist decked out on their way to the South Beach restaurants and clubs....we decided that the next morning we would leave the house early and take the bus to the beach. We didn’t want to get a ride to the beach because we wanted to keep our closure experience as authentic as our bicycle trip; so yesterday we woke up and took the bus to Lincoln road, where Cesar wanted 3 eggs and greasy hash browns (in memory of our cycling breakfasts!); but on Lincoln Road it was hard to find anything that didn’t fit the “South Beach Diet” criteria...so we ended up eating eggs and orange juice and eggs and salad, and feta cheese and olives and salmon and tuna...big breakfast full of protein but little carbs...though we did keep sending the waitress back for more bread (and Nutella) !!!

Then we walked around Lincoln Road as if we were discovering a town in Middle America on one of our days off. Finding a gelato store we went in and got a double scoop. I got Almond and Dulce de Leche; Cesar got Mamey and Chirimoya (and ended up eating a little bit of my dulce de leche and most of my Almond ice cream as well). Then we walked 30 blocks on the south beach boardwalk to the hotel where we had made a reservation the night before. It was a super trendy hotel on 39th street. We arrived at the hotel and dropped off all our stuff, after an hour nap (customary on our cycling days off); we got ready for the beach, where we tried to even out our cyclist tans and enjoy the warm crystal clear waters of the Atlantic.

Later that day we walked to the Public Library where we hung out for a little bit reminiscing on our journey; and then we walked back to Lincoln Road for a pizza and beer dinner. We ordered four $5 slices of AMAZING pizza and sat outdoors cheering and celebrating our accomplishments. There we toasted and shared stories about the trip, talked about most memorable conversations, most exciting climbs, most challenging moments, most delicious ice-cream; etc. We laughed and we joked and after a belly full of bbq shrimp pizza and light beer; we walked to Giradellis to share a Butterscotch sundae with two scoops, whipped cream, pecans, a double serving of fudge, and a cherry on top.

We made it back to the hotel just in time to watch Project Runway at 9pm. The episode where they had to make outfits out of car parts; and in that moment i remembered all the sweet things that Cesar had done for me along the way; all the times he would let me sleep while he fetched us dinner, all the times he gave me his arm-bands and sweaters when i was freezing cold; all the times he stayed up to tune up my bicycle so that it would run smoothly and all the times he agreed to watch chick flicks (such as Made of Honor, Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants and Sex in the City the Movie), as well as one of my favorite shows “Project Runway”

What a great ending to a perfect adventure. I am so grateful for having had the time and the drive to set out on something like this. I have learnt so much about myself and about my partner along the way. I remember myself on the first day, so naive, thinking that it would not rain the whole time we would be travelling; well, it rained, it snowed, it winded....and i worked through it and grew stronger from it. I feel so inspired and empowered to accomplish the things i want from life; i feel closer to my dreams they are so much more at reach than they used to be; because one of the lessons i learnt from this experience is that if one commits to accomplishing small things everyday that get you closer to your ultimate goal; before you know it, you will have accomplished something amazing and incredible. It was because of our commitment to doing 40-80 miles per day every day regardless of the hurdles and challenges that life put in our way (climate, mountains, head winds); that we were able to accomplish 3680 miles at the end of 3 months. I will never forget this. And i am grateful for all the people in my life who supported me through it; with their words, with their love, and with their kindness. I am grateful for all the new friends we have made in such a short time; and i am excited to come back to Berea, Kentucky next spring to cross the Appalachians and the beautiful state of Virginia!

Up until now we have crossed 9 states, (in order) Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky. With only Virginia away from finishing this life-altering experience; i have begun to think about my top 10 favorites things related to this trip. So without counting the state of Virginia, when i will again revise this list, since i have heard that Virginia is one of the most beautiful places in the country. Here is the TOP 10 Gaby favorites on the Transamerica, from the coast of Florence, Oregon to the gateway to the Appalacians, Berea, Kentucky (1 being the best, and 10 being the least best, but still amazing!)

Top 10 cities to Check out on the Transamerica

10. New Heaven, KY
9.  Berea, KY
8.  Newton, KS
7.  Dubois, WY
6.  Farmington, MO
4.  Breckenridge and Frisco (7 miles apart by a bike path), CO
3.  Sisters, OR
2.  Missoula, MT
1.  Eugene, OR

Top 10 places to spend the night on the Transamerica:

10. The Lighthouse Inn, Florence, OR
9. The Super 8, Carbondale, IL
8. The Motor Lodge, Sisters, OR
7. The Sherwood Inn, New Heaven, KY
6. The Grand Hotel (the “Train” room), Sisters, OR
5. The Moose Inn (brand new hotel in Sheridan, MT where we were the first guests stayed there just before they opened their doors to the public).
4. The Stagecoach Bed and Breakfast, Hot Sulphur Springs, CO
2. The Old Faithful Inn Hotel, Yellowstone National Park, WY
1. Hedrick’s Bed and Breakfast and Exotic Animal Farm, Nickerson, KS

Best FREE places to spend the night on the Transamerica:

11. The Horse Creek Inn Hotel, Houston MO (almost free, $15 per person for a hotel room, special cyclist price)
10.  The Athleticlub, Scott City, KS (also almost free, $10 per person special cyclist rate)
9.  The Fire Station in Newton, KS
8.  Dayville Church, Dayville OR (donations)
7.  The Downtowner Inn, Graingeville, OR (Rooms were $60 but it was given to us for free thanks to the United Methodist Church who provided Traveller’s Aid).
6.  Mark and Tammie’s house in Dillon, MT
5.  Josh’s house in Missoula, MT
4.  Sebree Baptist Church, Sebree, KY
3.  Josh and Palmira’s house, Eugene, OR
2.  Kim’s house, Prineville, OR
1.  Amy’s house, Corvallis, MT

Top 10 must-dos and must-sees on the Transamerica:

10. Cascade Mountains, OR
9.  Sisters, arts, crafts and quilts, OR
8.  River adventures in the Ozarks at Alley Springs and Emminence, MO
7.  Whitewater rafting in Oregon
6.  Cycling, skiing and outdoor fun in Breckenridge, CO
5.  Johnston Shut-ins, MO
4.  Grand Tetons National Park, WY
3. Yellowstone National Park (and nighttime ranger programs), WY
2. Harig’s Alpaca Farm, The Ozarks, MO
1. Hedrick’s Bed and Breakfast and Exotic Animal Farm!!!

Top 3 Hardest Climbs on the Transamerica:

3. The Ozark Mountains, MO (specifically between Alley Springs and Ellington going East).
2. Hoosier Pass, CO (because of the altitude and thin air, i had difficulty breathing and riding).
1. Whitebird Pass, OR (used to be the old 95 hwy with 35 switchbacks and then some more climbing into Graingeville).

Best Food on the Transamerica:

11. The Cream Station, New Heaven, KY
10.  The Fudge Shoppe, Harrodsburg, KY
9.  Great Harvest Bread Co. Eugene, OR and Missoula MT
8.  Only fancy restaurant in town (cant remember the name, but it;s not the burger place, it’s the other one!), Wisdom, MT
7.  The Spice of Life, Hamilton, MT
6.  Cookie’s Cafe, Golden City, KS (best pies in the world!!!).
5.  Paya Cafe, Dubois, WY
4.  Lodge (night before we crossed the Lolo Pass going East), MT
3.  Dinner at El’s house in Prineville, OR
2.  Amy Montheith’s breakfast in Corvallis, MT
1.  Violet’s house in Sebree, KY. Violet and her husband Pastor Bob made an amazing meal with asian coleslaw, stir-fry vegetables, butter peas, rice, fresh tomatoes from her garden. Sweet tea, watermelon, and for dessert a sugar sponge cake hot from the oven with fresh cubed peaches and vanilla ice cream.

Most disappointing places on the Transamerica:

6. Pueblo, CO
5. West Yellowstone, MT
4. The fire station in Rough River, KY
3. Great Bend, KS
2. Rawlins, WY
1. Lolo Hot Springs, MT

We are in Illinois. We had an amazing 80 mile day followed by another amazing 73 mile day. Saturday night we arrived in Carbondale, Illinois. Small college town...filled with bars, pizza shops, and laundrymats. We’ve taken a couple of days off here and its been very restful. We got a super great deal at the Super 8 and we’re getting new tires on our bikes....some surprises soon to come!

Yes! I am officially owed a 1hour (at least) back massage from my partner, who, a few days agod as we were entering the Ozark mountains of Missouri said to me jokingly “If you ride 80 miles in a single day, i will give you an amazing back massage!”

The most we had done in the Ozarks until today were:
One 60 mile day
And two 40 mile days....

...but alas...today the alarm went off at 6:30am, we pressed the snooze button til 7:20am, we were packed and eating breakfast by 8am and riding by 9am...so we were able to ride 78.9 miles today from Centerville to Ozora, still challenged by the Up and Down steep Ozark hills!
But...obviously 78.9 miles is not quite 80. So i smiled at my partner and asked “Do you think you could cut me some slack and let me slide just under 80, and still give me my prize?” to which he responded “I am a man of my word, what kind of man would i be if i went back on my word? if you want the prize you gotta do the 80”. So in order to get my 1 hour (at least) special back massage i rode around the hotel for about 5 minutes until my odometer read the B-I-G-80!

Songs of the Day: "Lil Star" by Kelis and "Have a Nice Day" also by Kelis

We are back. Took a break from riding from July 16th through the 29th. Stored our bikes in Eureka, Kansas, a small town in the middle of nowhere; hitched a ride to the next big town, took a greyhound to St Louis, MO where we spent two days sightseeing, dancing salsa and eating thai food’ then flew out to hot, and sticky, fast-paced, New York City where we spent 10 days before we headed back to Kansas.

Since our return we have left the cornfields of Kansas and moved into the Steep MIssouri Hills also known as the Ozarks. I must say this is possibly one of the most challenging parts of this trip for me. Physically the Ozarks are kicking my butt. Unlike the Rockies which can range from 6%-7% for the duration of anywhere between 5-20 miles of steady climbing to the top; the Ozarks are steep little hills of about 2-3 miles long (at most) but with a drastic steepness of 12%-14% (or so we’ve heard the locals say). A few days ago the hill was so steep that i actually considered getting off my bike and walking it; but after a little bit of reflection i realized that “this too shall pass” and i just continued on in the heat of the Missouri afternoon.

Today was our day off. Cesar did our laundry while i uploaded pictures to our site (YES! NEW PICTURES ARE UPLOADED....FINALLY!!!)....and then we had a “check-in” in the afternoon, these are times that we set aside once a week to write out weekly goals; things we want to accomplish in life, in the next month, in the next year, and how each week puts us a step closer to reaching those goals. It all started one afternoon when i was telling him that my BFF and i were accountability partners for a long time. We would meet every friday and set goals for the week, then we would check in over the phone every day and make sure we were holding eachother accountable for our goals as well as encourage each other to succeed....well Cesar thought it was a good idea and we’ve started doing it...it feels so great and it puts us in such a positive frame of mind....we did our monthly goals for August and then our weekly goals for this next week...to give you an idea...one of my goals is to drink at least 1 gallon of water a day; to talk to my family every other day this week and to finish reading 2 audiobooks in this next month. So they are simple goals pertaining to self/career/family/health/friends/love/spiritual, etc....its fun!

After our “check-in” we went out on a date that Cesar had planned....we rode our bikes around town; he gave me a night tour of Houston and then we went to a really nice restaurant that had delicious fresh Tilapia and now we are settling in to watch a movie in our hotel room....

I willt ry to Blog more often, though the truth is that since we’re trying to ride over 60 miles per day; by the time we get to a town all we want to do is eat, set up our tent and sleep....so not realistic for us to write everyday; but the good news is that we’ve both committed to writing blogs at least once per week for the next month we have out on the road...so if our check-ins are successful, our friends and family will be able to read more blogs and see more pictures when they visit our page!

sending you all love from the City of Houston, in the County of Texas, in the State of Missouri!

the pedaling poet