Alive Campaign Blog

Alive Fest

2009-08-23T22:12:00.000-07:00

We haven't forgotten you guys. Here's an update! Alive Fest was amazing! For those of you that don't know what Alive Fest is, it was a Alive Campaign Benefit concert to help us raise money for the documentary that is scheduled to be released Spring 2010. We were also able to share the message of hope, fighting the battle of depression. We had several local El Paso Bands play. But the main event was Building 429. Here's some videos from the event.

P.S. thanks sis for your hard work in making the concert happen and changing people's lives..good luck in college.

Spring Break in Indiana

2009-03-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

Team Okinawa (Justin and Andi) has just gotten back from Indiana, where they spent 3 days filming a man named Ed, a father who lost his son to suicide. This is their story:

The story in how we found Ed is as much as an important feature as was his story. We discovered him about two weeks ago. Ed, sent us an email asking for promotion of his son's music. His son, Ben , before taking his life, was a musician. Ben left behind notes: Aflats, Bflats, and sharps, his life summed up in his poetry. Ed's dream is to have Ben's music to become mass produced and act as preventive tool to those thinking about taking their lives. His story touched us.

Currently Andi has been working non-stop on the documentary we hope to have out next year. Destination Anchorage: A Live Film (Working Title). After looking at the film Andi knew he was missing something. He was missing the first hand stories of the victims of suicide. It turns out some of the true victims are the one's left behind. So when we heard Ed's story we knew this was not an accident.

We scrounged up a few hundred dollars and flew down to Indiana to meet with Ed. As Andi and I arrived in Indiana we found Ed waiting for us, excited that we came. He shed a few tears, knowing that this was another path towards accomplishing his dream. We felt humbled by his enthusiasm. We learned quickly that Ed was perhaps the most charismatic talker we had ever met. After entering his car for less then 30 min, he began telling us his life story. Telling us things that we weren't prepared for. The weight of this began to fall on our shoulders immediately. Here we are talking to a loving father about his son's death. I do not think this is something you can ever get used to.

We also learned that Ed has been working tirelessly trying to get his son's record produced. Ed is well connected. He knows celebrities of all walks of life, he has also handed each of them his son's CD hoping for it to grab somebodies attention. Although they all are deeply moved by the story none of them have contacted Ed about the CD. Ed even went as far as to appear on the game showDon't Forget the Lyrics with Wayne Brady. Where he missed a 200,000 dollar question that could have funded the musical endeavor. He had almost given up, until of course we contacted him. To him, in tears, we were re-birthing his dream.

We were introduced to the IU campus in Bloomington. Ed and his fiance own a restaurant, Buffa Louies, where they serve some of the best wings this side of the Midwest. The first night they had a concert at their restaurant in response to our arrival. There, we met Ben's friends and band. We told them our story and about the bike trip we accomplished last year. We heard a great response from our message, many of the people there were glad that we came. Yet, we still felt unworthy, as they began to share their hearts with us.

The three days of filming are probably some of the most emotional days of my life. Those that commit suicide think that they are ending their pain but in reality they are only transferring all that pain a 100 times to all of the people around them. It was hard on Andi and I.

The last day we drove 3 and a half hours to Ben's grave site. You can tell it was hard on the father. Along the drive Andi filmed Ed telling the whole story, from the soccer games, to the high school years, and to the final days of Ben's life. Until we reached the final climax, his son's grave. We were all moved.

We left Indiana with a new sense of mission. Ed was gracious enough to share his unbelievable story with us. This burden is now on our shoulders. The Alive Campaign has new legs.

For those that are interested in listening to a couple of tracks from Ben and his sister Hayley please visit these links:

Ben's Music

Hayley's Music

"Your Choice" and "Big Man" will be some of the song in the soundtrack of the upcoming film Destination Anchorage: A Live Film (Working Title). Let us know what you think. Peace.

-Justin Brown

Back and Running

2008-11-14T14:35:00.000-08:00

So I've missed all of you. Just a recap: we all are doing well, we've been super busy with school. Alyson is working as a Senior Community Leader at Brook Residential Hall, Kyle is working hard on earning his degree, Nathan is getting done with interviews for job prospects, Andi is rocking it in New York through an internship with the Baylor Film Network, and I'm working on getting into Law School. We're all just trying to get through these final semesters.

It was really weird being back from the bike trip. I still sometimes look at the road and think about getting back on my bike and just taking off. Yes I still ride my bike, old faithful has not let me down, who would have ever thought I'd have such feelings for an inanimate object. But it is truly my pride and joy. I can't say that for the rest of the team. Nathan and Kyle have been loving the feeling of returning to their old habits. Kyle discovered 97 cent Betty Crocker Cakes at the super market, he can't believe he never thought of those before (I come back to the apartment to see yet another cake in the oven). Andi has been in New York and was even able to meet up with a lady that we met on the road. They had lunch and everything. Andi has been having a blast in New York, he's been learning a lot.

Since we've been back we been loaded with tons of questions on how the trip was, what was our favorite part, what was our favorite city, did anyone get hurt, and we've had to answer them a million times. But we are particular happy for all the things we learned from the trip and all the people we met. We are very thankful. I was talking to Alyson the other day and she said how weird it felt not being in a new place everyday, but how she was happy to be stationary for a while. I don't know if I fully agree with her, I think I find myself in a new place everyday just not in the location sense.

But now we are getting finished with our 2nd to last semester of College and after working on the Alive Campaign behind the scenes, I thought to let you in on what we are doing. It turns out that Andi is still working on the Documentary and that is our biggest concern as of now. We got some great footage and we're putting it together. It looks really good. Keep checking the blog as more information reaches me.

Peace- Justin Brown

Home Sweet Home!

2008-08-05T00:11:00.000-07:00

We made it! We're home! As we crossed the Texas line today we couldn't have been more excited and then as we saw the Green and Gold from the Baylor tower, the feeling of completion started to resonate. This has to be one of the happiest days of our summer.

For the past 3 and a half days we have been driving non-stop crossing through Alaska, Canada, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and finally Texas. It was an adventure in its own right, deciding that we were not going to stop anywhere, for showers or for beds until we made it home. There was a little bit of pride in making this kind of trip. I mean people take these kinds of trip by themselves let alone after you have biked across the country, but we figured if we can bike across the country and be okay we can stay in a van for 3 days and be even better. Unfortunately the drive was not as exciting as it sounds. We were tired in the "my body really really wants to exercise" sort of way...there something about being in a van for 3 days straight that takes a toll on the body, especially when all your eating is fast food and gas station beef jerky. All the hard work we've done to make our bodies in biking shape felt like it was deteriorating. Our stomachs felt awful, our legs wanted to run, our muscles wanted to sleep, and our bodies wanted a shower.

We each took our own driving shifts. Each consisting of 5 hours. The night shift was the worst, the scary thing about riding through the night, especially through the Yukon, was the animals. It was common to see wolves, bears, deers, and yes..buffalo. The greatest thing about the night shift was when it ended, and then the sun rose...I enjoyed seeing the sun rise every morning, but then after that ray of sunshine (pun intended) the days just dragged on, and sleep in the most miniscule amount was a blessing. I just jumped in the back seat and rested my head even though afterwards my spine was in knots. And the knots didn't go away. Our heads pounded from the lack of sleep but we pushed through.

The final run even though it was in a car showed how much we've grown as friends. We laughed even though the van smelled of trash and the floor was littered with candy wrappers. We've been through the bugs and the dirt while riding bikes and in a scary way I think we have grown used to being uncomfortable. As Baylor came into view we began giving High-5s, shouts of joy, and singing to cheesy music. We made fools of ourselves, honking our way into town. The poor van is just as much a team member as we are, and it was invited to join in in the excitement. According to Nathan's motto "If you take care of your machines your machines will take care of you," and the van has truly taken care of us.

When we arrived the first thing we noticed was the Texas heat. It was funny, I actually missed the unbearably sticky summer air. We were welcomed by Nathan's parents and family, as well as Susan from the Baylor counseling services, and Dub Oliver from Student Life, whom we all hugged and who basked in our smelly selves. We are so happy. There is no place like home.

-Justin Brown

Another note from Alyson:
On behalf of the team, after talking and hanging out this evening in Nate's apartment, we want to say thank you to everyone that has supported us, and helped make this trip possible. The bike trip was for our friend whom sparked this adventure, the people on our facebook group, our families, our friends, our sponsors: Ford Direct, everyone in Itasca, staff, students, and administrators at Baylor, and everyone else who has been with us. The list is long, and every day it grows. We are so blessed to have such loving and selfless people in our lives.

Coming Home!!!

2008-08-01T00:30:00.000-07:00

Our adventure is coming to an end, tomorrow we will be heading home. We're getting all the last minute preparation made for the trip back. Getting an oil change, throwing away the trash that has accumulated over that past 70 plus days (there is a lot of it), and creating a makeshift bed so that we can sleep while the van is pulling forward. I hate to disappoint all of you but we're not going to be biking back! This is what we like to call a race to the finish. We're having to get home (Baylor University) by August 6th. So we are going to be driving non-stop (with a couple of breaks in between) to get home in time.

We're going to be waking up at 4:30 am and driving till 8pm just about everyday for 5 days. We're each going to take shifts to help the 15 hours a day go a lot smoother and safer.

It will feel good being on the road again even though its going to zip by. The drive back will be like rewinding a video tape. We will pass through the same terrain and experience the same weather, maybe by going through all of it, it will help all of us truly see the magnitude of our accomplishment.

I'm looking at my pictures again. I've been looking at all the pictures, strolling down memory lane. They are all so beautiful. What's really strange is I can't believe I was there. Its like somebody photoshopped my picture putting me behind those wonderful backgrounds. Time flew by so fast. Now it is only a memory, a picture, but it is a part of me. I was there. I saw the wonders of all creation, I experienced the desert heat, the ocean breeze, and the pine smells, I lived through all of it, and we made it.

I'm excited about tomorrow, getting back on the road, I think Willie Nelson summed my feelings best:

On the road again
Just can't wait to get on the road again
The life I love is makin' music with my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again
On the road again
Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again,
And I can't wait to get on the road again.

-Justin Brown

Day 77: Anchorage, AK (rest day)

2008-07-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

Today we got to sleep in, and woke up just in time to clean up and go out on the town. Once again, Andi is spending time with his folks. We hope they're having fun.

Nate, Justin, and I went to lunch and then hit up the Alaska Native Heritage Center. It was interesting to hear about all the history and see some native dances and artwork. We had fun taking a tour around the lake, seeing totem poles, huge whale bones, and going inside some huts.

After that, we went to dinner at Humpy's Grill. They had really good Halibut and we met a pilot for UPS who told us about his recent 12-day job that went to places all over the world, including Hong Kong, Russia, Germany, Anchorage (of course) and Kentucky. He told us, "You absolutely must travel. It's one of the best things you can do."

Then we walked around downtown. The shops and activities are pretty neat, and the Alaska memorabilia is one-of-a-kind. I refrained from buying a "Alaska: where size matters" t-shirt though. :)

The day was nice and relaxing, and Nate and I are going to watch some more "Friday Night Lights" tonight. Tomorrow is our prep day before we leave early on Friday morning. We'll be cleaning out the van, getting an oil change, and doing a lot of other necessary things... It's worth it. I can't wait to be back in Texas.

Alyson

Day 76: Anchorage, AK (rest day)

2008-07-30T00:24:00.000-07:00

We're all a bit tired today. The team has been working a bit to spread the news of our arrival. After lunch, we headed back to The University of Alaska Anchorage to be present for a welcoming ceremony. And other then we being the honored guests, the Lt. Governor showed up and presented us with gifts. He introduced himself and spoke of the tragedies of Alaska being a state where suicide is common, and that there needs to be more young people standing up for the cause. We felt humbled. Alyson said, "I think the trip is starting to sink in," keeping the tears from rolling down her face. I'm not at the point of fully realizing the impact of the trip but I know what she means. Meeting all these people, has put some added value to what we've accomplished.

We toured some more areas in Anchorage, and found ourselves in a theatre, where a man gave a old fashioned story telling of the Alaska legends. As he began to tell of the Gold Rush, that took place about 100 years ago, we felt a kindred to the story. We have traveled the same trails of the adventurers searching for gold. Because like them we were on an adventure searching for riches, not the material kind, but we were searching for the riches that can't be bought or sold, we were searching for meaning.

Nathan is saying "Goodbye" to his parents right now. They are leaving on a plane tomorrow morning leaving us on our own again. Seeing them was like a touch of reality, reminding us that this trip has to end, but now that they're gone in the back of my mind I swear I feel like I'm going to ride again tomorrow. I guess it has become a habit. But this trip has to end. Being with Nathan's parents also reminded me that I have parents awaiting me at home. I can't wait to see them.

p.s. Moose are everywhere!!

-Justin Brown

Day 75: Anchorage, AK

2008-07-29T02:36:00.000-07:00

Yeah, we're in Anchorage, and we got to sleep in! We went to the University of Alaska Anchorage today, and met with a lot of faculty and staff in student services. We had lunch and discussed our story and facts about the suicide and depression rates in the state of Alaska. They gave us UAA t-shirts, which are the same colors as Baylor! :)

Then, Andi went to hang out with his family some more while Nate, Justin, and I spent time with Nate's parents. First we went sight-seeing. We saw some glaciers, and then went to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center to see the animals. We took pictures of moose, elk, caribou, black and brown bears, foxes, bald eagles, and wood bison. The moose they had were the ones in the movie "Into the Wild".

After many pictures and looking around, we went on to our next thing: dinner. The five of us went to Outback Steakhouse and ended up talking until 11 o'clock there... we talked for FOUR HOURS about the trip, recapping events, arguments, and peoples' quirks. It was so good to think back.

Oh, and we're staying at UAA for the next four nights. They have such nice rooms, and gave us amazing perks. They made our beds, with mints on our pillows, and gave us towels with mini tolietries. It's like we're in a hotel! We'll be sleeping well tonight in Anchorage!

Alyson and Nate

Justin here: I just wanted to acknowledge the church where we spoke yesterday night. The youth helped put together our information packets, I was blown away how selfless they were. We've been doing a lot of speaking here in Anchorage, this is what it's all about.

Before I forget, we were even able to meet another one of our Facebook members! She was so excited to see us, and we were more thrilled to hang out with her. She's from all the way in New Jersey!

Day 74: WE MADE IT!!! Anchorage Alaska

2008-07-28T00:19:00.000-07:00

We made it! We raced towards the finish line, with the wind against our face and our face bright with excitement, we crossed into Anchorage Alaska. It was like a blur my legs were stretched to the limits, I wanted to truly finish with all my strength racing with all my might. I didn't realize I had it in me to go so fast. I looked at the team around me, and I began to shout "This is for everyone who told us we couldn't make it, this is for our Facebook group, our friend, kyle, our families, our school, we made it guys!" It's all overwhelming. I still can't believe we made it, I still think that I'm going to wake up from a dream. I remember riding out of Baylor, and thinking to myself "We have such a long way to go" but now look where we are, time surely goes with every step. We took it one day at a time, and its so unreal that those days added up to this. What a journey.

Now in Alive Campaign fashion our ride couldn't go without a hitch, as we were riding towards the sign we had to take a detour because we weren't allowed on the Highway. As we flew through the detour I realized that Andi's and Nathan's family, in their vehicles behind us, wouldn't know where we went so we called them and as soon as we did we realized we were lost. Can you believe it? Only 10 miles to Anchorage and we have to get lost. We didn't know what to do, but after several pushes in the right direction we got back on track. Time was of the essence. We were scheduled to meet a news crew at 2 and it was 1:30! We didn't want to drive but we didn't want to be late. So we biked with all our hearts. And flew faster then I've seen us go. "Go faster" I screamed, "This is what its all about, this is what we've worked for" I encouraged, I felt like a slave driver pushing the troops along. Then Alyson started to yell, "Let's move it" and I realized we were all running off of adrenaline, pushing ourselves to the limit and working as a team to do it. We did 10 miles in 20 minutes, a record!

We joined hands and praised each other. Tears were shed, gifts were given, and everybody hugged everybody. Its like we won a million dollar jackpot. We received messages from school and home, people offering their congratulations. We couldn't be more thankful to our friends and family. Our lives are changed forever and for the good. Smiles were plastered on all of our faces. This is what it means to be Alive.

I want to thank all of our families that supported us, and our Facebook members that stuck with us!

Last year we created a group "Four guys, One destination, One Mission: Suicide Prevention:

-Justin Brown

P.S. Our journey is still not done and our story is still incomplete. We still have to drive back and we have several days here in Anchorage, spreading suicide awareness. We'll keep you up to date on what's happening. I also just don't want to say Goodbye to all of you.

Day 73: Palmer, AK (Rest Day)

2008-07-27T01:43:00.000-07:00

Today we enjoyed a long, relaxing day in the rainy, cold city of Palmer. Justin and Andi went with Andi's family to look at some glaciers. They saw the largest glacier you can get to by road! Then, they pet wolves, at this wolf petting zoo area. They were adorable!

Nate and I decided to hang back at the church. We value our sleep. :) When we woke up, we drove to Walmart, got lunch at Chili's, and then watched a marathon of Friday Night Lights. I got Nate and Andi semi-hooked on the show now. Lol.

Andi is so excited that his family is here, and tonight, Nate's parents arrived. All of us went to dinner to talk about plans for tomorrow. Nate's dad is so surprised that we made it this far. I think I saw a glint in his eyes when he saw his baby boy again.

Seeing the two sets of families really makes me miss home. When my sister called me tonight, and all her friends got on the phone (Amy, Joey, and Derrek), she started crying. She said she missed me a lot and it wasn't the same without me. This trip is so incredible, but travelling for such a long time takes its toll. I value my family more than anything in the world now.

Alaska is shaping up to its name. Pastor Peter has continued to get us food and gifts, and we're just trying to keep up! People have been blessing us left and right, and its good to share that with Andi and Nate's parents, letting them see that first hand. They've become family to all of us, as we've worked closely with them these past few months.

We're so excited to be biking to Anchorage tomorrow. It hasn't even sunk in for us yet. We're just hanging out at the church, on the net, watching Friday Night Lights, and doing our thing. One more day of biking... less than 55 miles ahead of us...

All I keep thinking is, "What'll we do after this?"

Alyson

Day 72: Palmer, AK

2008-07-26T01:30:00.000-07:00

Today marked the last of our 100 mile days, it also marked the furthest we have ridden, with 140 miles! We all had to pull our weight, coming together as a team to pull through it.

Because of the long day we forced ourselves to wake up early! Not since the desert did we wake up at such a dreary hour, all of us were tired. I woke up extra early to give an interview for Chicago's National Radio broadcast, and was thus the unfortunate face they woke up to (nobody likes to be that person), but thankfully our hosts at Alaska Bible College provided us with a filling Alaskan breakfast, salmon and bagels with cream cheese. We enjoyed our fill and dragged our legs to the bikes. Once we started to move the cold Alaskan air reenergized our weary bodies and allowed us to complete the arduous trip with success and time to spare.

An even greater surprise awaited us in Palmer. Andi's parents joined in in welcoming the team into town. They came all the way from Japan to see Andi cross the finish line. Tears were shed and the family reunion reminded the team of the journeys inevitable conclusion.

We're staying at Family Christian Center and have been welcomed with open arms. They allowed us to speak to their youth, and let us share our passion. They have given us food, shelter, showers, and comfortable beds, this is the perfect place to reflect on our journey and prepare for our crossing in two days. Tomorrow we will be resting and entering the final planning stages of Sunday's itinerary. Nathan's parents will arrive to help. We're almost there.

All journeys must end, but they will only rebirth a new one.

-Justin Brown

Day 70/71: Christochina and Glennallen

2008-07-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

Our journey is almost at an end. What is there to say? We are 3 days away from the destination that we have worked so hard to reach. I can remember the long meetings in Nathan’s apartment, the dry erase board covered with our to-do list littered with things still not complete, I remember having to balance homework, school, ROTC, church, Community Leader duties, and making sure the Alive Campaign Website was up to date and Alive Campaign’ emails were answered, I remember looking at the daunting task of raising money not sure if we were going to reach our goal, coming up with back up plans just in case things didn’t go the way we wanted them to. To believe that I have finally made it, it is unimaginable. I still can’t fathom everything. It’s even hard to reflect right now, I just don’t know how I feel. I am both happy and sad. I’m happy because we’re almost there! I’ll get to see my family I’ll get to return to school a self proclaimed man, I’ll know deep in myself that I accomplished something big, that I took a chance and won. But underneath it all I feel sadness creeping over me. It’s done, no more adventure, no more stress, no more. I’m sad because I’ll be back at school, under the same routine before the Alive Campaign, no great Alaskan adventure. I feel that I’m struggling to remember it all. Like I’m pushing the pause button on a television remote, filtering through the static picking out the true picture, the memories that will last.

Yesterday we found ourselves at the Red Eagle Lodge off of Highway 1. We set up camp and for the first time since the trips beginning pulled out our camping stove and safety rations. There wasn't a little restaurant in site so we made do with what we had, mixing white rice, black beans into a boiling pot. Although not the best meal we've had it was enjoyable nonetheless. We were still hungry and began to pull out more of our rations. Spam was our next course, after frying it in the skillet, Alyson had her first taste at a military delicacy, pulling the pink pork into her mouth unsure of what she was eating. Alyson rejoiced that it hadn't killed her, so we went on pulling 4 cans of the speckled meat and filling ourselves until our stomachs were satisfied.

Today we rode from Christochina to Glennallen, a short ride compared to the many long treks we have done, and all I could do was stare up into the trees, the Boreal forest’s of Alaska, and looking to the snow covered mountains counting the peaks, hoping that some day I can pull them out of the recesses of my brain and jump right into the memory again, to be in a place of comfort. The rain didn’t even bother me. They say that the rain in Alaska is unusual for the summer season, but I actually enjoyed it. It wasn’t that cold outside and the rain helped cool my human engine. The skies were the usual overcast but the clouds retreated further into the sky allowing me to catch a glimpse at the mountain’ tops, that’s my favorite thing about Alaska, it’s the mountains. I remember saying in past entries that man was meant to live next to the mountains, and I still believe that. These mountains are incredible. They couple together like they are part of a family, holding one another close.

My bike ride ended by arriving at Glennallen and meeting with a local radio station where we held an interview live on air. It was the first time any of us were featured on a real live radio station, it was exciting seeing how it all went down, watching the buttons switch on and off and our host turning up all sorts of levers keeping the volume in check. We were even able to pick some songs to be played at their 4 o’clock show. After the hour-long interview we arrived at the only bible college in Alaska, The Alaska Bible College where our hosts treated us to vegetable lasagna and our favorite, chocolate ice cream. Full and satisfied we hosted a meet and greet where we enjoyed the company of several residents and had fun telling our story and being enjoyable guests.

I’m looking at my computer screen again, my clothes bundled in my suit case, my bike with the golden pins of all the states I have biked through, remember again the sounds and sites of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Texas, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, the Yukon, and Alaska and trying to hold on to these memories dearly. Like they are golden pins in my mind, I will never let them go.

-Justin Brown

Day 68/69: Northway & Tok... Alaska (The Last Frontier)

2008-07-23T00:33:00.000-07:00

It has been a strange sensation these past two weeks, to walk out late at night and still have the sun in yours eyes. Like our northerly journey somehow brought the sun a little closer. Its a curse and blessing at times though. On one hand we can't fall asleep as early as we like, on the other, we can see bright as day the untouched expanses of wild nature that has come to define what we have now stepped into...Alaska...The Last Frontier.

We woke up on the morning of the 20th knowing full well that just 20 miles outside of Beaver Creek lay the border to Alaska. We were here, this was it, the homestretch. In less than a weeks time the goal that we set out to accomplish, the adventure that we had dreamed and planned would be fulfilled, our mission complete, our destination reached. And with this knowledge we ventured on, savoring every moment and every pedal through our final stretches of the Yukon. Again the human thoughts of accomplishment, and pride quickly showed through upon reaching that "Welcome to Alaska" sign. But among these vast vestiges of pride waving the Texas flag in front of the sign, we had encountered a man who was also on a journey of his own, with a route and reason that made even our own journey seem like a humble day trip. He was from Buenos Aires, Argentina and he told us that he had made a promise to his father before he died, that he would travel from the very tip of South America in Chile to the Northern most point in North America that he could reach by road which was Deadhorse, Alaska. He was a recent widower as well, He had started back in January and by the time he reached Alaska he had driven over 17,400 miles completely alone. At first driving didn't seem quite that big to us but than he told us that his doctors believe he had developed cancer and that he should probably seek treatment. You would never really know the kind of tragedy that man's life held if you just saw him, he was honestly one of the happiest people we've met on this trip. He wasn't being pushed on by any sort of developed cause, he had done so because of a promise he had made to his father, that he would live life in the way that his father dreamed it should have been lived, and even with his doctors consultations of possible cancer, the man continued on with his journey, even if that journey ended up costing him his own life in the end, it did not seem to faze him in the least.

But we are staying in a church in Tok, Alaska now after faring pretty well in a provided airport motel in Northway. The roads were rough and patchy which dusted our bikes pretty good. Though no flats today and me and Nathans bike still has yet to blow a tire or tube, even though it has twice the millage on it with almost twice the weight (not really ;), while the others have blown about four or five. Our bike is pretty impressive I'd say. And yet while we started our biking today we encountered our friend from the border yet again at the nearby convenience store. He had stayed in town that night even though he had a car and could have made 400 miles of his trip in a day had he wanted to, but he didn't. He was in no hurry.

Jack London once said: "The function of man is to live, not to exist. I will not waste my time trying to prolong it... I will use my time."

...and apparently so will our friend.

From the road,

-Andi

Day 66/67 Burwash Landing & Beaver Creek, YT

2008-07-20T21:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry again for lack of internet. But we got some new pictures, these are a collection from the past couple of days!!!!

After staying at a campsite two nights ago, we had a little rain come into Justin's five-person tent. We spent a little extra time mopping the water up. After that, we took off on our 80-mile adventure. We found ourselves biking through some pretty interesting territory. The roads were rough and all of us felt it on our joints when we finished for the day. Luckily we found a great spot to spend the night. They had free campsites, with showers! And they had some decent food as well. We were totally psyched when we got there.

We set up camp, made a fire, and talked with a few others who were camping. There was a couple who started bicycling in Fairbanks, AK, and said they planed on going to South America!!! They were completely self-contained also, meaning everything they owned was on their bikes.

This morning, we woke up, yet again, with water in the tent. Justin claims, and I quote, "The heat from inside the tent is causing the outside moisture to condense through the ground."

Yes, I laughed for a few minutes after he said that too.

After we took down the tent, I responded with, "Then why is the ground where the tent used to be still dry? I think we have a leak." Good thing we brought a few tents. We'll just have to use those next time we camp... which is in a few days.

As we biked today, we ran into some crazy weather. The cold wind and rain slowed us down a little, but we still managed to bike 110 miles to Beaver Creek, and got a motel room. We were all wet and freezing, and desperately wanted showers and a warm place to sleep.

For dinner, we had some great pizza at a place called Buckshot Betty's, where there were more diverse travelers: people from Anchorage, AZ, and NY! Now, I'm blogging from a computer in the local laundromat, doing three huge loads of laundry. The boys are taking showers at the motel... Justin freaked out when he had to help me put in some dirty clothes earlier. He said he touched dirty bike shorts that weren't his! Lol. I told him, don't worry, I'd take care of the rest. Poor J-Brown.

How are we? We're fine. A little tired, sore, and cold... but the sun's brighter than ever right now at 9:20 pm and we're hitting the Alaskan border tomorrow. We're so excited. A week from today we'll be celebrating with people in Anchorage.

We miss everyone, all the people we've run into and all the places we've called home for the past 67 days.

Until next time,
Alyson

Day 65: Haines Junction, YK

2008-07-18T22:17:00.001-07:00

Another day, another blog...you would think that sooner our later, especially the further we find ourselves north we would somehow not able to find internet. I'm not going to lie finding the internet in these parts hasn't been easy, but where there is a will there is a way; Right now Andi and I are parked outside a hotel in the little town of Haines Junction freeloading off their internet connection. Don't judge us too harshly...

Now we knew we were going to have to pay for watching the midnight showing of The Dark Knight. I might add that we saw it in Yukon's largest theatre, which boasts at having 3 screens. After the 2 and a half hour movie we headed to bed knowing of the 100 mile day ahead of us. About the time we were headed to bed the sun started to rise (Yes here in the summer they only get about 4 hours of dark, which isn't really black but more like a dark blue). Its hard to get used to.

I fell into a deep sleep once I hit the pillow. All I can remember after that is Pastor Clayton waking us up and then staring at my watch, which read: 10:00. Knowing of the long day we had ahead of us we forced ourselves to wake up, I could have still slept for another 3 hours. But that's the price you pay for a Movie Premier, it was a sacrifice we were willing to make....

After saying Goodbye to the most excellent host, we took off again on our bikes. The temperature is a lot colder then what the Yukon is used to in the summer, I had to pull out my jacket and ride through. The clouds maintained overcast for the entire day, with a little bit of rain. Regardless of the chilly air, I was happy to get back on my bike. I've never been more happy to be on two wheels.

The scenery up here is beautiful. Right now I am looking up at snow covered mountains blanketed with thin gray clouds. Evergreens barricade the road, and flowers are plentiful. At first we were afraid of the Yukon. We were told it was dangerous here. I'm sure it has its dangers, but like I've been saying for the whole trip "There is a fine line between danger and beauty". Part of what makes it so great is that it is dangerous. It is isolated. It is away from the outside world. The Yukon is better then we could have all expect.

We are camping tonight. It has been 4 days since we have last taken showers, unless of course you call burying yourself under a faucet a shower. So we are all smelly and dirty. After we finish dinner and set up camp we are heading to a place to freshen up. We miss home and can't wait to see our families. 9 days and counting.

-Justin Brown

Day 63/64: Whitehorse, YK

2008-07-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

We are alive and well, here in Whitehorse, the only major city in the Yukon. The population of the Yukon is 32,000...Whitehorse's population is 24,000...so now you can see why we weren't able to write the blog for yesterday. As a consolation for missing out on a blog, I'll update you on what happened.

Now before I sequence the events from yesterday to today, I first want to explain to everyone what the plan was (or lack there of) for yesterday, July 16. We woke up late as always, however since the sun is still shining until 11:30pm here in the north, we really weren't missing anything. The plan for this section was to drive, in order to make it to school on time we had to take time off the bikes for this portion of the trip. Which wasn't that displeasing to the rest of the group, since it allowed us to see comparably why bikes aren't the preferred vehicle for travel.

Driving through the country, however didn't feel the same, after a while in the van I was missing the open air and the solace I found while riding a bicycle. My legs felt weighed down and my body yearned for exercise. With all the open spaces of the Canadian wilderness, I can truly say I missed my bicycle.

HW 37 is known for its vacancy. On the road we were able to truly catch a glimpse of our seclusion, by seeing several black bears crossing peacefully into the brush. Knowing how menacing they could be, we kept out distance. Even with present danger we couldn't help but stop the van and watch them safely from a distance. What can I say, we take pride in being Baylor Bears.

We were alone on this stretch of Highway except for the occasional RV. The roads are just as secluded, meaning maintained as such. Its now wonder why locals looked at us strangely when we were coming this way. Loose gravel littered the roadway, and when cones said "slow down" they weren't cautionary they were meant to be taken literally. I couldn't imagine riding my bike on this kind of path.

Dease Lake, was our confirmed stop for the night, we arrived at 8:00pm hungry for anything to eat. Luckily we found the only restaurant in town, called "Mama Z's". At first we were apprehensive about eating at a road stop, especially since its the only restaurant in town, but we were definitely surprised by how great the food was.

After dinner we were on our own, meaning we didn't have plans on where to stay or somebody to meet. We figured when we got to Dease Lake all would be clear, it wasn't, and we were left fending for ourselves. We drove throughout the night looking for a place to camp but all we saw was private property. After going through town we reached the outskirts of the city and decided to turn around and look again. As we were turning around, who would have thought but we got stuck in the sand. Just like Arizona our van sunk into the dirt. We were stuck on the side of the road just on the outside of civilization. Figuring it was too late in the night to call for help, Nathan said, "Well, I guess we found our campsite." We made a crummy situation a little more enjoyable and had fun sleeping on the side of the road.

I woke up with giant mosquitoes everywhere. All through the night we were attacked by swarms of mosquitoes and up on the tent there the lay. We did all we could to get rid of them but eventually we had to give up...so much for bug spray (it only worked for a little while). Feeling the bites, we got up and I went to search for help. I found a car shop only a short distance from our camp and he was able to help us out, pulling our van from the hole. We were relieved that we would get a good start for the rest of the day.

All day we sat in the car, listening to road tunes, and drinking soda. I still missed my bike. We finally hit our destination, the first stop in the Yukon, Whitehorse. We met with Pastor Clayton and his wife at the Church of the Nazarene. They gave us a tour of the church and showed great hospitality. They even took us to some sites that are particularly known for in this part of the world. They showed us 1 out of six rivers that flows north, and then they took us to a swinging bridge that all of us were happy to rock back and forth, only Nathan decided to stand where there was solid ground (he's a little afraid of heights). But to top off an already busy day, we decided to watch The Dark Knight during the midnight showing. We saw the first showing of Batman in the Yukon! The movie was awesome by the way. I think we're going to be talking about it all night.

Tomorrow I'll be happy to get back on my bike. So far the van has had more troubles anyway...

-Justin Brown

p.s. As soon as we have the ability to post pictures, we'll update all of you..thanks for being patient.

Day 62: Smithers, BC

2008-07-15T20:51:00.001-07:00

Okay, guys, we mean it... internet's going to be pretty sparse in the next few days.

We woke up and went inside (we were all sleeping in the motor home, which comfortably fit all 4 of us) for breakfast. We had some amazing jam that was homemade, toast, eggs, bacon, oatmeal, and so many other treats. As we ate, we watched CNN. It felt good to get somewhat caught up on the election, as they went over parts of Obama's and McCain's speeches.

When you're on the road, going by as quickly as we are, you don't have the resources, time, or energy to get caught up via TV or newspaper. Sometimes we listen to podcasts from Dateline, NPR, and other news stations on Justin's iPod... but that's only when he gets a chance to update them.

We left this morning with full bellies, ready for our 90-mile day. We're definitely starting to notice how remote this area of BC really is. Already, we're running into spots that don't have gas stations for 55 miles or so, and we know that number's going to almost triple in the next few days.

The team made excellent time today, and we arrived at the Fellowship Baptist Church just in time for dinner. Again, we ate until our stomachs couldn't handle more, and THEN had dessert. There's always room, right? :)

Since then, the pastor and his family have left us to stay at the church, and we've been hanging out, waiting in turns to use the computer... internet is hard to come by out here.

Some young ladies came by with a plate full of oatmeal chocolate chip raisin nut cookies (yes, that's all one cookie). They are incredible! We ended up talking to them for 20 minutes or so and gave them A.C. t-shirts. I love small towns!

Tomorrow is one of two days driving through remote, gravel roads. Everyone keeps on telling us that we need to have plenty of gas and a spare tire, because there aren't many people, there's no cell phone reception, and the towns (and gas stations) are scarce. I think it'll be fun. We're charging our iPods tonight so we have good road music, and praying for us to find a campsite tomorrow... we're winging it as far as where we'll be staying tomorrow. Oh, Canada! Lol.

Hope to write back soon,
Alyson

Day 61: Burns Lake, BC

2008-07-14T16:31:00.000-07:00

Another day of Internet is another day saved! It is become increasingly more difficult to keep in touch with everyone, and the further north we get the further we are from all of you. We take advantage of it as much we can.

We woke up today with a restful night sleep and did our daily routine of brushing our teeth, getting dressed in our bike uniforms (they feel almost apart of us now, what am I going to do without the tight spandix shorts?) and packing all of our belongings, being careful to not leave anything behind. Knowing that lunch out on the road was a slight impossiblity, especially as we leap frog from civilization to civilization, we dared not to skip breakfast. My eyes sparkled as it sayed "Chorizo" on the menu only to be left dissapointed with Canadian Spicy Sausage....there's no place like home.

Other then the bike ride, we have started getting things together for the starting of school. Its been difficult making sure we have all of our college chores done before we're lost for a couple of days. I've been filling out things for the LSAT this coming semester...if you think studing is hard, you should try it on the open road, and Andi has been occupied filling out resumes and applications for a comming internship. Its been intersting...

As I was riding to Burns Lake today, our 61st stop on the road, I pulled out my trustee ipod and began listening to songs that reminded me of what I saw around me. Like I was listening to my very own soundtrack. "Without music things don't look as beautiful", I thought as I switched from Coldplay New Album "Viva la Vida" to much happier tunes like Rusted Root's "Send Me On My Way". It's amazing how music can alter moods and change the world around you. On the road I've been lucky enough, especially at churches to jam out with Alyson, she plays the guitar, and I play the drums, and we often get caught up with the hypnotic power of music where we often forget the time and wind up getting to bed late. But I have found a new appreciation of music, especially on the road. It makes us closer friends (especially when playing ACDC, Aerosmith, and Bob Marley's "Don't Worry Be Happy"), it keeps us from fighting (all you have to do is play some NSYNC's "Bye, Bye, Bye" to completely thwart a argument..it just makes everything around you sound foolish), and when we miss home we play some good old country tunes, where we can all miss it together. Somehow the world looks better with our ears.

Almost There!

-Justin Brown

Day 60: Vanderhoof, BC

2008-07-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

We had a great time in Prince George, but regrettably it had to end, and we had to say "Goodbye" to our recently made friends.

On the road we get bored riding for long hours. As you can imagine it gets old staring at the lines on the street, looking at your odometer and seeing the miles slowly tick by. Its like when your in school and your staring at the clock, only to find the seconds hand frozen in time. We have to make up our own fun on the road. I learned a game long time ago, during summer road trips with my family. It's a game of memory, and its called the "ABC" game....it pretty much works like this I start with A and say "A is for Apple" then the next person repeats, "A is for Apple, B is for Bear" and continues on and on until we finish with Z. Its simple but when you have nothing to do it keeps things interesting.

Alyson, Andi, and I began the game on the road...keeping our letters within the realm of our trip, and this is how it went:

A is for Anchorage (our destination in two weeks)
B is for Bicycles (as in what gets us there)
C is for Canada (as in where we have felt at home for the past weeks)
D is for Denali (as in the place we will go once we get to Anchorage)
E is for "Eh" (like "Your in Canada eh?")
F is for Facebook (and they crazy adventure we undertook November 4th)
G is for Glacier (as in thank God we aren't sailing to Alaska)
H is for Hail (the thing that Nathan never wants to see again)
I is for Ice Cream (what's going to keep us from losing any weight on this trip)
J is for Jokes (as in how we get through the long days)
K is for Kyle (one person that we miss)
L is for Lane (what we ride in)
M is for Murphy (Lane Murphy, the reporter that followed us for a day in Oregon)
N is for Neotsu (little towns have more then we thought)
O is for Ocean (still one of the most beautiful sites)
P is for Pomeranian (as in Alyson's Uncle's dog)
Q is for QPR (a way to talk to people dealing with depression...Question, Persuade, and Refer)
R is for Rachel, NV (makes us believe that "The truth is still out there..")
S is for Specialized (the bike brand that Nathan and Andi ride, believed to be invincible)
T is for TEXAS (the best state ever!)
U is for University (Baylor University that is)
V is for Vanderhoof (our destination at the end of the day)
W is for Wind (the greatest enemy of cyclists can also act as a very powerful ally)
X is for X-Ray (now this is a stretch..its what we had to get for Kyle in Yosemite..X is the hardest)
Y is for Yosemite (amazing...)
Z is for Zion (better then amazing...

Our Zion is within grasp.

-Justin Brown

Day 59: Prince George, BC

2008-07-13T00:34:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun hanging out with some people our age last night... thanks for the golf ball throwing game and video game extravaganza Josh, Jared, Catt, and Jordan!

Today we slept in til 9:30 and woke up to have a great breakfast at Tim and Barb's. We met up with Dera, a girl that works at Starbucks (yea, Baristas!) and got our info through church connections. She took us into town, where we went to the art gallery for free. My favorite exhibit was by a guy that makes art completely out of recycled materials... he created an abstract model of NYC out of bottles, cans, rubber tubes, and other crazy items. Pretty neat.

After that, Dera took us to her parent's house, and we had an incredible lunch: BBQ chicken, potatoes, and caesar salad, with tea and butterscotch pudding for dessert. Yum. :) They had a bull terrier and a great dane. The dogs were so sweet.

We got back to our host homes (I'm staying right across the street from the boys), and talked with media. We've now been a part of the Prince George Citizen (the newspaper), 94x and "The Wolf" radio stations, and PGTV. This has been very beneficial media-wise for Prince George.

After that, Nate and I ran to a bike shop to fix my rear wheel; the rear dropout was pretty much warn to nothing, so the chain and derailer pulley were struggling to keep up, and the wheel had no grip on it, so every few days the back wheel was sliding completely out of the frame! Not good. The guys at CYCLE LOGIC helped us out, though. They wouldn't sell us an individual wheel (we had no time to order a new dropout, unless we stayed until Wednesday!) so we had to buy the set. They gave us a smoking deal that we couldn't say no to, and gave my bike a once-over at no additional charge. They loved the Easton fork I had and complimented the Chromali frame... I always knew my bike was the hottest one on the trip! Thanks for loaning the bike, Uncle Mark!

http://www.cyclelogicbikes.com/

After we got back from the bike shop, the 4 of us had dinner at my host's house, with Mike and Vicky Nudds. We ate some of the best hamburgers, baked beans, and potato salad ever! They almost put Texas BBQ to shame. We finished off dinner with watermelon and cookies. :)

We talked for a few minutes, and then left for the movies to meet up with some other Facebook fans: Ashley and Kyle. We saw Wall-E, which was really good. Having gone through a lot of more environmentally-friendly areas of the states, and Canada, The A.C. really appreciated the movie. It had a great message, and the graphic detail was incredible. Wall-E made me want to change the world or something. And the robot's so cute too! We went with our new buddies to a local place for Bubble Tea, and spent the next hour and a half talking about everything from accents to roadways to gun laws and everything in between. It seems like we've done a lot of comparing between the states and provinces since we got here. It's fun.

We wanted to stay and chat longer, but we had to get back as we have a day of riding tomorrow morning.

We have no idea if we'll have internet or cell reception from here to Anchorage, so please bear with us if the blogs are posted several days after the fact.

Still alive and almost home,
Alyson

Day 58: Prince George, BC

2008-07-11T22:50:00.000-07:00

After cleaning our bikes because of the brutal rain/hail we had entering into Williams Lake, we enjoyed ourselves with a bit of a guys night out....and one girl (poor Alyson). A bunch of the youth at Maple Park Alliance Church came to visit, talk, and play a little guitar, it just happened that they were all boys...all brothers! Talk about a big family.

We stayed up reminiscing about our experience on the road and had a little fun throwing popcorn at each other. We woke up meeting the same guys from the night before, and enjoyed some Espresso Milk Shakes at a Local Coffee shops. I usually stay away from coffee before a long ride but how can you say "no" to a free milk shake? I mean were crazy but were not dumb : ) It was hard to say goodbye to some great guys so instead of saying "bye" right away they decided to ride through town with us.

The ride into Prince George was an eventful one. Alyson had a nail pierce her tire (12 tires and counting) and then while Me and Nathan were racking the bikes 2 Facebook group members came to say hi! We love meeting people from our group, this is as much their trip as ours. We exchanged numbers and hope to hang out with them tomorrow....did i say we love meeting our Facebook members...because we do.

Right now we're playing Mario Party, checking our email, talking with friends on aim, and being normal! We are really starting to appreciate the value of normalcy. Tomorrow will be a semi-work day, preparing ourselves, before we head off to the middle of nowhere. But right now I'm going to steal some stars in Mario Party. Peace.

-Justin Brown

Day 57: Quesnel, BC

2008-07-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

So my hope for good weather was kind of thrown out the window. We woke up and went outside to see dark clouds and a wet ground. A little while later, it started sprinkling. Pastor Wes got us bagels, cereal, and fruit for breakfast, and we happily indulged in that before packing the van in the rain.

We took off with roughly 73 miles/ 117 km ahead of us. I love Andi! He volunteered first, knowing full well that it was freezing outside. By now, the rain was coming down hard, but Andi perservered, and took on the first 20 miles. When he came back to the van, he had 2 jackets on, but was still shivering. His shoes were soaked and, thanks to the trucks, he was covered in muck. Justin went next, but he was fortunate enough the catch a lot of downhill. He still hit some cold rain, though. Nate went next, and then I finished out the run for the day with a measley 10 miles; we thought the stretch was longer, but we were happy to get out of the cold weather.

Kyle called today! :D While Justin and Nate were out biking, Andi and I got to hear Kyle tell us how bored he is back home, and how excited he us to meet up with us in Anchorage. He wanted to know all the juicy details since leaving him in Portland... he hasn't been able to access the internet. We miss you Key-lay!!!

We arrived in Quesnel (pronounced "Qua-nell"), and talked with 2 separate reporters along the way. Yeah media! We're excited that we're getting Canadian coverage. :)

The Senior Pastor of Maple Park Alliance Church, Garth Witzke, welcomed us into his home situated on a 5-acre farm, complete with a horse, 4 cats, 2 dogs, and 5 fish. I love animals. (Don't worry parents, the cats are outdoors. Allergies are dorment for now.) Pastor Garth told us that so many people from the church volunteered to feed us, that he had to turn them down. One lady did make us a baked macaroni dish, strawberry pie, and cookies. It was amazing!

After dinner, Justin and I cleaned the bikes. It took quite a while, seeing as this was one of the best cleaning jobs we've done in a long time. Everything's shiny and new. Nate and Andi pitched in today and did the laundry, since Justin and I had to clean. I was so happy to hear them offer to do what had been my job for the past month and a half. Go team! :)

Right now, we're meeting with some youth from the church. Pastor Garth has done an amazing job of hooking us up with the 2 media crews and the youth from his church. We couldn't have asked for a more friendly and eventful day. It's been awesome to spend time talking with everyone; I love meeting new people! I can't say that enough.

I think today I've found out how much we care for one another. Andi came in soaking wet, and we got him a towel to dry off, and a blanket to keep him warm. We helped each other rack and unrack bikes quickly so no one was in the rain longer than they had to be. I'm continually impressed with how close our team is. I love our road family! I saw a note posted on the wall at the house here, and it says: "Beginning a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop the matter before a dispute breaks out" -Proverbs 17:14.

We've realized what's more important on the trip, and the past few weeks have been much more peaceful... except when we get lost in big cities. Haha. But honestly, I think we're able to understand, at the end of the day, we can't all agree on everything. We're so different. What matters most is our friendship, what we're doing on this trip, the lives we touch, and the lifetime of memories we're making this summer.

Alive and well,
Alyson

Day 56: Williams Lake, BC

2008-07-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

Last night a pastor from the Lutheran church took us out to dinner, and after that we went on a 10 minute walk to a small waterfall hidden within the woods. It was very peaceful, and we probably would've stayed longer if it weren't for the mosquitos!

When we got back to the Christian Academy, situated right next to the church, there was a group of 15 men playing ball hockey on the gym floor. I decided to sit on the sidelines and watch this very popular Canadian activity. Pretty much everyone in Canada plays hockey: during the winter, they purposely freeze their backyards to play ice hockey; in the summer, they play ball hockey (what we call street hockey). Man, they get into it too. It was cool to talk to a bunch of guys, ranging 15 to 50, about our cause. And I had fun watching the game too.

This morning we left 100 Mile House with a full night's sleep. We decided to sleep in a little, seeing as how we only had 55 mi/88 km to do. We had breakfast at a local restaurant called Smitty's, and then met up with the pastor again. He rode the first 22 mi/35 km (I'm getting better at conversions!!!) with Andi and Justin. He's about 7 feet tall, is on fire for God, and is so passionate about life. He was a joy to talk to.

After that, Nate and I headed out for the next 20 miles. We had a lot more hills, and a strong headwind, so it took us a little longer to do our portion, but we made it to the van just fine.

Nate even volunteered to do an extra 10 miles! As Nate took off, though, Justin went to start the van and couldn't get it started. Immediately he rushed to put on his bike stuff and sprinted after Nate on his bike. It took 3 miles for Justin to catch up with him, and then both of them had to come those same 3 miles back. When they got to the van, Nate looked kind of frustrated. I would be too if I knew I had to turn around and repeat some hills. Andi and I were happy in the van, playing games and reading, with our gatorade sitting next to us. We tried not to laugh at the situation, but we couldn't help it. What else can you do in a time like that?

We called up Pastor Wes, who we were staying with tonight, and let him know what was going on. We weren't too far from 150 Mile House, and he knew a guy named Kelly who worked at the shop there. Not too long after that, Kelly showed up with his truck, jumped us, and then gave us directions to the shop. We got the van a brand new battery cable clamp... the van has been getting a lot of presents lately. :)

Nate finished out the last 6 miles, and we arrived at Williams Lake cold and wet. Yes, we have indeed run into rain... finally. At least it was at the end of the day.

Pastor Wes was so kind when we got there, and we apologized several times for being late. He didn't seem to mind though. As soon as we got in, he led us downstairs to the kitchen, where he had lasagna, garlic bread, and caesar salad ready for us, along with some of the most amazing tea I've ever had. Then, he took us to this ice cream/coffeehouse, where we got dessert. After that, Pastor Wes drove us to the REC center for us to take showers, and then we went to the local grocery store to get breakfast for the next day. He was so kind to do all of those things for us, and we had fun talking with him along the way.

We went back to the Calvary Tabernacle Church for bed, grateful that we made it into Williams Lake at a decent time. So much for the "short day" we imagined to have. I think it just goes to show that just because the distance you have to travel is shorter, doesn't mean your journey will be too. There are obstacles along the way that can lengthen your trip, and that's part of life. I'm just glad we have amazing people to help us.

Hoping we don't have bad weather tomorrow,
Alyson

Justin speaking: Here are all the pictures we promised you over the passed couple days in Canada, including some pictures with people we stayed with...enjoy!

Day 55: 100 Mile House, BC

2008-07-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

Wow, so we finally got Nathan to write a blog..that took forever. I'm sure he made his mother really proud. Speaking of mothers I just want to let everyone know that our moms have been working non-stop since the trip began. My mom carries a notebook wherever she goes with all our contact info to make sure we're not out on the street. Just in case we lose our info on the road (which happens a lot, especailly with the mess we have in the van) she's just a phone call away....which comes out to $1.07 a minute in Canada..ouch!

Sadly we have not been able to talk with anyone on the phone for long periods of time (including our parents), and if we do talk our pockets sure can feel it. We have resorted to texting since the rates are the same and we use the occational internet access (if we can find it). We're pretty much on our own in the physical sense, but luckily we've grown used to seeing each other everyday. :)

Today our destination was 100 Mile House, little did we know that actually meant 100 miles. We kept biking asking all to often "Are we there yet?" We didn't even know they used "miles" in Canada. Alyson, Nathan, and I have been having a rough time converting miles to the metric system. While Andi sat silently in the back playing his PSP. Just until recently we completely forgot that Andi is from Japan (which uses the metric system) and could have been helping us all along with the conversions. When we asked him "What gives" he silently replied with a smirk, "You never asked." We all had a laugh after that.

It was a tough day, and the 35C...I mean 95 degree heat :)...has made the van and the riders a little weary. I sweat when I'm riding both the van and the bike now, its really hot.

Luckily we have a shorter day tomorrow, and the wonderful people at Bethel Pentecostal Community Church have let us stay in their gym for the night. They are really cool people and we're are thankful for their kindness. We're about to go eat at a buffet, we love buffets! We might actually get our moneys worth.

I want to thank all of you for staying with us, we're almost there!

P.S. Don't worry we haven't forgot about pictures, they should be coming once we establish a better internet connection. Peace.

-Justin Brown

Day 54: Lillooet, BC

2008-07-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

We left Mark & Kathy Leverton’s house in Pemberton this morning after eating a pancake breakfast. They provided us with a great place to stay in the newly remodeled bottom half of their house. Also, they had a very friendly “puppy” named Cinder (short for Cinderella) that decided to help wake me up this morning. =) At ten months old, she is already much bigger than any dog I have ever owned.

We drove back to Whistler and started our 80 mile/130?? km day. I took the first stretch of the day biking about 20 miles going mostly downhill with a pretty well paved road. Then, Justin caught 20 miles of uphill on some of the worst road we have seen during this entire trip. I think there is a reason we didn’t see any bikers with us on the road today. Andy ended up splitting up the back section of the day because Alyson was not feeling well and spent most of the morning crashed out in the backseat of the van trying to sleep. She is feeling a lot better now though; I think I just heard her squeal at the TV because everyone is watching the Tour De France and someone just crashed.

As for pictures for the day, you have to wait for tomorrow (hopefully) because Justin didn’t bring the camera to where we have internet to write the blog.

I do, however, finally have pictures from the Itasca, TX Bike-A-Thon and awareness rally. =) Itasca mayor Matt Fehnel declared June 28 “Mental Health Awareness Day.” The local/school newspaper “The Paw Print Press” and city officials hosted the Bike-A-Thon and accepted donations to support us, the Alive Campaign, and help us keep gas in the van. =) (It’s about $5.75 a gallon here in Canada). It is great to have such support from home when we are more than 3000 miles away in Canada.

The contestant picture from the Bike-A-Thon.

The Mayor and myself right before the team left for Alaska. I have lost about 15 pounds since this picture was taken. =)

Paw Print Press Editor Sarah Evans with the proceeds from the Bike-A-Thon.

Day 53: Whistler, BC, Canada (Pemberton)

2008-07-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

We didn't want to leave Vancouver. It is such a beautiful city, and the people are so kind. We were right in the heart of downtown, right outside our door was a movie theatre and several shops. Thanks again Denise for the place, it was nice not having to drive the 15 passenger van through the busy city streets.

You would think that we have seen just about everything, but the scenic route to Whistler took our breath away. From the snow capped mountains to the glaciar blue lakes. Its no wonder why we see so many bikers, hikers, and recreationalists coming through this area, just biking down highway 99 we see people climbing mountains where the only thing holding them is their hands. The drivers here are surprisingly nice, they give us plenty of space, we love Canada!

In 2010 they will be hosting the winter olympics here, so we have seen a lot of construction due to the event. Alyson popped a tire coming down a construction site, making our popped tire count for this trip, 11 tires so far (by the way Nathan and Andi have yet to have a flat tire on their bike, they think that it's Invincible, lets see how long that will last).

The hospitality we have recieved thus far is unfathomable. It's hard to believe complete strangers would give some random college students a place to sleep, even opening their homes and allowing us to take a part in their lives. But now I couldn't call them strangers, they are friends, my friends, and we have a whole lot of them.

-Justin Brown

Day 52: Vancouver, BC, Canada

2008-07-06T00:39:00.000-07:00

Today we had an amazing rest day in the heart of downtown Vancouver. The church home we are staying in is right in the middle of downtown... it's awesome! We had so much fun sleeping in until almost 10 am, and then talking with Denise (who hooked us up with this home in the first place). She told us about this really good Japanese Sushi and BBQ place, and we just had to go. The food was so tasty, even Andi said it reminded him of home.

After that, we walked around downtown and then met up with this girl named Erica who's been living in Vancouver all her life. She was so sweet and her personality was contagious. Erica and the rest of us went walking through downtown, getting lattes at Caffe Artigiano, hitting up the local art galleries, and shopping in the Palace Mall.

Later on that evening, we went to the local Tinseltown theater to see "The Incredible Hulk". The movie was actually pretty cool. Who knew that Edward Norton could write an action movie that well? Erica suggested this cool diner, so we went there for dinner... White Spot had some of the best hamburgers we've had in a long time.

Shortly after dinner, we walked Erica back to the Sky Tram and then walked back to our house a few blocks down. The day was quite good, and we enjoyed having company. This has to be one of the coolest, most convenient big-city accomodations thusfar. Vancouver is a beautiful city! What a great way to start out our trip in Canada.

My folks wanted to know if people say "eh"... we only heard it once today. I did hear the saying "Right on" quite a lot, though. Right on. :)

Enjoying the wonders in BC,
Alyson

P.S. Justin... why, oh why, did you say that the US has 51 states? El Paso is part of Texas, sorry to burst your bubble. Lol.

Day 51: Vancouver, BC, Canada

2008-07-05T00:35:00.000-07:00

There are 51 states in the United States, it is day 51 of our journey, and today is the 4th of July...oh and by the way just entered Canada...pretty cool eh? We didn't plan to leave the United States on the 4th it just happened that way, just like a lot of things "just happen".

Once we said goodbye to the awesome people in Ferndale, we set off towards the Canadian border.

Did I ever mention we meet the strangest people on this trip, well its true. On our way to the border Alyson met some very interesting people, they were bikers, but not just any bikers, they were a motorcycle gang. Now don't worry mothers they weren't out to harm us, they actually saw our van and thought what we were doing was "cool". Other then the shock of a Biker Gang calling us cool, we were shocked out how nice they were. The head of the troop even told Alyson that he'd tell the other members of his gang to watch out for us on the road, they're like our own body guards, she even was able to sneak a picture with a couple of guys.

Its July 4th and here we are sitting in downtown Vancouver watching the cars go by, and the sleepless city carry on its routine. Its a very different way to spend a day that is supposed to honor our country, a day that changed the fabric of history. But I think we are all thankful to be exactly where we are, to see our country from across the lights of a different one and have a new found appreciation for it. We have crossed 8 states to get here, and seen the beauty of what is America...from the mountains to the forests, to the beauty that is in our backyard. I have learned how easy it is to wish to be somewhere else while missing what you have. You truly began to have new eyes as you see what lies on the "otherside" only wishing you could see that your grass is just as green. We do. Happy Fourth of July!

-Justin Brown

Day 50: Ferndale, WA (Our Last Day in America)

2008-07-03T22:45:00.000-07:00

Today was it, the BIG 5-O, and we all awoke this morning knowing that at the end of the day when we racked our bikes and rolled into town that it would be the last time we would do so in the Southland United States (As the Alaskans call it). What began in a circle driveway of a university gym is now finally crossing a nation. It is this culminating revelation that I often find so difficult to fathom in its perspective. It seems whenever we would come across a world map by whatever means we would always point and say to each other, "Look! We were here... and now we're here, how in the world did we get that far?" Our fingers getting further and further apart with every state we crossed like our hands were a proper measure of the vast distances we've traveled. But today when we departed Bremerton on that gray, rainy morning we did so with that same great reluctance that we were yet leaving another amazingly hospitable household that we called home for a time. It is probably to this same effect that will define our crossing into Canada. Ferndale has been a good home to us, and Bea & Harry Yasayko hosted one of the best reception dinners we've ever had. I honestly never knew BBQ ribs could taste so good outside of Texas, and the ice cream was even better. But America as a whole has been a amazing home to us these past 50 days too and it will be strange if not a little sad to leave her behind for a few weeks. But I hear the Yukon is beautiful this time of year, and though we're not quite there yet I'm sure I'll be pointing to it soon enough on a map, wondering yet again just how in the world we got that far.

With best regards,

-Andi

Day 49: Seattle, WA

2008-07-02T22:37:00.000-07:00

So today we had another rest day in the Seattle/Bremerton area. My Uncle Jim drove us around everywhere today, as we ran errands to a bike shop, sporting goods store, and to Best Buy. It was much needed though.

Justin and I went with my Uncle Jim to one of the Navy bases, and it was cool to drive through the security gate with our ID's. Then we went to Global Bean, a coffee shop that puts any Texas coffee to shame. Probably the best frappucino I've ever had... anything named "German Chocolate Cake" has to be good. :)

After running errands, we spent some time talking to media and doing laundry. The Kitsap Sun did a story on us that should be out tomorrow: www.kitsapsun.com

Later on, we had steak, baked potatoes, and salad for dinner. We were so happy to get these huge steaks as big as our plates! Yum. What a good way to end our time here. It has been so good telling stories about my uncle's childhood, and reminiscing on the last time we spent time together. I'll really miss being here. So many times we've heard, "You're gonna have to make yourselves at home. We've got a full fridge: plenty to eat and drink, so just help yourself." Not very often do we hear that, and after a few days I feel like we've lived here forever. I'm so comfortable here.

I love my family so much, and I hope that it won't be another 13 years before I see my great uncle and aunt again... that's way too long, as far as I'm concerned.

The Seattle/Bremerton area is gorgeous and the weather's been quite alright. Justin and I went for a 25 minute run earlier, and it rained for almost 10 of those minutes. It felt good though. We enjoyed the view of the trees, and the Cascade mountains in the background. I almost don't want to leave!

Enjoying my stay,
Alyson

Day 48: Seattle, WA

2008-07-02T00:19:00.000-07:00

One way to describe how we feel about our journey thus far is often described in this way: Its awesome but it isn't a vacation. We are often in a scrabble what with meetings and biking, we hardly get time to truly experience the area. Today was a day to just have fun.

We woke up at a decent hour. No forcing the body to act against its will. Alyson's cell phone alarm did go off early causing an otherwise peaceful slumber into silent curses. Alyson happens to have the same song play for her alarm. I have learned that there is one way to ruin any song and that is to make that song your alarm clock, Its Not My Time by Three Doors Down triggers all sorts of unhappy feelings.

After waking up (kind of fully rested...no thanks to Alyson's alarm) we ate an awesome breakfast with Alyson's Aunt and Uncle (they are amazing). We enjoyed the slow pace of the morning, we weren't scrabbling or packing our bags, we just sat there with Cheerios and felt like normal college students.

We wanted to take advantage of our free day in Seattle, rest days are hard to come by. After getting dressed we headed off towards the pier to catch a ferry. We boarded the ferry and enjoyed watching the city of Seattle come into view. The first thing we recognized was the famous Space Needle. A landmark, known for its unique shape, height, and revolving restaurant. It was created in order to welcome the World Fair, and like the Eiphel Tower, it became a historic landmark, showing visitors the genius of man's ingenuity and imagination.

After enjoying a delicious lunch in the Space Needle, we met with Justin Gasper a friend of mine and a resident of Washington. We explored a Science Fiction Museum and Music Museum in Downtown Seattle. The geek and music aficionado in me rejoiced. From Captain Kurks captain chair to rocking out with a Guitarist the team had a blast.

To top off an already fulfilling day we walked to a nearby IMAX theatre to watch the family comedyKung Fu Panda which we thought was awesome. This happens to be my favorite animated movie since the Incredibles. We definitely recommend it.

Now that we're off to bed, I'd like to leave you with a quote, it sums up our day of rest, the days we our thankful for, the days we fight to fully experience:

"The past is history, the future is a mystery, but today is a gift, that's why it's called a 'present'."

-Justin Brown

Day 47: Seattle, WA (Bremerton, WA)

2008-06-30T21:54:00.000-07:00

We got up from the hotel this morning, ate some breakfast, and watched a little bit of "GoldenEye" on TV before we took off. James Bond is too cool. :)

The trip was great. We had about 50 miles to do and we made great time. We arrived into town with the view of four aircraft carriers to our right.

I'm SO HAPPY!!! We're finally in Bremerton!!! I've been looking forward to this for so long, because now I'm able to spend time with my Uncle Jim and Aunt Eileen. They've been so kind.

Eileen drove us into town so we didn't get lost, and got us lunch. When my Uncle Jim got home, on his very cool Harley mind you, we talked for a little bit and then all of us went out to Olive Garden for dinner. We had pasta and then Tiramisu. It was incredible.

It's been so long since I've seen extended family, I forgot how great it was. It's great to be on the road, and get the chance to meet so many people, but it makes me see how much I miss my family... it's good to know that we'll be staying with family for the next few days.

Uncle Jim hooked us up with a tour tomorrow through an aircraft carrier that just came into port a few days ago, and then we may go through the city of Seattle.

We're loving our downtime and the Mitchell's hospitality.
Alyson

Day 46: Olympia, WA (Lacey, WA)

2008-06-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

It is typical for a college student to not hit the sack till 2am, I mean we have tons of things to do, with all that web serfing, phone conversations, and late night Ihop runs... but soon that college student will learn that going to bed early is actually a good thing. One thing that I have learned on this trip is the importance of sleep. Once we get to a new location instead of wanting to explore the town we usually head straight to bed. Sleep is known to heal the body and mind, it cleans the system and allows the immune system to fight disease, without it your metabolism slows down, you become more irritable, and health deteriorates.

Last night was hard. We cleaned the entire van, organized the boxes, labeled water bottles, and repackaged flyers. It became a van that would make our mothers proud. Although we were plagued by sleep and were tortured by mosquitos we couldn't live with the van as messy it was. Sadly sleep took a back seat. Returning to our college habits, we took advantage of the available Wi-fi, and caught up with our online messages and facebook stalking (I mean surfing). When we awoke the next morning our bodies begged us to stay in bed. Usually the body wins, and it almost did, but we had to get a start on a long day.

Our mind beat out our bodies but not without a fight. We began riding and our legs felt wobbly as we pushed down on the pedals. We were so tired.

As the day ran on, and our legs warmed up so did the temperature outside. In Washington we have seen the hottest weather so far, who would have thought the north beating out the desert. Its 101 on the black streets, we stink of the heat.

It wasn't the best day especially trying to find our way through the busy streets. Alyson got lost as we began to ride, she was going the opposite direction, having to return on the right path. Unfortunately getting lost on a bike is not like a car, you lose valuable energy having to return on course. This reminds us how important it is for us to stay close together. Because when you make a mistake it will cost you. Its just like life.

Alyson is so excited about heading into Seattle tomorrow. We will be staying with her Uncle, who she keeps bragging about. We're happy to get more rest days. But right now we're going to learn from the mistakes of yesterday and we're going to get some sleep and thanks to our hosts we'll be sleeping in beds, we can't let those go to waste. Night.

-Justin Brown

Day 45: Longview, WA

2008-06-28T23:28:00.000-07:00

Last night, we had an awesome time in the city of Portland. We saw "Get Smart", which was very entertaining, and went back on the train. We, once again, fixed the connections on the van, and went to bed late.

This morning we had breakfast with Marta and her daughter Madeline, who is 4 years old. She is adorable, and so grown up... I mean, she can write her entire name already, and she loves eating broccoli, hummis, and other veggies!

We were off and made good time, so we stopped in at a Walmart along the way... seriously, we haven't seen a Walmart in several states!

As Nate was biking the last stretch of our very hot day to Washington (it got up to 101 degrees), he met a bicyclist named Paul from Paris, who was biking all over the world. They ended up biking about 10 miles together! He was so nice, and he let us film him and Nate biking across the bridge that separated Oregon and Washington.

When we arrived in Longview, we met up with Pastor Charles and his wife, who had pizza for us! Yum. We had fun telling stories, and enjoyed their beautiful view on their balcony before we got to work.

After dinner, the team did laundry and reorganized the van. We literally took everything out and put it back in. We started around 8 something this evening and didn't finish until 10:30! We're so tired, and the mosquitos were awful! We look forward to sleeping tonight.

Kyle left me a voicemail that said he made it home safely. It feels weird having 4 people... we went to Subway for lunch today, and accidentally got 5 cups of water because we were so used to that number! :( We miss you Ky-le! (pronunced "key-lay"... I don't know how, but I just started calling him that during the trip).

Oh, also I'm up to 820 miles... and I'm SO excited to see my Uncle Jim and Aunt Eileen in Seattle!!! Can't wait!

Alyson

Day 44: Portland, OR

2008-06-27T21:38:00.000-07:00

It was hard waking up this morning, knowing full well that you are going to have to say goodbye to a trusted friend and member of the Alive Campaign. Kyle had to leave for medical reasons, which goes to remind us at how dangerous this trip is, and how fragile we all are. It really gives us a time to reflect on all the memories we shared and how far we have come. It wasn't long before we were leaving from Baylor University and hitting the desert road, climbing the steep cliffs, and fighting for "shotgun". Kyle will be missed dearly.

Yesterday was a big day, we got our van fixed, which turned out the battery wasn't properly connected...Nathan couldn't believe he didn't think of that.

We had fun chilling with Lane, our Baylor reporter, who shadowed us our entire way to Portland. He was able to find out just how much of nut-jobs we really are, maybe some of it rubbed off on him..He also was able to bike some...which after riding said "Biking is a lot harder then I thought". We also spoke to the Suicide Prevention Coalition, little did we know that they had a surprise welcoming. We were very humbled by their offerings and words of support. People like them keep us motivated.

We were also greeted by another biker, Mark, who took me and Andi on our bike tour through Portland, OR. You would think we had enough of biking but seeing the bustling city and the many avid bikers ride through the streets we felt at home on the road. Did I mention how many bikers there are in Portland. Its like nothing we TEXAS folks have ever seen. Up here in Portland the bike is just like another member on the road. Bikes rule.

We're excited to be in Portland. We have a wonderful host, Marta George, a Baylor Alumni who has offered her home and given us some great food. As the rest of the team knows I'm a health freak, you know the kind, the organic, granola, 100% fruit juice kind of person, well here in Portland I'm not the odd man out. Nathan is the opposite, he is what we like to call the "meat and potatoes" kind of guy. Its been fun trying to get him to eat his vegetables...

We're our now in the middle of a bus stop trying to get Wi-fi. Its been difficult for us to get connected. We walked all around town to find just a hint of wireless. We walk through streets, get behind hotels, we're the modern day pirates, at least that what we like to think of ourselves. We're on a mission and that mission is to steal "free" internet...that's dedication. We love all of you out there that read our blog, and we love the comments, we read them everyday, so keep them coming, and we'll be sure to make Kyle proud.

-Justin Brown

Day 43: Portland, OR

2008-06-26T23:04:00.000-07:00

Well for me this trip has unfortunately come to an end, do to some medical problems I need to head home. But before I leave I wanted to write one last blog for all of you.

Well it’s hard to put in to terms what this trip has been for me as it comes to an end. It’s been a lot of fun and a lot of trouble at the same time but it was all worth it. I’ve learned about myself and other people and at the same time been able to help spread the word about suicide prevention. As I look back on the last month and a half I feel so grateful for the opportunities that have been given to me.

If I had to pick one good memory out of this whole trip to tell you about it would be very hard, each day was filled with new people and experiences and challenges. One of the best memories I have though is traveling up the coast. I’d never seen the Pacific Ocean until I came on this trip and seeing it reminded me of a couple things. First and foremost it reminded me of this world God created and put before us. At the same time it reminded me of the endless possibilities that lay out there for each of us to fill our lives with.

As I leave this trip and go home to my family I have the same bittersweet feelings I had when I started this trip. When the group reached 250,000 people, I only begun to realize what I had committed myself too. There were times along this trip I wanted to throw in the towel and stop, but the one thing that kept driving me was my faith in the fact that God had some sort of plan. As I leave now, despite my injury, I still feel God has a plan still. And as usual I’m not quite sure where he’s leading me, but I will follow.

If there is one thing I hope all of you take away from this trip it is the fact that endless possibilities lay out there for everyone. Determination and faith are all that is needed to succeed in life. If there is one thing I have taken away it is that the world is not as bad a place as I once thought it was. The kindness of people in feeding and sheltering us still amazes me, I would like to thank every single person and family that has helped with this trip, without you it would not have been possible.

PS: The team is really sad to see me go....who else is going to keep them on their toes.

-Kyle Ferguson

Day 42: Lincoln City, OR

2008-06-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

This morning we left the Daughtery's house, after having pancakes, sausage, and eggs. Tim, Debbie, Jason, and Thomas were so kind and we enjoyed being a part of the College and Career Bible Study last night. Thomas, Tim and Debbie's son, led the bible study and he did an incredible job. We loved chatting with people our age. I had fun playing with Tim and Debbie's grandson, Jason. He loves the movie "Cars", he's 3 years old, and has the car noises down to a science. So cute.

We biked 70 miles into Lincoln City today: Nate started out with 20 miles, Justin and I biked 30 miles together, and Andi rode us into town with 20 more. Awesome teamwork today in the wind and cold weather- it's crazy to be in a sweatshirt in the middle of the summer.

When we arrived in Lincoln City, at the Church of Christ, we settled in and met with Pastor Mark. He brought us dinner and made coffee. My caffeine fix was filled today. Yeah! :) At 7, we had bible study; the men went upstairs for their bible study, and I stayed downstairs for the women's. I loved being able to get into the word with new people, in the middle of the week. It helps me get centered since we've been "go, go, go" since the beginning.

Right now, the team is sitting in a motel with Lane Murphy, writer for the Baylor Magazine, taking showers in turns and discussing tomorrow. We'll be staying at the church tonight.

We now have another kink in the system: the van won't start because the connection between the battery and the rest of the van is out of commission. That's what happens when you decide to push a 10-year-old vehicle to the max for 42 straight days. I guess she's still sick.

Pastor Mark hooked us up with a place for breakfast, where we're able to order whatever we want at no charge. How awesome is that? We're hoping we can get the van fixed in time for a sit-down breakfast, and in time for our speaking engagement tomorrow... at least it makes for an interesting documentary. :)

But for now, we're walking home.

Day 41: Florence, OR

2008-06-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

So I'm hogging the computer right now...poor Alyson she wants to check her email real bad (don't worry I'll let her). Not having internet is like not having an arm, when it goes missing you can feel it. I guess that's the way it has been on the road now reaching day 41 of our trip, trying so hard to communicate to the outside world, what we feel, what we believe, and the message we want people to hear.

I feel a little homesick. I miss my friends at school and my family in El Paso, TX. When I first entered college I had moments where things would remind me of the family I left behind. I remember one inparticular moment when I was walking the River Walk in San Antonio and thinking to myself all the times I shared the moment with my mom and dad. It was like going on an exciting summer trip without them, not being able to share in that happiness. I think all of us here feel a sense of longing, a sense to share our experience with all of our friends, with all the great people that helped us, and all the people rooting for us. Its like taking that trip in San Antonio and wanting to share this trip with my family we want to share this trip with all of you. To show you the amazing things we've seen, the amazing experiences and friends we have made, to share the inside jokes and the mishaps, to the flat tires, the broken van, the speeches, and times when Nathan had to walk up a hill, to watch the sunset hovering over the pacific bay, staring at the black waves moving ashore, the towering bridges, and the purple and redish sky. These things we can't share with you through a blog or through a retelling of the tale, they are things you must experience. There are somethings you just need to go out and do, and do with all your heart.

Like sharing our story to people that have experienced loss from suicide and seeing tears run down their face, to the 14 year old boy sharing his struggles with depression and wanting to take his life, to the families that have been rocked to the core with the loss of a loved one. These are the moments that you want to share your heart with everyone you know. Because you know that these are the most important fascets of your being. When we come back we will have plenty of stories, plenty of telling tales but they are only a shadow of what is the sunshine.

-Justin Brown

Day 40: Bandon, OR

2008-06-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

What a great way to start our trek through Oregon! We did 110 miles today, and let me tell you, the team dominated them! We had breakfast and then immediately began our biking for the day, without complaints or delays. The weather was so cold, but that didn't stop us from making record time: 6 1/2 hours for 110 miles!!! Our team is stronger than ever.

As we came into Oregon, we were welcomed by other bikers headed south. It was cool to see fellow bikers on the road. We're like our own little community, waving from opposite ends of the road, checking out each others' bikes, and talking about our journeys with one another.

We arrived at St. John's Episcopal Church in Bandon, and were so grateful to have 40 people eat and talk with us about our cause. Justin, Kyle, and I gave an amazing presentation and opened it up for questions. There are so many people who are affected by suicide, and the stories keep on rolling. It really touched us to hear such personal accounts.

After, we went to the Sunset Motel, where a lady named Denise Skillman gave us a place to stay for the evening! The motel overlooks the beautiful Oregon beach!!! On the way back from our dinner presentation, the team stopped and walked down to the ocean while the sun was setting. We saw seals and gulls, perfectly smoothed stones, and huge cliff-rocks out in the water. The rest of the team went back up to the van to drive back to the motel, but Justin and I decided to walk around the shoreline to our motel. We saw the sun literally disappear behind the ocean. We wished we had a camera, but the batteries were dead. Maybe tomorrow morning we'll get a picture, before we leave.

I think I truly understand the phrase "Se la vie"- so is life. Before today, I'd wake up almost regretting getting out of bed. I knew the day would be filled with a challenging, athletic feat that appeared to be a year-long process. After that, we'd have to go through hours of settling into a place, just to wake up and do it all over again.

Today, however, was different. I got up, without complaints. I helped pack, without yelling. I offered to bike first, without negotiations. I set a high goal of 50 miles and when I only did 30, I was still proud of myself. I walked on the beach in a part of the country I've never been before, watched the sunset, and didn't have a camera... but I took it all in and was happy anyway.

I think sometimes we forget what we're doing on this trip. We're caught in a routine at times, and I realize it in the middle of the day. That's what's so great about biking... it slows life down to a point where you HAVE to stop and smell the roses. You HAVE to look around you and appreciate that life is so much more than the daily routine.

What a great way to start our trek through Oregon!
Alyson

On another note I just want to say, on behalf of the team, we miss our families and friends. Hi to everyone back home, and thanks for the support!

Day 39: Redwood Forest, CA (rest day)

2008-06-22T21:43:00.000-07:00

Today came and went. After finishing 20 of the miles that we didn’t complete the day before, we decided to explore the Redwood forest.

Right off the bat, not hidden from the public road, we came to a giant statue of Paul Bunyun and his valiant steed, and friend, Babe, the blue bull. We took some pictures and bought some gifts and spent the day going our separate ways.

Andi and I (also known as team Okinawa) decided to hike through the giant Redwoods as well as some strangely shaped trees, one in particular shaped like a lightning bolt. Many of the trees are on record in the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not archives. They were massive. We took a skytram through the trees and were able to get amazing shots for the film.

Back at the camp Alyson slept…she sure can sleep.

Kyle and Nathan wanting to see the ocean so they took off towards the coast and were able to later take us to an outstanding view.

I’m at a seafood diner with the rest of the crew. We all had some fish and chips with some homemade clam chowder. Today we were able to experience the Redwoods in our own unique way but we are all happy to come together as the day comes to a close. You sometimes need that alone time to think and reflect but you always need to come back to your friends in the end.

-Justin Brown

Day 38: Redwood Forest, CA

2008-06-21T22:38:00.000-07:00

The van is our home, its our lifeline, and its part of the team. Our van, also dubbed the Mystery Machine (Kyle and Nathan's idea), was taken to the mechanic to get some brakes fixed. When one team member's down all the team is effected unfortunately the van is in-expendable.

We sat at Calvary Baptist Church in Eureka, CA waiting for the van to undergo it's treatment. Thankfully, relaxing at the church with the youth pastor, Adam Hurley, wasn't a bore. We were able to clean the bikes as well as play some Rock Band. It was fun hanging out and not having to leave great friends so soon.

Last night Alyson didn't get a lot of sleep, she stayed awake playing with some of the teenage girls that slept over. She paid for it in the morning trying to catch the little bit of time we had waiting.

We didn't leave Eureka until 5pm. Since it was so late Andi and I were able to complete half of today's scheduled milage, leaving the rest for tomorrow.

Coming into Redwood forest was a sight to behold. Fog has settled because of the coastal line, casting an eerie presence as we entered the forest. It reminded us of old horror films, seeing the elongated trees blurred behind a wall of mist. It also gave a new meaning to our "Mystery Machine"...all we need now is a dog.

Not much happened today, but we sometimes appreciate the mundanity, especially after days and days of constant momentum. We need the rest days even though it wasn't on purpose. Tomorrow will be a catch up day as well as a day to sit back relax and enjoy our time...because time, especially ours, vanishes like the fog. See you tomorrow.

-Justin Brown

37: Eureka, CA

2008-06-20T22:37:00.000-07:00

Today I got a knock on the hotel door around 10:30 this morning... the boys apparently woke up later than they expected to. Oh well, I loved watching the news and a little bit of 'The View' before they came to pick me up. :)

We went to a local diner in Garberville for breakfast, and then started biking. Hwy 101 is so much more forgiving than Hwy 1. We enjoyed the smooth roads and shallow hills. The sun still beat down on us a little, though.

In the van, while Andi biked, the rest of us listened to the new Coldplay CD and discussed government regulations. It was actually very interesting, as Justin had an opposing view to Kyle, Nathan, and I. Oh to be a college student. Lol.

When we got to Eureka, we went to the Calvary Baptist Church, where we met up with Pastor Don, Youth Pastor Adam, and his fiancee Hannah. We also met up with the Pastor of Pine Hill, Pastor Darold.

This is definitely one of the most rewarding nights ever! We had about 12 kids come to worship, and hear a message from our team. Then all of us enjoyed some homemade pizza and a night of fellowship: Scrabble, Halo 3, Rockband, and a movie! The kids are so much fun, and they're wearing all of us "old people" out! :P

The van has a scheduled appointment at the local Ford dealership tomorrow morning... it's going to the doctor. Hopefully I didn't get the van sick. Lol.

I'm feeling a lot better now. I think the 24-hour bug that's been going through our team hit me yesterday... the rest of the team is feeling good (except for Kyle being out still) and we're excited about Redwood National Park.

Oh, and I hit 703 miles now!!! Yeah!!! :D
Alyson

Day 36, Miranda CA

2008-06-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

The alarm goes off sharply at 7am, I rise up like always, half startled but my mind racing and filling up with things that need to be accomplished. I need to brush teeth, get dressed, stretch, clean the water bottles, and wake up the rest of the team. We slept in a bed last night, a luxury we no longer take for granted. Its sure cold outside, the dew is over everything and the town of Fort Brag is cool with the ocean air, locals call it the Air Conditioned Coast. I was pleased to have a warm breakfast, eggs and buttered toast, and a local tea called Mendo Tea, stronger then coffee some might say. Me, Kyle, and Andi sat with the pastor and talked for 2 hours of politics and current events, all the while I kept calling up Alyson and Nathan on my cellphone hoping they would answer, they never did. It was 9:30am when we left the house (Kyle talked a lot and knew a lot, I think he should be a professor someday) we drove down to Nathan and Alyson's home for the night and found them still sleeping!!!

Ingrained in me is a yearning desire to make the most of my days, to be on time, and to get things done. One of my pet peeves is being late (that might be the military training talking). It's the hardest thing getting the team up in the morning. I've tried everything, playing loud noises, pulling the blankets off their bodies, yanking the pillow from underneath them, and deflating the air mattresses, I've also tried kinder approaches, such as waking them up individually and nudging them quietly to get up or letting them sleep for an extra 5 min if they promise they will get up (they don't). I'm usually up and ready to go out the door in 10 min it takes the rest of the team an hour. You can imagine my frustration when we arrived at Nathan and Alyson's home for the day and finding them sleeping at 10am.

Now I try to be patient and that is one thing this trip has taught me is patience. So instead of getting mad and pointing fingers I sat softly in the van and listened to music keeping my mouth shut. You can't cry over spilled milk or take back time. It was too late to argue and i've learned to let things go. So because of this we were in late running for our 80 mile day.

It turned out that the roads were fairly easy going and we started to make good time,we said goodbye to the ocean (for now) and said hello to Redwood National Park.

The roads are a lot hillier and the curbs jump right at you. The smell of fresh cut wood is prevalent in the air and the sun cast plenty of shadows through the trees. It kind of looks like Planet Endor from Starwars, you know that planet with those little fuzzy creatures that live in the giant trees...you know the ones that look like giant teddy bears (again sorry for making Starwars comparisons)....but again....It's a new kind of beautiful. Nathan has especially been enjoying this part of the trip. He has definitely lost weight, I guess biking all the time will do that to you.

However our day was stunted when Alyson started to feel sick. Luckily we believe its nothing serious probably the bug that is being passed down from the rest of the group members, Andi had it, Kyle had it, I had it, now we think Alyson has it. It all has to do with the constant change in ecosystems and our bodies not being able to catch up properly. Alyson sat out and we had to add her load onto ourselves.

We worked the best we could and were able to make it to our 35th stop, Miranda.

Right now Alyson is in a hotel for the night (we take care of her) while me, Andi, Kyle, and Nathan are sleeping in a tent located in Giant Redwoods RV park. The night is cooling down rapidly so we will be cuddling up...in the most manly way possible. Were all hoping Alyson will be feeling better. Andi is back on a bike after his great fall and Kyle is still holding off from straining his leg further (he should be better in a week). Until tomorrow, good day.

Day 35 Fort Bragg CA

2008-06-18T21:54:00.000-07:00

At the request of Justin and Andi I would like to inform all concerned parties and persons that this blog was written by Kyle Ferguson and the views expressed in such blog are in no way the expressed views of the Alive Campaign or its members. But seriously I'm not quite sure why they are so afraid of me writing a blog, it took me awhile to convince them it was okay. But anyways on to the blog.

The trip from Point Arena to Fort Bragg was fairly uneventful compared to some of the other days we spent on this trip. We spent the better part of the morning watching Justin attempt to fix three of the four bikes we have. Despite our doubts and ridicule, he did quite well and fixed the problems enough to get us to the next town and the next bike shop. Most of the rest of the day was spent biking until we got to Fort Bragg where we went to a bike shop and had three of the bikes overhauled. We then grabbed a bite to eat at a local pizza restaurant. Tonight we spoke at Fort Bragg Grace Community Church to a group of locals about suicide and depression awareness, and stayed with Pastor Greg and his family.

Now for the fun part, what I think of the trip so far. You know when you go on a trip like this you really don't know what to expect or what will actually happen. I came into to this thinking that we would be lucky to make it out of the state of Texas let alone get to San Francisco, so at the very least I'm very impressed and grateful to have gotten this far. When we started this trip we told ourselves that if the Lord provided a way we would go, and he has but what is unnerving from time to time is having to live day to day. As a guy always thinking 3 or 5 years in the future, the idea of having no idea what is going on tomorrow was never a real comfortable thing for me. But with a little help from my friends I've gotten by so far. Despite our differences and occasional arguments for the most part we get along most of the time and pull together when faced with tough situations.

On another note, it should be more entertaining as we get farther and farther north. It took us awhile to begin to deal with the heat in the desert but now we are faced with cold mornings instead of hot mornings. The southern boys and girls on this trip aren't to happy about the cold weather. But for a kid who spent the better part of four years in North Dakota and then two more in South Dakota, I don't think its that bad outside. Despite whatever we may face I'm sure we will find a way to overcome our problems. After all if you want to see creativity lock five people in a van and send them on a cross country trip with little to no idea what they are doing.

- Kyle

Day 34: Point Arena, CA

2008-06-17T23:05:00.000-07:00

How many people can say that they rode down The Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, across the Coast and ocean, and had fish and chips for dinner on their 21st birthday? I can tell you it sure beats drinking...

I just wanted to say thanks to all the people that sent me Birthday messages. It really makes the day feel more momentous and special then a typical riding day.

I also want to thank Bodega Bay Church for hosting us for the night. They bought me hostess donuts for my B-day and then woke us up with a well put together breakfast. We had to make up the miles that we failed to complete the day before so we set off in the opposite direction to redue the 40 miles we missed making our 50 miles day supposed "easy" day turn into a 90 mile "hard" day.

It passed quickly, but as we drew closer to the final milage of the day things went horribly wrong....

Andi, speedracer as we like to call him, thought it was a good idea to cruise down a deathly steep hill. Unfortunately the hill was unmarked as having a sharp turn. Andi flew off, misjudging the turn, falling off the embankment barely missing the 20 foot steep cliff into a river. Andi, thankfully was ok and happened to crash with a park ranger close by. Help was on the way and he was fetched from the bottom of the brush. It could have been a lot worse, thankfully the damage done was a crack in the tire and minor scrapes and bruises. Alyson was ofcourse very motherly with patching him up and then smacking him saying "Don't you dare scare me like that again!"

After that ordeal we thought we had all the excitement for today checked off the list, but nope. We ended up with a flat tire 100 yards from the entrance to Point Arena.

There was some good that happened today even with the near catastrophe of Andi's experience. The roads are very forgiving with very little traffic and we see plenty of bikers touring the country like us. We had a lot of fun conversations with several bikers coming through. By the way the roads are absolutely breathtaking. Everyone needs to see the ocean at least once in their lifetime. As we ride along the road we just look at the vastness of the ocean and feel truly alive. The air is fresh here and the smell of the pine trees and the sound of the waves crashing along side the rocks make biking a enjoyable experience. This is the best part of the trip thus far.

ps Andi is now under a watchful eye from Alyson aka Mom.

-Justin Brown

Day 33: Bodega Bay, CA

2008-06-16T21:06:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, Happy 21st Birthday Justin!!! :D

This morning we drove down Lombard Street in downtown San Francisco. It's known as the "Crookedest Street in America". We also biked across the Golden Gate Bridge...we just HAD to get some footage of that! Justin wanted to note that he felt fortunate to be one of the few to bike down Lombard and over the Golden Gate on his birthday.

We had a great time in San Fran and had a hard time leaving because we wanted to capture the city's grace and finesse. We also had a hard time leaving because of all the traffic we hit on the way out. We hit a new record today for the latest time to leave: 1 pm with 70 miles to bike!

It didn't help that Andi had an accident along the way. He bent one of his handlebars and his rear derailer when he fell. FORTUNATELY, he's OK! Luckily, we were only 15 miles from a bike shop and they fixed the damages for free...thanx Mike's Bikes!

We tried extremely hard to finish our mileage for the day but the cold, windy hillside road slowed us down. We were running out of time as we had to meet some people at Bodega Bay Church, so we decided that we would drive the rest of the way today and make up the mileage tomorrow. A lady at the church, Becky, brought us fish 'n chips and clam chowder from the local dive. She also heard that it was Justin's birthday, so she bought milk and doughnuts for dessert.

Now we're laying on our air mattresses in the fellowship hall of Bodega Bay Church, watching "Escape From Alcatraz". Some of us have not seen it yet and we have been dying to watch a movie, so it seemed appropriate to pick it up while passing through San Fran.

It's VERY cold here...we just saw a temperature gauge outside that read 45 degrees Farenheit!

Next Stop: Port Arena!
Alyson

Day 32: San Francisco

2008-06-16T10:16:00.001-07:00

We woke up early today, to enjoy a Sunday morning church service and were welcomed by the congregation. After the sermon we were treated to a Father’s Day lunch at the church. We talked with several members about our journey and they gave us advice about the trip that still lies ahead of us. We have a whole new set of challenges with heading down the coast.

After lunch we chilled out at the house to watch the tube and take quick naps. How we miss naps… : )

While we stayed at the apartment Alyson and me were featured on Alyson’s dad’s (Karl) radio show, a father’s day special. We talked about our journey thus far and spoke about suicide prevention. It was our first time every doing a live radio show. We didn’t think that we would have a lot to say, especially when Karl told us we would have an hour. We were like, a whole hour! What are we going to do? But it went well, we found that we had a lot more to say then we thought. After the show Alyson and I shared a couple of hi-fives for a job well done. Here's the podcast:

After the show we took another nap…..did I mention how we miss naps? We woke up at 5pm to head out for dinner.

It is our one-month anniversary on the road!! We decided to celebrate. Thanks to my uncle, Victor Blanco, he bought us a fancy dinner to accommodate this special occasion. We dressed up and headed down to the Crustacean, a three star restaurant in the heart of San Francisco, known for their Dungeness crab. Thanks to him we were able to spoil ourselves.

While this was our final night we had to ride the trolleys. It felt like a rollercoaster; good think we weren’t riding our bikes down the hills….

Before I call it quits for the night, I would like to say to all the fathers out there, Happy Father’s Day! We wouldn’t be where we are today without our dads. I am blessed to have a good relationship with my dad, even though I know a lot of people out there aren’t as lucky.

I was born a day before Father’s Day. My dad tells me the story every Father’s Day about the day I came into this world. He recalls being at a Burger King in El Paso, TX feeling both the fear and excitement at being a new dad. Asking the questions “Am I ready”, “Well I be able to do this”, but his fear dissipating when he thinks to himself “I am a Father”. I don’t know how that could feel; it scares me to think about it. Could I raise a new person in this world? But I think that is how the best things happen in life. They are mixed with both fear and adventure. I’ve learned on this trip that the hardest days, the hardest routes, are often my favorite. Whether it is having a child come into this world and feeling inadequate or biking to Alaska without any clue at what to expect or just stepping into the unknown I think it can be said that that is where the best rewards lie. So to top off our last day in San Francisco I would like to say, I love you DAD! Have a good day.

-Justin Brown

Day 31: San Francisco

2008-06-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

Last night we discovered the streets of San Francisco the best way, by getting lost...so far the sunny state of California has been far from sunny, fog settled in on the streets and we lost our way. It's rather humorous now, but after our dinner at Japan Center we wandered the streets for about 3 hours, going across the Golden Gate twice.

You know your going the wrong direction when you cross a giant red bridge. After settling into bed we slept through the night hopeful for a sunny day.

Thankfully we got that sunny day and we woke up late in the day...FINALLY! After waking up at 5 in the morning for the past week we needed the sleep. After waking up we headed back to Fisherman's Wharfto enjoy the sunny San Francisco bay.

Like the military nerds we are (Alyson and Kyle military brats, Andi's mom was in the Air Force, and me being in ROTC...nathan is the odd man out) went to tour a WW2 diesel submarine.

say hello to my little friend!!

It was an interesting experience. Back then submarines were not the most reliable things in water...I sure felt it after being a little sea sick..thank god i'm going into the Air Force.

We are now settled into our apartment enjoying the tv and participating in what we like to call "Normal Life". When I started this trip I was excited about meeting weird and eccentric people it turns out we are the weird ones...I guess biking to Alaska isn't considered "normal"...

Kyle is still not feeling up to stuff especially after the tire fiasco yesterday...he might have pulled the muscle further then it needed to be. We're letting him take it easy so he can get better. We're a family, we're all that we have. When one person is sick the whole team suffers. We rely so much on each other, learning a little more about each other each day. I'm learning more about these guys then I ever thought I would. We come from so many different walks of life, different family situations, different ways at handling emotions and problems, this is what you call community.

-Justin Brown

Day 30 San Francisco, CA

2008-06-13T23:10:00.000-07:00

We left Northgate Community Church after a amazing breakfast and coffee. We didn't bike to much today. The traffic in San Francisco is crazy. We were half way on our trip today when the van had a tire blow-out. We were driving down the middle of the highway. When we heard our trailer dragging. We had to cross two lanes of traffic inorder to get to the shoulder. Two hours later, we were back on the road.

And definitely worth the wait. We met with Peter Tropper, our host, who showed us around his school dedicating to helping inner city kids prep for college. They charge tuition based on what families can afford. What a great way to motivate young adults.

After that we headed to our two story apartment. It's fully furnished with two bedrooms, kitchen and gorgeous view. As much as we enjoyed watching T.V. and relaxing on the couch we had to get out. The veteran of the city Andi showed us around. Tonight we had dinner and dessert at Japan center. They served sapporo ramen. Yum! We spent the rest of the evening walking around Fishermans Wharf. San Francisco is cold and windy right now.

Our team is feeling better now that we are in a big city.

Ready for some R and R,

Alyson

Day 29: Manteca, CA

2008-06-12T22:30:00.000-07:00

Today we got off to a late start. We started biking around 9:45 this morning, which is an hour and a half later than normal. Not to mention, we were TWO men down. The first thing I remember hearing this morning, from Justin, was: Um, guys, I need to make an announcement. (Long pause) I will not be biking today... I'm sick.

Normally, I would've been okay with that, but today was a 100 mile day!!! Anything that peaks over 80 miles usually gets me stressed for the early part of the day, and 100 miles (or more) in one day is a rare case for us.

Yes, Nate, Andi, and I took on 100 miles... alone. And we did it!!!! Nate did 30 miles, and Andi and I did 35 each. Once again, our team ROCKS. Thankfully, we had a lot of downhill. We went from somewhere around 6500 feet down to, believe it or not, 38. Apparently Manteca is only several feet above sea level. I love Cali! :)

After talking with some of the media people from the local paper, Pastor Steve and his wife Beth welcomed us to their church (Northgate Community Church) and home, along with several family and friends. I was having so much fun talking, I almost didn't want to take a shower (my favorite part of the day)!!! I love talking with new people, especially when we start quoting lines from "The Office." The spaghetti dinner was incredible, and the fellowship was so genuine I felt like I was home. Warm and fuzzies. :)

Tomorrow morning they offered to have breakfast for us at the church: coffee, bagels, and fruit. Yum.

Justin's sleeping at the Pastor's home tonight, as he needs a warm bed... still sick of course. The rest of us are sleeping in the Fellowship Hall of the church tonight. After camping half a dozen times, I'm loving this A/C!

We are so blessed to be welcomed into a home just because somebody knew somebody who knew somebody... God has taken care of us in more ways than we are able to count. I am constantly amazed.

Here are some pictures that we're now able to post... allow me to comment.

Justin and I taking pics of each other while biking... daredevils, I know.

Finally in Cali...

Beautiful Yosemite National Park!

Justin and Kyle by the river.

Again, Andi has to get the perfect shot!

Andi and I at the campsite.

The Alive Campaign with the Harmsen family.

Justin's hike.

Oh yeah, we'll be in SAN FRANCISCO tomorrow!!!
Alyson

P.S. I'm now up to 605 miles, Dad, in case you're wondering. :)

Day 28 Yosemite National Park, CA

2008-06-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

It's our second day here in Yosemite National Park. We are enjoying the beauty and vastness of the park. None of us have ever been here before so it's all new and exciting. It has affected us differently. For instance: I love the giant trees and waterfalls, Alyson likes the running showers in the camp, Nathan loves the interesting people he's met, Andi thinks it's a perfect setting for a film, and Kyle ( the army Brat) says it reminds him of Switzerland.

We met a new friend today. She came from N.Y. city to escape the hustle and bustle. She lost her job and wanted to clear her mind so she could find direction in life.

We had some Baylor alumnis, Mark and Shannon Hamsen, come and bring us a great amount of food today.I'm discovering how united we Baylor Bears are. Thanks to them they not only helped us but even the campers next to us. We were able to share the food they gave.

Speaking of Bears.... Last night, our new camper friend from N.Y. said she saw and heard a growling bear in our camp. We were all in our tent out like a log. I guess we were exhausted from the ride to Yosemite. She heard the bear and called the police. Thank God!

Today was a day for R.and R. We all went our separate ways. Nathan and Andi floated down the river on a raft, I hiked up some mountains and saw some beautiful waterfalls, Alyson and Kyle, both ill, decided to stay at the camp to rest.

We are back on the road tommorrow. Off to Manteca, CA. So now, I shall say goodnight then go back to eating these delicious roasted marshmellows and get to bed. Let's hope there are no more Yosemite bears!

Justin Brown

P.S. Pictures are coming. We have not had internet access to post the pictures but as soon as we do you will see them.

Day 27: Yosemite National Park, CA

2008-06-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

We thought today would be difficult, but we had NO IDEA how tough it would REALLY be! The alleged 45 miles from Benton to Yosemite turned into 60...all uphill! We biked from an elevation of 6,000 to 9,900 feet and it was windy, cold and hard to breath as we biked past snow.

Initially, Justin thought it would be a good idea to bike the entire day himself. But Nathan biked the first 10 miles, Justin and I did the next 15, Justin and Andi did the following 20, and Justin finished up the last 15 alone. We warned him several times that the mountain pass would be the toughest part of the day, but Justin insisted on biking through to the Yosemite Park sign. As the four of us waited for Justin to catch up to the van, we met a traveling missionary named Michael.

Michael has been traveling all over the United States for 13 years with all his possessions on his bicycle. He chooses to live a simple life like the early Christians, traveling only with what is necessary. He has no set destination and says that his only home and direction is Heaven. Michael was freezing on the side of the road, struggling to push his bike uphill against the wind, so we offered to give him a ride to the bottom of Yosemite Valley. He gave us a new perspective on our trip, telling us how lucky we are to see all of God's beauty. Michael is probably one of the most interesting people we have met so far.

We parted ways with Michael and went to the visitor center for info on our camp site. They told us all the rules, including how to lock up our food to avoid black bears....AHHH!!! :/ They also told us we had to take off our trailer which is something we have struggled to do before (like in Zion). Thanks to WD40, we managed to lift the rusted clamp in one try. GO TEAM!

Yosemite is incredible...there are HUGE pine trees over 30 feet tall, as well as giant cliffs with waterfalls and pine cones almost as big as your face! We settled into camp, got some grub, and got cleaned up. In response to Kyle's ever popular phrase, "What have we learned...?" I would say Justin definitely learned he can't do it all. Poor guy's crashed out right now with extremely sore legs and a hoarse voice. Now we have a new nickname for him: Cookie, because he's one tough cookie! Afterall, he DID climb 3,000 feet today! We love you, J.Brown! :D

We're looking forward to sleeping in...until 9 am (if you call that sleeping in).

Alyson

Day 26 Benton, CA

2008-06-09T20:27:00.000-07:00

We survived the Clown Motel. No creepy apparitions where found. I tried to get everyone to watch the movie "IT" but I was out voted by the team. I wonder why?

We woke up to a wonderful breakfast thanks to the chamber of commerce at Tonopah and our lovely host Denise. With full stomachs we took off to our 6th state, California. You don't know how happy we are to make it this far from the plains of Texas, the hills of New Mexico, the mountains of Utah, and the desert of Arizona and Nevada. The bike ride to California was not as simple as we thought. The blazing heat of Nevada caught up with us. It felt like we were in a oven. The funny thing is in the distance we saw mountains covered with snow. It was strange to see completely opposite environments.

We hit Benton, CA. with burning tans. If you thought my farmers tan was bad wait til you see it now.

We are staying at Pastor Jim and Sherry Copeland's duplex from White Mountain Bible Church. We couldn't be more thankful. And even greater they had a kitchen! So I got to show off my cooking skills....Prego stikes again. They also had a wonderful selection of movies. The movies included all of our favorites from childhood. All the Disney classics. We couldn't help but pop in Alladin and sing along. We are sometimes goofey after a long bike ride.... Maybe it's too much sun.

Kyle is still off the bike and Alyson is back on track. Nathan and Andi are getting over a bug. I'm the only one that has yet to get sick. Let's keep it that way.

Today we were told we were on KLOVE christian radio. It was televised throughout the nation. People from all states were able to hear our story. My mom was interviewed and shared the reason for the ride. You got to love mothers. Looking forward to the response of the audience.

Right now, we are getting ready for bed and keeping in mind the long journey that awaits us: California, Oregon, Washington, Canada, and then our final destination Alaska.

Justin Brown

Day 25: Tonopah, NV

2008-06-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

Sadly, last night, nobody had any close encounters with the Alien kind, but we did have sad parting with an amazing little big town. Did we say that Rachel Nevada is the coolest little town we have ever visited thus far? It is. The Little A'le'Inn Motel had everything what the inner Star Wars nerd in me could ever want : )

After a big breakfast from Pat, the owner of the nerd paradise, we started off with Nathan as always pulling the big hills. He latter told us that he's given up expecting anything less. Poor Nathan. However he was all smiles after finally finishing his longest run so far. We're all so proud of him.

We don't know what it is about little towns but they love to have theme hotels. We're now staying in the Clown Motel...you would think that an Alien Hotel 25 miles away from Area 51 would be creepy at night...and it was especially after watching Close Encounters of the Third Kindand then sleeping by yourself...but Alyson swears that this hotel is scarier.

I've never been afraid of clowns I really don't understand the paranoia, I have such joyful memories from my childhood, but I guess there is something to be said about clown pictures hanging from your bed post...

But I think there is no need to worry, I'm sure they'll have no problem sleeping, we're so tired anyway.

Its hard sometimes, being so close together, tired, irritated, and annoyed, seeing the same faces everyday. We do argue, but its safe to say that we won't be killing each other anytime soon. You have those rough days but in order to combat the struggle and strife you have to remember the good times and forgive. I'm learning a lot about how self centered I am sometimes. I find it so easy to think that I "deserve" to be right or I have been offended in some way and I must correct the wrongs against me, but I have learned that I don't "deserve" anything of the sort. I find greater strength in forgiving even when I have been wronged and even go to the point of sacrificing my wants for others desires. Its like the saying goes, "When someones asks you to go one mile you go two miles instead or when somebody asks for your tunic you give your cloak instead." Its not acting as a rug to be trampled upon but it is standing up for somebody else and showing that you sincerely care about them. It sounds crazy, but being humble takes a lot of strength and sometimes hurts, but when I see the team get closer and work together instead of being hindered by a stupid argument its well worth it. I couldn't see myself anywhere else.

See you in California

-Justin Brown

Day 24 Rachel, NV

2008-06-07T20:37:00.000-07:00

We would like to thank Pastor Russ Turner for hosting us in Calente, NV. We had a great time!

Right now we are in "No man's land". 25 miles away is Groom Lake air force base, also known as Area 51.

Rachel is known for it's Alien sightings. It is located on the extra terrestial highway.

We are in staying in "Little A'Le Inn". It's a very interesting place. 75 people live in Rachel, NV. Like we said we are in the middle of no where. Consequently, we have no internet and no cell phone reception. So I am calling my mom to relate this message to you. (Sorry for no pictures yet)

The road to Rachel is like you might expect. Alot of dirt and nothingness. However, it has it's own charm. Today Nathan climbed another hill. Sadly, Nathan has been climbing the steepest hills. Nathan said that if he had to climb one more summit he is going to cut the summit indicator sign down and drag it from his bike.But we won't let him.

Right now to welcome the occasion of staying in Little A'Le'Inn we are going to watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Let's hope none of us get abducted.

Justin Brown

Day 23: Caliente, NV

2008-06-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

Today we rode ninety miles from Snow Canyon to Caliente. We were told that this time of year is usually ten to fifteen degrees hotter, but we still struggled with the thirty-mile per hour headwinds.

I started the day with a ten mile stretch, despite the fact that my knees are still sore. It was better than being stuck in the van (yet again). Those ten miles felt like a lifetime, the wind never let up and the song "Against The Wind" kept playing in my mind.

On the way to Nevada, we heard two sonic blasts from nearby jets. The first one startled me because I thought it was an explosion from the test range. I then realized we were too far away from Grim Lake.

Apart from that, there's nothing new to report. We find ourselves completely in the desert now and this is the part of our trip we've been dreading the most. We wake up o'dark early, spend two hours packing and cleaning, and spend seven grueling hours biking through the heat and wind. On top of that, we eat granola bars for breakfast AND lunch. Biking cross-country is nowhere near glamorous.

I am pleased to announce, however, that the Alive Campaign has now added a new box to the van. For those of you who aren't traveling with us, you must know that our van is a catastrophe! Since our departure from Waco, we have been organizing and reorganizing our luggage, camping gear, and essentials almost daily. We have a water bottle box, a shoe box, and now...a book box! Yes, the Alive Campaign is now equipped with a traveling library. There's not much to do outside of biking besides read and sleep. I'm currently reading "People of Sparks", the second book in the "City of Ember" series.

We arrived at the Agape Baptist Church after eating a late lunch at the Brandin' Iron, a saloon-style restaurant. They had amazing pie a la mode. The people at the church welcomed us with open arms and the pastor treated us to dinner. I've never had so much food in a four-hour period.

Now, as always, everyone is doing their own thing. Andi is updating his MP3 player, Justin is cleaning water bottles, Kyle and Nathan are inflating mattresses, and I am cleaning/repairing bikes.

I've been keeping track of my personal mileage, and today (after 20 miles) I am up to 472 miles! :D Who knew I had it in me?

Looking forward to the Ale'n Motel in Rachael, Nevada,
Alyson

Day 22: Veyo, UT (Snow Canyon, UT)

2008-06-05T21:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's blog was written midday so... allow me to recap:

Yesterday we had a thunderstorm roll in around 3 or so, and then another one hit last night around 9:30 or 10. Andi and Justin climbed one of Zion's most challenging hikes, Angel's Landing... they plan on giving a full account and pics on a later blog. Also, we went to a restaurant called the Spotted Dog for dinner and had some of the best gourmet pizza ever!!!!

This morning we left Zion National Park, having made a few friends during our rest day. A couple from Massachusetts was staying across from us in the camp, and a few of us went over to chat. They offered us cookies and coffee, and we really enjoyed their company. Also, we met a lady named Patty who was camped next to us. She's from Vegas, and has so many stories to tell. It's cool to see where life takes you. Now she's working at a hospital, helping people with respiratory problems, and comes to Zion to get away from the busy city. I can see why... Zion's beautiful.

With the rain hitting us last night, we had quite a bit of packing and tearing down to do. Justin was biking first today, so we told him to go ahead, while the rest of the team finished loading up. It seemed like it took forever. Oh, and I changed my first tire today.... all by myself! :)

As for other things, I woke up with my left knee swollen and in pain. My knee keeps popping every time I bend it. I think it was from almost slipping in the middle of the night as I walked to the bathroom. Not good. So, Kyle and I spent time in the van today as Andi, Nate, and Justin took on our daily mileage. I'm glad the boys stepped up for us, and must admit, I missed biking with them. I wanted to bike so bad, but Nate (the team Dad) said that if I did, I might cause further injury. We're getting the group consensus tomorrow to see how we are... we may be hitting up a clinic. :(

On another note, Snow Canyon is beautiful, and we arrived in time to set up camp, relax, and rock climb. Justin and I went up some of the sandstone cliffs. It's simple to go up them, it's practically like walking uphill. The view was breathtaking. We went to Chili's for dinner and parted in the camp to do what we do best: relax and sleep.

Can't wait to post tomorrow from Nevada. We're doing it, guys. We're making the impossible, possible. Thanks for helping us do that.

Many blessings from beautiful Utah,
Alyson

Day 21: Zion, UT

2008-06-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

YEAH FOR REST DAYS!!!! :) Sorry, I had to get that one out of my system... it's our first rest day in a week and a half! Today, it was great to wake up without an alarm. The funny thing is, I still woke up at 8:15... I'm so used to getting up early now.

The 5 of us headed back over to the Zion Mountain Resort, which had the Buffalo Grill. James, the waiter there, paid for our breakfast and sat around chit-chatting with us. Great guy. We sat and enjoyed each other's company, looking out the window at the gorgeous view and buffalo grazing the open land.

After that, we went back to camp through the long, winding switchbacks. I was kind of scared we'd fall off the sides, the roads are so narrow and curvy!

Here I sit now in Springdale, at the Pioneer Lodge Coffee Shop, blogging and waiting for our laundry to get done. Nate is talking with his mom about t-shirt orders and money stuff, Kyle is checking his email, and Andi and Justin are hiking through parts of Zion. I'm sure they'll have amazing pictures to share on tomorrow's post.

Kyle probably wants me to mention that he wooped my butt at chess... I shouldn't have moved that bishop. :(

We're enjoying our down time with a slightly cloudy day in Zion. The cool breeze and calm atmosphere is definitely something I could get used to. Along with the bikers and tourists... it's fun to talk to people from all over. I said Bonjour, Gutentag, and Hi to several neighbors in our campsite. :)

And how are WE doing, you might wonder? (for all our Mom's out there, Lol)

Personally, we've worked out some of the kinks we had at the beginning. A few mornings ago I chatted with the team about our communication skills, and since then have faced fewer conflicts. I think we're more concerned about where we're going to shower and sleep each night more than anything. Most of us have slimmed down some and tanned out... we're a biking team now. :)

Kyle (look above) was a little of a daredevil yesterday, and since then, his pulled muscle has gotten worse. Look's like he'll be driving us around a little longer. Justin, Andi, and I are in good health though, and Nate's got some allergies here and there.

Zion is the perfect place to rest and I'm so proud of our team for surpassing the 1000 mile mark!!!!!! YEAH TEAM!!!

Well, I think the laundry's done. Can't wait to post again.
~Alyson

Day 20 Zion, Utah

2008-06-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

After camping last nite in Kanab, we woke up and took to the road. It took only 45 miles get to Zion National Park. Before entering into the park we descented into a 4 mile run. We were going 40 miles per hour while Andi filmed the descent with one hand on the handlebar. It was pretty dangerous but Andi got some great footage. (Anything for the shot he said)

As we biked into Zion National Park we met with other cyclist. Its great meeting people from the around the country who were enduring the same things we were. After the short talks we decided to head to lunch. Luckily Ted (cowboy Ted as we like to refer)paid for our food. The restaurant speciality was buffalo. Delicious!

The waiter was exceptionally nice after hearing why we were riding. James shared with us his story about moving into Utah as a college student. He wanted a life of adventure. He also gave us $30 and offered to give us a free breakfast the next morning. What a great guy! A taste of the kind of people we have been meeting along the way.

Biking into Zion National Park was breathtaking! The mountains that surrond the park are majestic. There are 2 million visitors that come to Zion each year and we were privilage to be among them.

Staring up and the stars tonite by the campfire we have built I can't help but be thankful for all the people we have met and the friends we have made. I realize that even with the beauty of nature it doesn't compare to whats really important.
It's all about people.

Justin Brown

Day 19: Kanab, UT

2008-06-02T14:37:00.000-07:00

I'm writing from a Subway in Kanab, UT to keep you all informed on our progress. We made it through Arizona and I got to enjoy the beautiful dam as we went straight down. Andi got some great film footage of us gliding through the dam and some funny video of him beefing it...don't worry he's ok. We entered into Utah with minor heat that went away as soon as a cool breeze kicked in. We have been blessed with some great weather.

My knees are feeling a lot better, Kyle is still out for the time being, and Alyson rocked at 10 mile stretch of mountains and she's happy to say that her knee is no longer bothering her.

Yesterday, we made some wonderful spaghetti... the Prego kind.. : ) We've decided/voted that we will no longer be eating fried food, figuring that that may be a cause to our deficiencies. Luckily it seems that its working and we are feeling better about ourselves, no longer torturing ourselves with fast food (except subway, of course).

It feels good to be in our 4th state in our journey. We really can't believe it! We are staring at a mulit-colored map of the United States here at Subway and we really can't believe we've made it this far. Like its been said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." Each day is new and each day gets us closer to our goal.

p.s. We are all really excited about riding into Zion National Park tomorrow.

-Justin Brown

Day 18: Page, AZ

2008-06-01T16:04:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you get a lot of sand, a lot of sun, and a really big dam?...You get Page, Arizona. Although sand and sun doesn't sound fascinating the dam makes it a lot more fun.

After saying bye to Father Jerry, we set off through the mountains of Arizona. What a beautiful sight, yet again, you just don't get used to it.

The roads are better here. They are clean and free of debris. This allows us to travel at a much greater speed. We cruised through town making it shorter then we expected. One thing we have noticed is that there are a lot of foreign tourists in these areas and sometimes its fun having short, simple conversations with them. Nathan had a nice conversation with a Norwegian man who wanted to know what we were doing. We make a game out of deciphering where the vacationers are from. Being a Russian major, I happened to catch several Russian conversations.

We talked with a Page news reporter about our mission, it always feels good raising awareness towards the issue. Although we are sometimes tired after talking and letting loose about the story we feel accomplished in the end. After our converstation he helped us find a good place to rest for lunch.

We visited the Glen Canyon Dam and what a beautiful site. Its nice seeing water in the desert, its the desert's own little oasis. This is our oasis for the time being. We need it too. The trip has claimed its casualties so far, Kyle has pulled a muscle and should recover in a few days but as of now has taken a chance to rest it out, me and Alyson are beginning to feel the road on our knees, but its only a minor inconvenience, especially when compared to our overall goal. We hope to rest ourselves out tonight at two churches, who will be hosting us through the night.

After looking at what is coming soon, and the adventures that still await, we will continue to look at each day with its own set of challenges. I can say one thing, Andi and I can't wait to ride through the dam tomorrow morning.

Day 17: Kayenta, AZ

2008-05-31T19:33:00.000-07:00

We woke up this morning in Bluff, UT. Nathan & I didn't want to get up because we were freezing our butts off! And the rest of the team didn't want to get up because they had to take their tent down. I took pride in the fact that my tent was the first one up and the first one down. However, I did learn the value of a good sleeping bag (thanks for packing the summer bags, Dad!).

We left Bluff and drove to Mexican Hat to start this leg of the journey. Once again the hills were nearly impossible to overcome and we found ourselves doing ten mile stretches. The scenery made up for all of it though.

Justin and I said goodbye to our farmers tan today as we crossed into Arizona. We wore our sleeveless jerseys and forgot about the Arizona sun. :-) As Justin finished the last leg for the team, the guys and I spotted a Barbecue Truck on the side of the road. Nathan got two of the best beef ribs ever and the rest of us shared some of their famous fry bread. Yum!

We reached Kayenta, AZ late this afternoon and met with Father Jerry of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. He filled us in on the Navajo culture as he has been a Priest here for eleven years. We learned that the Navajo language was strictly an oral language until the 1950's. The Navajo are very proud and private people. Everyone that we encountered has been so friendly and kind.

As we speak, Justin is doing yoga in the living room, Nathan & Kyle are organizing the van (again!), Andi is taking a shower, I am dictating this blog to my Mom (no wi-fi here), and Father Jerry is currently making home made apple pie for us.

Tomorrow we'll be traveling to Page, AZ.

~Alyson

Day 16: Mexican Water, NM (Bluff, UT)

2008-05-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

Today it was great to wake up in a beautiful, comfortable home. The Zents took great care of us, with one of the most amazing dinners the night before, and a glorious breakfast this morning... I'm always in the mood for breakfast pizzas and cinnamon rolls. :)

We departed and headed back to Hwy 64 with a 85 mile day in front of us. Of course there were hills, and man a lot of them! The wind wasn't too bad, though, and we were excited to see the Arizona sign as we crossed the border.

After we crossed into AZ, we headed up for a slight detour to the FOUR CORNERS- I actually stood- well, laid- in four places at once! Now I can say I've been to Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona.

The detour was great, and we went back to 64 to finish the rest of our mileage for the day. However, the day had it's, uh, interesting moments. Just as Nathan was coming in for the last stretch, an elderly gentleman pulled over next to us asking us for directions. Sadly, he thought we were in Sioux Falls, South Dakota! And when we told him we were in Arizona, he thought we were kidding. I think he had Alzheimer's or something... I felt bad for him, so we called in his vehicle to the P.D. just to make sure he would be okay.

The story doesn't end there. Just as we were pulling a U'ie in our Van, we got stuck in the gold ol' AZ sand. The P.D. came and pulled us out of it, thank God. Definitely good documentary footage. :)

As soon as we reached Jct 191 @ Hwy 160, we were at our destination. We hopped in the van and headed north toward Bluff, UT, for a beautiful campsite. We only paid $22 for the night... it has showers, Wi-fi, a great BBQ place in walking distance, and the most amazing view I've ever seen.

All in all, it's been one of the most scenic trips I've ever taken. If anyone thinks the US looks bland and boring, you need to travel out here to Northern Arizona, New Mexico, and Southern Utah... it's a sight to see.

We're enjoying the smell of campfires, the blinding flashlights, and sound of crickets, and we hope that tomorrow night we have a computer for our blog.

Enjoying all of God's beauty in Utah,
Alyson

Day 15: Farmington, NM

2008-05-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning in a cold, cramped motel room in Cuba. We "splurged" on a cheap motel for the night, just to keep our bikes safe, and allow for showers... oh, and wi-fi, to keep up with our blog. :)

We hesitated on getting up at 5:30 this morning, but knew that we had a 100-mile day ahead of us, and didn't want a repeat of our hot trip to Snyder. We shivered our way to the van with our belongings, and began our drive to our start point for the day.

Because we were doing a 100-mile day, we decided to run it in leap frog fashion. So, as one person was biking their 10-mile stretch toward the van, another person was taking off away from the van. Eventually, the first person would catch up to the vehicle, and the van would drive ahead to meet the second on their end, etc. etc.

Nathan took the first leg, and unfortunately caught 10 miles of straight hills. Sorry Nate. :(

As he was doing his part, I began mine. I took off and decided to play a little game called "Let's see how far I can get before the van catches up to me." Fortunately for me, I had very little hills, and was already up 15 miles when the van pulled up... I only had 5 more miles to complete my section and so I told them to catch up with me in 5. It felt good to beat my previous records. I did 15 miles in 51 minutes!!! :) Justin, as always, contributed a lot of mileage for the day. Sometimes I wonder what we'd do without him.

Looking back on the past 15 days, I have begun to see us in somewhat of a routine:

Justin- aka "Alarm Clock"; athlete/bike extraordinaire/group motivator, photographer; works on bikes, bikes a LOT, and updates the blog.

Andi- documentary director & camera-op, speed-racer (loves hills, especially going downhill), comedian; films documentary, makes a lot of messes, wanderer of the group.

Nate- head of the logistics dept., "Dad" ; talks to the Mom In Charge, keeps group together, helps organize the van, navigates and drives.

Kyle- aka "GPS"; main navigator, clean freak, Devil's Advocate (good at stimulating conversations).

Me- "Mom"; does laundry, makes sure the boys have on sunscreen (all Mom duties fall under this section), "Traveling Office", assists in filming and cleaning.

I see how all of us use our strengths to benefit the team as a whole, and even when we're struggling and arguing, we still seem to accomplish our "mission", so to speak. I am so proud of our team. We still have work to do, we're not as tight and cohesive as I would like for us to be, but hey- we just started this. We have 9 more weeks to get into the groove.

Our hosts this evening, the Zents, were AMAZING!!! Their friends came over, and- sorry Mom and Dad- I rode on the back of a motorcycle for the first time... just around the block. So fun! I think our trip has kind of been like that- fun and crazy at the same time. You don't know what to expect...

See ya'll in AZ!!!!
~Alyson

Day 14: Cuba, NM

2008-05-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

We had a late start today, unfortunately somebody (not going to say any names, just that it starts with a k) left one of our wheels on the back of the trailer...we learned that wheels aren't indestructible to trailer spills. So we had to leave late because we needed to buy a skewer from an Albuquerque bicycle shop. When we arrived, after hearing what we were doing, one of the bicycle workers took the skewer off of his bike and gave it to us. Bicyclist stick together.

When we started on the road we were amazed at how beautiful the route was, me and andi both agree that man was meant to live close to the mountains. We sped down the mountains at 38 mph with the wind at our backs, we were literally going 20 mph uphill, it felt like the mountains were sucking us up into them.

I thought that riding a bike cross country would help slow down an otherwise fast trip, but I have realized that even a bike is too fast. The cliffs, the purple mountains, and the natural formations truly made this my favorite ride thus far.

When we arrived into Cuba we were filled with energy and adrenaline, excited to continue on our journey. We had a little pizza and crashed out onto the beds, and when I say crashed out onto the beds I mean it literally, Nathan happened to crash on the bed and break it. Lets hope that breaking stuff isn't a routine, especially when it comes to flying downhill (don't worry mom).

-Justin Brown

Day 13: Albuquerque (Its about to get difficult)

2008-05-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

We sat around each other reflecting over our journey thus far. One conclusion was that it has been fairly easygoing, I hope you don't begin to think that its all been sunshine and lollipops because God knows we have had our stuggles, biking everyday takes it toll, not to mention the early morning shuffles but because of our wonderful mothers we have been able to come into each town with a warm meal in our stomachs and a roof over our heads. In fact, I'm sitting on a warm bed thinking about the juicy steak and tender chicken I had for dinner, and knowing that I'm going to have a comfortable night before heading out tomorrow. Not exactly what you might call living in difficulty. But all that is about to change. Unfortunately our route from here to California is going to be much different. We no longer have the safety blanket of housing and a warm dinner every night. Hopefully this past week has prepared us enough for the challenges that lay ahead. The sleepless nights, the cans of tuna, the sandy deserts, and the rocky mountains, its about to get difficult. The difficulties we will face can be mastered, if we come together as a team. Since a week ago we have grown much closer. We look after each other, make sure we are taking vitamins, making sure each others bikes are in proper shape. We only have each other, by the time we reach California we will be a much closer team. I look forward to looking at my team with pride in knowing all we have accomplished. But right now I'm going to enjoy the comforts that I have often taken for granted, because after the rockies I'll cherish them.

Day 12: Albuquerque, NM + REFLECTION

2008-05-26T22:58:00.000-07:00

It's sometimes strange how so much can happen in such little time, 13 days ago I sat at the long table of a Johnny Corino's with Justin, Kyle, Alyson (Nathan was home at the time) along with some of our best friends (call it our last supper if you will) it was the night before our kickoff and we sat there eating, joking, laughing. We tried being serious at first and asking questions about our impending trip but we had few answers as none of us knew what to expect the next day, and no one was there to tell us, so why not laugh, ignorance is bliss right? Without realizing it though we left that restaurant with many of the same unanswered questions that we would be asking each other everyday for the next two weeks (and most likely for the rest of our little trip.) Questions like: Where to go? Where to eat? Where to sleep? And how well we would get each one. Now 13 days later we sit on the answers to those day-by-day questions of yesterday and today, here at our biggest stop yet Albuquerque, New Mexico. A city of about 500,000, where we now are staying with some of Nathan's extended family, we were treated to a movie (Indiana Jones of course) and dinner by some of Justin's family tonight, and we hope to spend time with them tomorrow. It was a relaxing break for us on this relatively arduous 90 mile ride through what is beginning to be the start of the Rocky Mountains. It's been pretty comfortable so far but if rumors are true things are about to get a little harder. We have a rest day tomorrow but the day after that we are back on the road asking the days questions yet again and hopefully getting the answers just as we need them. Its seemingly just another of life's microcosm's, to live day by day, hour by hour, mile by mile not knowing what lies beyond the next bend until you start turning.

-Andi Isao Nakasone

Day 11: Vaughn, NM

2008-05-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

We woke up tired entering into our 11th day of the trip. After playing a little bit of piano to wake the guys up : ) We headed off. We entered into Vaughn, NM fairly early but we truly felt the soreness in our legs heading into it. We know that the mountains are getting nearer, by the way our legs feel at the end of the day.

Vaughn is a town long ago abandoned by the railroad, thus it houses a little below 500 people, it has never truly recovered. The town intersects several major highways, so it is more or less a town built for weary travelors...like some crazy college bikers. The church we are staying in is 100 years old! The fellowship room in the church was used in the Manhattan Project and was donated by the U.S. government after the project was retired. There is a lot of history in this lonely town.

For lunch we headed into the only restraunt open on Sunday, and its exterior was modeled after the old 50s diners. We enjoyed the classic food and are getting ready for a dinner with the town's Baptist Congregation.

Tomorrow should be intense because of the high winds and the long distance. But once we get to Alberquerque we have a day of rest. We need it...

-Justin Brown

Day 10: Fort Sumner, NM

2008-05-24T16:33:00.000-07:00

"As it went on the little engine kept bravely puffing faster and faster, 'I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.'"-The Little Engine That Could

This is how the begining of our journey into New Mexico started. Like the Little Engine, from our childhoods, we say "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can." A little bit of optimism goes a long way.
Down in New Mexico, on the road towards Fort Sumner, we saw a lot of trains and this story came into mind. "I think I can!" I said this to myself as my legs felt tired and the road kept dragging on. The winds were horrific in New Mexico and kept blowing us off the road. Many of us got tired. Kyle decided to walk a lot of the way (he figured it was faster). Nathan kept rolling (we're all excited to see that he is getting better). Alyson has a nasty sunburn so she decided to ride while it was cooler and less sunny. Andi...well Andi is consistent and a hard worker. And I fought the wind just like everyone else, with the words from the Little Engine that Could "I think I can"

Before we left and faced the plains of New Mexico we said our goodbyes to the comfort of the DeWitt family home, their nice pool, and their Baylor Pride!

On the road we took the sleep from our eyes and did our best to keep alert...

I don't know what it is about New Mexico but they love to welcome their visitors with extravigate entrances. We had a police escort!

Its an awesome reward for our hard work today, even though we sometimes think about giving up, we will continue to remember the rolling trains (and try to forget the rolling winds), because we'll continue to say "I think I can."

-Justin Brown

"It reached the top by drawing out bravery and then went on down the grade, congratulating itself by saying, 'I thought I could, I thought I could.'"

Day 9: Clovis, NM

2008-05-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

Farewell Texas! We can now really say that we have crossed our first state, but that doesn't mean we will forget our Texas roots. We were talking about it and we have decided that Texas is the only state that has its own nationalism. The other states don't even know there is a competition...but that doesn't keep us from acting like there is.

The ride was an easy one except for Nathan learning how to ride with bike clips. For those unfamiliar with what bike clips are, they are shoes which hook onto the bike pedals. Nathan, finally getting the hang of biking without clips, had a fun time (sarcasm) learning a whole new way of riding and balancing with being connected to the bike. This picture sums up his experience:

He'll get the hang of it.......eventually.

We entered Clovis and got a warm welcoming by the Mayor and County Judge, as well as the DeWitt family (our hosts for the evening). We took a relaxing swim in their pool and had a delicious dinner. We had so much fun.

But now, as we look onto the days to come we try not to think about the huge undertaking we still have left to accomplish. It's all about taking one day at at a time, one road to cross, one hill to climb. I mean if we think about it, our journey has just begun. We've proven that we have the drive to cross the Texas heat and the west Texas winds, but do we have the drive to cross the dry deserts of Nevada, the steep hills of California, or the wild lands of the North- Western Territories? All I have to say is:

One state down 8 more to go.........

Oh and one more country....Can't wait!

-Justin Brown

Day 8: Lubbock (Rest Day)

2008-05-22T19:33:00.000-07:00

So we made a funny mistake today...well not really funny when it happened but something you can tell stories about later. I was called yesterday night to do an interview with NBC however they forgot to mention something very important...it was LIVE! So I'm under the impression that its just going to be a simple cut and shoot interview little did I know that it was very important to be there on time! So they told us to be at the studio at 5pm and I'm all like "well lets go get our bikes and get freshened up, we can be a little late..." (its 4:45). We arrive at our guest home and Carolyn (our host and amazing chef) comes storming from her room saying, "Aren't you supposed to be at the studio, they just did a advertisement for all of you on the 5 o'clock news." We all were like, "Its alright Carolyn they just want to film us and they'll edit for their later show." Carolyn just stared blankly at us, "Um...no I think its supposed to be LIVE."

We just stared at each other and were like, "Oh....(explicit)." We stormed out of the house with me, alyson, and andi dragging our Alive Campaign shirts on. We sped, if you can call a 15 passenger van speeding and we arrived at the news station 5 min before we were supposed to be on air. We talked with the news anchor briefly and were mic'ed for our first LIVE interview. Safely to say it went well but we learned another new lesson, be on time!

Right now Andi is reading "The Old Man and the Sea" and I'm reading "The City of Ember", we are finally able to read and relax before our journey out of Texas. Alyson is looking at pictures and Kyle is buying Benedral for his cat allergies (for some reason we've been staying with people that have lots of cats...poor Kyle). Nathan is surfing the net and getting down to programing the GPS.

We got to see Chronicles of Narnia yesterday, the movie wasn't as good as we hoped but still gave us a few laughs. However I did get to hear Switchfoot's new song and off the Chronicles of Narnia's soundtrack "This is Home"...and I have to say that being with friends and having a family that is a lot bigger, a lot larger, crossing all boundaries and creeds, can let you be at home just about anywhere.

-Justin Brown

News from Yesterday

Day 7: Lubbock

2008-05-21T13:46:00.001-07:00

Thankfully this was another easy ride. The wind was at our backs and the day was cool. Are legs felt stronger then ever, so we blazed by the cotton and sulfur smelling oil fields of West Texas. Although the gas smell stinged our nostrils, we did get to see a beautiful sunrise.

When you fly by moments like that, you can't help but feel humbled by the beauty of what is real. The things that we take for granted. It was my favorite part of the day.

When we entered into Lubbock, our final rest stop in Texas, we can't help but feel like we are leaving home. We love Texas. We have met the greatest people. We just don't know if any of the other states can top Texas hospitality. We'll see...

After our moment of silence : ) We did a couple of interviews and even got to watch an actual news broadcast take place in the station. Alyson and Andi (film students) thought it was great, even all the other non-film students (me, Nathan, and Kyle) had fun.

Hopefully tonight we'll finally get to rest. Oh Texas how can we ever leave you!

-A proud Texan

Justin Brown

Day 6: Post, TX

2008-05-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

We learned our lesson from yesterday. We woke up at the crack of dawn and ready to go. The ride was smooth, no flat tires, no problems.

We entered into Post and went straight to Holly's Drive-In for a small town favorite. They had amazing burgers and fries (i know not the healthiest food) but it was delicious. Then we headed into town because we had time to kill and met with a nice lady at Plum Crazy who purchased some of our t-shirts and gave us some words of encouragement.

We then headed into another little shop where we were giving some cool Post, TX t-shirts for our trip. We really don't know what to say when we meet such giving people. Since this trip began we have been able to take our time with small towns that other people normally pass-by, but I have realized the great things these small towns to offer. The wonderful shops and the wonderful people. We are so humbled by how much people care.

A funny coincidence is that we have made some rivals with people we don't even know. Every place we stay, also seems to be a place that 3 other guys have passed through. What they are doing is running cross-country (a little too crazy for us). Every time we have stopped in the past 2 towns they ask us about these guys, we don't know them but some how we feel a close connection with them. They are on the same kind of journey of self discovery and adventure. They are about to finish their trip on monday and we a rooting them on. Seeing what they have done has given us a push to do more. Knowing that they are out there running, makes biking a whole lot easier! We wish those guys the best.

Nation Run

Snyder: Day 5

2008-05-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

What a day!....It was the most miserable yet most fulfilling day of the trip....so far.

The day started with an interview which started at 8:30am with the Abilene press:
News Link

Then we had to say bye to Lisa, the most wonderful woman we have met. She was such a wonderful host giving her heart to us and even helped us purchase bike equipment. We really can't thank her enough...and also Mr. and Mrs. Dodson for the spaghetti dinner, fellowship, and the bananas!

Then we met a guy named Baylor Blessing (I know what an awesome name) who helped us get gear and these awesome Shot Blocks that are gummy bears injected with caffeine.

Then we started what me and the team would like to call, Hell!!

We unfortunately left Abilene at 11:30am (the heat of the day) for a 80 mile ride to Snyder, TX. It was the hardest day so far. So hard that we thought about giving up and driving to Snyder in order to get there at a reasonable time. The temperature was in the upper 90s, we had head winds blowing from the north, and the roads inclined for miles. When we began to sweat the wind would dry us out. All we had on our skin was salt. All the water we drank boiled. Nothing seemed to keep us cool. But we didn't give up. As the sun beat down on our heads, we pulled it together as a team. Instead of the usual 10 mile stretches we decided to do 5 mile stretches. This took us 9 hours, with 9 gallons of water. I can finally say that we pulled it together as a team. When one person came to the van down another would take his/her place. The ones in the van would fill up water bottles and make sure that we weren't dehydrated. Nathan pulled all the stops for the team, and came through.

Once we got into Snyder we were exhausted and met with a wonderful family, Mr. and Mrs. McWilliams, who gave us a wonderful dinner. The sun was setting and we looked back on our day with amazement, knowing that we didn't give up and we made it!

Ps: We learned a valuable lesson, timing is everything, and don't start biking in the desert, in the summer at 11am!!!

-Justin Brown

Day Four: Abilene

2008-05-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, so today was not as much of a rest day as we may have wanted, but we enjoyed it nonetheless.

We went to South Pointe Church with Christy and Travis Dodson, who fed us spaghetti the night before, and spoke for a few minutes. Then, KTXS came out and we talked with them. The people at church were so amazing, and one of the ladies came forward and told us a personal story about one of her friends, which was really inspirational.

Then we went to VT Bike Stuff, which was closed, but we caught a guy who owns the store waiting for other bikers, and they were getting ready for a morning ride. He asked us what we needed, and actually opened up the store for us!!! Thanks Tom.

After that, we ran errands until 6. We went to New Hope Church to meet JJ, who is a youth pastor there. The kids there were amazing!!! I really connected with some of the girls there, and I hope to hear from them soon. They were full of hope and faith that lit up my day.

We made the front page of the Brownwood Bulletin!!!
Link Here

Lisa, our hostess, met us in the parking lot of the church and we went to, yep, Texas Roadhouse (where it all started) for dinner. We had a great time, telling what our favorite and least favorite moments were.

All in all, it was a great day. I couldn't ask for anything better... well, maybe some more hosts for the other places we'll be in. :)

See ya in Snyder!
Alyson

Day Three: Abilene

2008-05-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

I love this trip!!! This morning we met with Brent Marsh, the head of Student Life at Howard Payne University, along with Dr. Wheelington, a professor of Christian studies and a triathlete. The campus was beautiful, and we got a new sticker of Brentwood added to the "I <3 Okinawa" one on the back of the van.

We had a morning prayer, which involved us gathered in a circle with Mr. Marsh, Dr. Wheelington, the Alive team, and Jessica and Travis Noble, who hosted us the night before and fed us amazing dinner and breakfast!!!

We headed for Bangs Hill: a huge, winding, beast, and parked the van at the top of it, clearly due to construction... not because it looked intense. :) We said our goodbye's to the Noble family and we began the first leg of our 84 mile bike ride.

We were blessed to have cloudy skies, but today we had 2 flat tires: Justin's bike first, around mile 17, and then Kyle's, around mile 75.

But, I was so impressed at how quickly everyone stepped up to the challenge in getting the remaining mileage completed. Justin's bike is fixed, but we have yet to finish Kyle's due to lack of equipment...

Thank God for tomorrow's rest day here in Abilene... we're going to need it. We have so many things to do, one of which involves hitting up a bike shop.

I'm having so much fun, and tonight we're at Lisa Nichol's home... she's AMAZING!!! She bought food, made our beds with fresh linens, and even volunteered to drive Nathan to the store just because he was craving a coke!

Special thanks to Christy and Travis Dodson for feeding us and giving us a care package this evening as well!!!

People do care!

God bless,
Alyson

Brownwood: Day 2

2008-05-16T19:32:00.000-07:00

After a long day we finally made it to Brownswood. Tomorrow we will be speaking at Howard Payne University, and then we will be on our way to Abilene. We've biked approximately 120 miles only 4,380 miles to go....

On the road, we've come up with team names (since we are riding 2 at a time) they are the following...

Justin and Andi- Team Okanawa
Justin and Alyson- Team Grind (cause we'll grind it out)
Kyle and Nathan- Team Shake and Bake

We've been so blessed with another host. We are staying at Mr. and Mrs. Noble's house for the night. After a couple illegal u-turns (shakes head at kyle) we came into their wonderful home, to see the most beautiful thing we have seen all day........food!!!! It was wonderful. After steep hills and the beating sun anything we eat tastes like its the best thing in the world.

Kyle and Nathan are at the good old local Walmart purchasing supplies, while me, Andi, and Alyson are taking warm showers...j/k we aren't going to let Team Shake and Bake do all the work...Alyson and I are reparing the bikes and Alyson (aka mom) is taking it upon herself of washing our canteens and doing laundry, like my mom at home! Andi is filming everything, can't wait to show all of you. Well gotta get rest, until our next blog...

See you in Abilene!

ps: We'll be posting pics soon...

-Justin Brown

Gatesville!!!

2008-05-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

Today has been such an emotional day. The adrenaline was pumping, the tears were pouring, and before we knew it we were on our bikes, destination Alaska. We're so blessed to have made it this far. Right now I'm in a hotel writing this, I really want to thank the kind people at Coryell Community Church for sharing their community with us. We had a wonderful night with them we had a Q&A session, and they poured their hearts to us. We just feel so humbled.

On our first stop we reached Gatesville. Nathan had a fun time (sarcasm), he hated the hills but he made through them ok. Right now the guys are tiding up the van. When we left we were given all sorts of items, that unfortunately didn't get organized, so we had this huge chaotic mess!!!

It was so surreal leaving Baylor University almost like it wasn't really happening. We couldn't believe it. After all our planning we were finally doing it. I began to tear up. Seeing all our friends sharing their time with us. Its amazing what community with people can do.

Tomorrow we leave for Brownwood. Finally I can sleep!!!

-Justin Brown

PS: Watch our take off here:

KWTX

KCENTV

The Night Before the Ride...

2008-05-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

Its raining outside, I love the rain. In movies its usually symbolizes renewal, rebirth, and cleanliness. When I think of storm imagery I always refer back to The Lion King. In a particular scene Simba is living a life without purpose, a life that is a lie, he has forgotten...

This is the best part of the movie, because we can see ourselves in Simba's eyes. When things don't go the way you want them you hide or you want to change, but have we forgotten who we really are? We were meant for so much more then this. We have a king/queen living in all of us.

But that's not then end of the story. After all of this Simba decides to face his past. A past that is not easy to forget. He fights his uncle, his past, and the darkness within himself. He is victorious and the rain of rebirth, and kingship washes over.

It raining outside, maybe this is a symbol of our new birth, a new chapter, a new adventure....let us remember who we are.

Are we ready?

2008-05-10T10:57:00.001-07:00

Are we ready? I've been hearing this question a lot. We are about 5 days away from our trip and the question "are we ready" races in my mind.

Are we ready to bike 4500 miles? Are we ready to eat tasteless food for 2 and half months? Are we ready to smell like dirt? Are we ready to ride in the rain? Are we ready to face exhaustion? Are we ready to beg if we need to? Are we ready for the pain? Are we ready to sleep outside? Are we ready to face wild animals? Are we ready to face the harshest weather? Are we ready to get angry at each other? Are we ready for mechanical failures? Are we ready for car problems? Are we ready for flat tires? Are we ready to cry uncontrollably? Are we ready to see pain? Are we ready to feel alone?

Then I ask myself:

Are we ready to meet new people? Are we ready to see beautiful sites? Are we ready to make great friends? Are we ready to challenge people on their journey through life? Are we ready to save lives? Are we ready to make a difference? Are we ready to change the world? Are we ready for a timeless adventure? Are we ready to laugh? Are we ready to eat so much till we fill full? Are we ready to feel the wind in our faces? Are we ready to bask in the sun? Are we ready to feel the cool sweat on our brow? Are we ready to feel accomplished? Are we ready to feel blessed with the gift of life?

To these I can ask you the same question, its all about how you view it.

Are you ready?

-Justin Brown

Balloons

2008-05-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

We leave in 10 days (May 15th) and want all of you to be involved. We will leave from the Student Life Center, at Baylor University at 10am.

We will say a few words and then we will send off balloon memorials. Each balloon will have a name attached to it, each name represents a person that has committed suicide, right before we leave we will release the balloons to the sky.

If you want to be apart of this, comment below with a name. We will be sure to attach that name to a balloon.

Like a balloon, let us never forget how precious life is.

MTVU

2008-05-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

So we are going to be hosting MTVU's Dean's List for the second time, only this time we'll be on the road.

Trying to find videos that show how we feel about what we're doing is very difficult. We found several great videos unfortunately MTV didn't have the rights to use the videos, so thanks to a cool thing called youtube we have the ability to show videos that weren't on the show. This video was our favorite, and we hoped it could have been our number one. It's by Between the Trees a great set of guys that are partnered with To Write Love On Her Arms. Hope you enjoy.

Ripple Effect

2008-05-04T11:56:00.000-07:00

We are only 2 weeks into our mission. I think i can speak for the team when i say that we are feeling so many emotions all at once. One feeling in-particular is a little fear. We've never done this kind of thing before. The fear of failure runs in our minds all the time, also the fear of the unknown is very dense. There is just so much riding on this (no pun intended).

Then there is the feeling of humility. We are only a small drop in a big ocean. I was thinking about it today and what we are doing is just so much bigger then ourselves. We are this small drop of hope against thousands that commit suicide and battle with depression. When looked at, a small drop of water doesn't have a lot of power. It so small that when looked at compared to the rest of the bodies of water has little significance. But i was thinking about it today, and realized something profound.

Look at the small drop falling from the sky and if given the force to strike the lost sea it does something bigger. A drop of water is not part of the ocean, it something different, it is by itself. Something out of the box. It decides to do something different and rather then stay stagnant like the silent ocean it falls and challenges the norm. When its hits the sea it creates a ripple effect. Although small in size it challenges the flat by moving the rest of the waters. A small drop of water has a lot of power.

- Justin Brown

New Member!!!

2008-04-21T00:03:00.001-07:00

I would like to introduce a new member to the Alive Campaign Biker Team! Her name is Alyson (we finally have a female touch in the group), a film major at Baylor University helping us with the Documentary and Biking. To talk about why she decided to join such a rag tag group of guys here's what she has to say:

I am so blessed and excited to be joining the Alive Campaign team!!! I have known this group of guys for years, and have been helping them on the side, up until now. I remember them telling me about the Alive Campaign last fall, when I responded with, "I'll go if you need me." 5 months later, they asked me to come along for one of the craziest, most amazing and meaningful adventures I've yet to experience... and I can't wait.

As I've expressed on the website, I'm the creative one... I play guitar, sing, and write songs. I'm also a film major, so I'll be helping with the documentary.

What's it like being the only girl on the trip??? It's cool! I'm normally the only girl in the group of people I hang out with, so it's no different than anything I'm used to.

I can't wait to bring a new dynamic to the group and help us in our journey to Alaska!!!

Tentative Route for 2008!!

2008-03-31T21:17:00.001-07:00

If you live in these places contact us. We need a place to stay, shower, and eat. We would really appreciate your kindness. Our email is: alivesupport@gmail.com, peace! Link

3/27/08 Bittersweet Parting

2008-03-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

I just want to first off say thank you all for sticking with us for the long haul. We have one month left before we hit the open road and we are so excited about changing the way people view taking action and mental health. We started the Alive Campaign on November 4th and since then have reached hundreds of thousands of people. But many of you don't see behind the scenes of our grassroots operation. There is soooo much work that goes into this campaign many of your eyes might spin. We like to call this "lightning speed" organization creation. Most organizations take at least a year to start up, get a foundation, and build from there. Not the Alive Campaign. We have been on full throttle for 4 months straight and it does take its toll. Sadly, one of our friends Steve Zimmerman, decided to take a hiatus from the organization. He was a great asset through answering emails and preparing our beautiful website and we are forever grateful. He is still considered one of our close friends, and we know he has already made a great impact on people's lives, we wish him the best. But now we are moving forward and ready to take on the road's challenges. On April 4th we have a benefit concert on behalf of Student Counseling Services and Student Government where all proceeds will benefit the Alive Campaign. We hope this would be a great opportunity to share our message and raise some much needed funds. I've been working on the website non-stop and I hope you guys enjoy the new additions. Keep updated on our blog for more info as well as add this blog to your facebook profile. Click on edit apps and search "Alive Campaign Blog" to add it. We hope to keep you updated on the road and challenge people with taking action and making a difference. Peace out from Baylor University down in Waco, TX. Stay tuned- Justin Brown

3/07/2008: Walking Through the Desert.

2008-03-27T05:55:00.001-07:00

As the Alive Campaign, we knew we didn’t want this to be a religious organization by any means, because of how many people our there are struggling with their faith and have denounced God in all aspects. As I sit here thinking about how far we have come as an organization. From a tiny Facebook group to now a non-profit organization I can’t help but see an invisible hand working through all of this. I don’t think anyone is 100% sure of the existence of a God, or the universe, or something but I just can’t help but feel that something is working. I have been thinking all week, in between school, tests, and homework that the Alive Campaign, when put in perspective feels a lot like wandering through the desert like in the Bible with the story of Moses and the Jews. Many of you might not be familiar with the story so let me walk you through it. So there’s this guy, named Moses, and absolute horrible public speaker told by God to speak in front of the Pharaoh (nice one God) and asks him to let all of Egypt’s slave labor free. Moses looks at God and says “Why me?” but God convinces him to go and eventually after plagues and plagues God sets free the Jewish people from Egypt. The Jewish people are promised a Promise Land but they have to walk through the great desert first. It seems to me this is how the Alive Campaign came to be. We are a bunch of normal everyday college students doing our best to help a friend in need. Then we are cast into a gigantic desert as we come to challenge after challenge and every time we come a challenge in the way, whether it be money, non-profit status, website malfunctioning an invisible hand comes and helps us through. And like the Jewish people every time we overcome a new obstacle that’s bigger then the first we often wonder why we didn’t stay in Egypt in the first place where things were comfortable and we weren’t dependent on God, the universe, or something. And like the Jews coming out of Egypt God, the universe, or something is always there to provide. I often wonder how many times I have heard this story but always wondered why the Jews were such whiners but now I know, its hard going day by day being so dependent on God, the universe, or something, coming through for you that you don’t know how you can make it another day. But God, the universe, or something always has a way of providing. I feel that before I left Egypt I was comfortable with my life, I knew where my life was going, but now God, the universe, or something has screwed that all up. I can now say confidently that before Egypt I didn’t know what dependency was, it was only until I dropped all my belongings all my baggage and leapt forward do I truly know what life is about. I know there is a Promise Land our there, whether it looks like Alaska I do not know, but I am wandering through the desert putting all my hope in an idea, but I do know one thing, life is about being completely dependent on other people, and God, the universe, or something.

2/03/2008: 50 Miles to Temple & Some Thoughts

2008-03-27T05:48:00.000-07:00

Well we did our first 50 mile training session today! Its really amazing what you can do when you put your mind to something. We had news crews out reporting on us before we took off. It was really cool sharing our message. The coolest part so far was Jeremiah (an active member of the boards) joining us and dedicating the ride to the friends he made on Facebook. This was the first time we really met one of the active members and he was awesome company. I felt humbledby his dedication to those out there struggling with the burdens of life. We can't fight this fight alone, it was good seeing someone with the same love for people. Once we started on the ride I felt free...there is just something about getting on the bike knowing that its just you and the road. We had to take a detour along the route which led us to some hilly terrain. I would have to say it was a struggle getting up those steep hills and pushing yourself mentally and physically. As we pushed through each new hill we would laugh at how steep the newest mountain was, thinking to ourselves "how are we going to make it up this one." But each time we made it up. I can sincerely say that riding with friends made the ride so much easier. Of course I could probably have pushed myself up the next hill but without people with me pushing themselves up the same obstacles I think there would have definitely been times of discouragement. You know life is tough, pulling yourself up those mountains that seem only to get steeper. You ask yourself, "how am I going to make it up this one" but I think its best when you can laugh with people and watch the new hill that's approaching and say "BRING IT ON!" Having people encourage and help you up those mountains make life so much easier. After the ride today we stopped at an Italian ride to gorge ourselves with food. Man was I hungry!! As I scarfed down the food I have to say that this was one of the best meals I ever had.Little things like the Rolls were amazing! As I enjoyed the hearty meal I realized something. How many times have I eaten the same food and not felt anything new. But starving only increased the enjoyment. How many times do we take for granted the things we have, only to find out that once you are without you realize the little things you missed. Thats all for now, time for a nice shower, and a nice pint of Rocky Road Icecream, Yum! Live, Hope, Love!