Lubbock, Texas

July 15
Lubbock, Texas

Today has been a good day, simply by virtue of being a day on the Journey of Hope. They say the worst day on the Journey is better than the best day anywhere else. It hits me at the most random times- I'm on the Journey of Hope. I'm actually doing it. I've biked halfway across the country. It's pretty crazy.
Last night was a good night. The steak dinner was fantastic, as were our hosts. Nancy, the woman who put our arrangements together, was present and it was her birthday and so we sang her Happy Birthday and then dropped to one knee and sang her "The Rose of Pi Kappa Phi". Afterwards, she stood up and talked to us. She looks frail, but she's a strong woman and it was wonderful to hear her speak. She told us to never forget what we were doing and who we're doing it for.There was a girl with Down's Syndrome named Karrie that we all had a great time talking to and Nancy said "Everywhere you go there will be another Karrie." I think it's important to realize the human element that's a part of every single stop we make and place we visit. It's easy to get caught up with the organizations and lose sight of the individuals that we see every day. That was a good reminder.
After the sponsors left, we got the chance to unwind on our own. The team's really come together and I've never laughed as much as I have during the last week or so. Also, I discovered that I'm one of the better ping pong players on the team. Again, it's the little things. While we were hanging out, Nick (our Project Manager) was setting up for our midsummer Ritual. I can't tell you what we did, but it was a great experience and I feel extremely refreshed.
The downside of Ritual is that we went to bed later than 2 and wake up was 6:30 in the morning. We were told that we didn't have to ride if we didn't feel up to it but I just can't imagine voluntarily racking myself when others are riding even though they hurt just as much as I do. So I rode. It was a tough ride and we had to deal with a crosswind and rough roads for most of the day but it ended 20 miles early because we secured an Arrival. When we do Arrivals, we all meet at a Stage-Up point, usually a couple of miles away from wherever we're heading and from there we head in in two long, snaking pacelines. Anyways, today we were supposed to just ride into lodging but all of a sudden we were informed that four different TV networks were sending out cameras to cover us, so we had to rack up twenty miles outside of Lubbock to get in on time. It was nice to finish early because it's such a break mentally to keep something left in the tank and not have to use it. Usually the last twenty miles of a day are a mental battle and not dealing with that was great.
Lunch and lodging has been provided by the Lubbock State-Supported Living Center, which is comparable to Lufkin's State School. Lunch was Pizza Hut (delicious!) and our lodging includes real beds tonight, which is great because I'm sure we're all worn out. I know I'm gonna sleep reeeaaal good tonight. Tomorrow marks the start of our Triple Crown. Wish me luck and say a prayer.