Dartmouth, MA

After spending a week in Maine, I'm back home now for the first time in a while. Everywhere I look, I remember myself first packing for the bike trip, excited, nervous, and very eager. It was a mix of emotions going through my head then.

Even now, I have a lot of different final thoughts about the trip. First of all, I'm constantly reminded of the whole experience. Sometimes, it's as simple as the way someone says something that triggers a flashback. We really enjoyed ourselves on the trip. There's no doubt about it. Everywhere I go now, I have a story to tell, and a pretty great one at that. I have the cyclists to mostly thank for that. They made the experience especially memorable.

I'm really missing you guys.

I think it's really important though to remember what truly came out of this journey. Sure, there are a lot of great memories and an awesome sense of accomplishment, but reaching our finish line means more than just that.

It's our fundraising goal of $100,000 that really stands out to me.

We reached it, and when I say "we", I'm referring to so many people. Not only the cyclists, but also our families, our communities, and our friends all across the country. Throughout this trip, there were countless supporters that helped out for no reason other than that of their own selflessness and generosity. They came in all shapes and forms, from the cyclists' own parents to the people that donated right out of their pockets when they heard about our cause.

I admire these supporters so much. Along with us, they held strong in the belief that together we can all make a difference. In our early fundraising brochure, I remember talking about bringing about change through a determined effort. That is what I am most going to remember about this trip. It was more than just a bicycle ride. It was a collection of people coming together to fight cancer.

I came back home to hear some bad news. I realize now more than ever that every day around the world people get bad news. It's tough for all of us. Through this bike trip, I want people to see that it is possible to make such a big difference. Anybody can do what we did, whether it's biking, or something completely different. I know this isn't over for me. I'm already looking forward to the next similar fundraiser I can become a part of, and I encourage everyone who's reading this to do the same.

I'm very grateful to all of the people that were a part of this trip. We did it everyone! We really made a difference. It's now that our fundraising goal becomes more than just a number. It becomes a sign that people are willing to help. I've seen people who struggle to pay their own bills give us donations. I won't ever forget that.

We're not going to stop talking about this trip anytime soon. I know I'll reminisce like crazy. Let us all just remember the good that came from this undertaking, and that amidst all of the bad news, through a determined effort, together, we can bring good news.