Week 4 started off as a doozie - lots of miles and lots of elevation, day after day. Each day this week we have woken up, sat down at breakfast table, looked around and said “dang today’s gonna be a long one.” We then take off for the day, knowing how hard the challenges are that lay ahead. and each day, but challenges have come along with some of the kindest encounters so far on this trip. Whether it be a woman who buys us helmets mirrors in the bike shop because she’s concerned for our safety, donated pizzas for lunch, meeting people in campsites who are so drawn to our cause that they donate right on the spot and even ask for a picture with us for the memories, or sweet restaurant owners who invite us back to their farm to pick berries after our meal - each day brings a happy story. I have been blown away by the kindness of people this week. People are curious about what we’re doing and the best part is that they care - truly care.
These hard days have brought us closer together as a team. Every night I close my eyes next to 10 strangers-turned-friends, and I think how lucky I am to be a part of all this. Something bigger than any of us individually. We fight in this fight together because we know we can make a difference. We know that every hill we climb, and every stroke of our pedals is going to a cause that needs fighters behind it. And going to girls that need fighters behind them - someone rooting for them, reminding them that they are worth the world.
So yes - there are hard days, longs days, frustrating days, and exhausting days - but if there’s one thing I’ve realized, it’s that there are no bad days. Each day brings us closer to our goal for The Refuge, which makes every day a good one. I close my eyes tonight, excited for the people who we will meet ahead, who we get the chance to spread awareness about sex trafficking to. I think about the miles ahead, and how each mile is meant to bring hope someone who is fighting their own personal battle as we speak, and it makes it all worth it.
-Lexie