After dominating the thirty miles from montana border to Missoula (at 20mph Dan informed us using stopwatch and mile markers, which is pretty impressive fully loaded might add) we called Greta. We had gotten Greta's number from her dad who we had briefly met a week earlier in NE Oregon. He had told us to call his daughter for a place to crash when in Msla. Greta was visiting her parents in Idaho, but had been expecting our call and left a key -- how great is that?! So we got to stay in her sweet apt anyway and were welcomed by her boyfriend who brought us a bag of delicious cookies and found where she had hidden the key!! People are so amazing!
As for kelseys last comments, it seemed only fitting that we get our noses pierced... The last 800 miles we have been travelling in Nez Perce country, which means nose pierce in French :) obviously we had many days to get excited about the idea,
Secondly, turns out we got to spend more quality time in Missoula than expected. So plenty of time to kill piercing noses. My bikes been making some funky noises and I'd been told a few times it was just my spokes rubbing together, but it had gotten pretty bad so I took it to hellsgate cycle downtown missoula while we went to the Market. Kevin figured out my rear wheels hub was on it's last miles and I was lucky I brought it in- last bike shop was in fifty miles and after that nothing til yellowstone! So all afternoon he pulled together a new wheel for me... Yay! Unfortunately, it wasn't done til 3:30 and kels and I had to make it 70 miles ( few towns in Montana... Base our days and miles on food... Guess not a ton different from home ;) ) so we did our smelly laundry, called Greta and stayed another night in Msla. Extra sweet, cuz out of all of this craziness we end up running into Paul, our biking buddy.. Who in the midst of everything going on brings a little peace. It feels good to run into people going thru what you are:)
So now we're racing across Montana to meet the boys on time in yellowstone.... Done with days off... Two in all 21 days so far, not bad... Kels calls me a slave driver but really I just LOVE to BIKE!! :) :)

Three days ago, we stopped seven miles short of Lowell, Idaho (the goal for the night) to stay in a small rafting town.  We were convinced to do so by the local rafting boys and good dark beer.  The next morning we regretted our decision immensely as Rachel and I were "carsick".  By some amazing feat, the three of us made it our allotted 70 miles uphill for the next day, but it definitely wasn't pretty.  Thankfully, Dan forced us to take a hike to some hot springs that really turned the day around.  Since I had seen a BEAR (literally... not a figment of my imagination, but a real life BEAR) on the road earlier in the day, I wasn't feeling especially ready to take on a difficult hike deep into the wilderness to sit in a pool of hot water.  Rachel wanted to just get to our campsite for the night since it was getting dark.  Dan declared that he would meet us at the campsite after he hiked to the springs.  Since it's against Rachel and my natures to miss out on anything sweet, we reluctantly decided to come along.  IT WAS AMAZING.  We saw the steam a little before we saw the spring, and we rounded the corner to a pool of natural hot water all to ourselves.  Surrounded by huge trees and a river, we soaked up the heat and played.  Question of the day: Why didn't God put hot springs in Iowa!?!?

We are officially in our third state of the trip: MONTANA!  Rachel and I are now on our own again.  Danny is leaving to meet his friends in Colorado for a fishing trip.  Rachel and I are going to make it to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming on July 1st where two of our awesome friends (Scott and Trey) are giving us a ride back to Iowa City to finish out the summer.  We're bummed that our adventure is coming to such a quick close, but we figure we'll just have to bring the adventure to Iowa.  Any takers?

Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you, Rachel Hanus corrupted me yet again in Missoula, Montana.  There may be an extra hole in each of our noses upon our return to Iowa.  Someone break it to Grandpa so I don't have to.  Love you all! :)

McKenzie Pass! Our first mountain!

The Murray kiddos!! (and our bed- thanks again!)

Oregon coast... gorgeous!

TAWM (aka Tom) with all of our stuff in his car!  Thanks for the support vehicle boys!

On Monday night, we ended the day biking downhill along the beautiful Salmon River.  We stopped at the fanciest campground that we've seen yet, and Rachel worked her magic to talk the man down 3 whole dollars!  It's amazing what that helpless woman look can accomplish.  Never have I been more proud.  The next day we started out with an easy 13 miles when we hit the small, lumber town of Riggins.  We stopped for coffee and after talking with Todd- the barista- we were convinced that we had to whitewater raft the Salmon River.  Since the Salmon River ran right along our route for the next 12 miles, we asked the good people at Mountain River Rafting if they would shuttle our bikes to where we would get off the raft after the ride.  SCORE.  We cut off 12 miles of biking and exchanged it for an amazing ride with our guide Tray!  Tray had us play games on the raft, and we all fell in the river multiple times.  Rachel's favorite part was when he whipped out trail mix from his cooler and fed us for free!  :)  After rafting, we put our bikes back together and started the last 19 miles of the day to the small town of White Bird.  A big burly man yelled at us for trying to start a fire in the park so we had smores over propane instead.  And thanks to our new friend DJ, Rachel and I both got to shower.  This morning we had a big mountain climb... you know you're on a mountain climb when butterflies can keep pace with you.  Very humbling.  This afternoon, we're gonna eat up 50 more miles that are mostly downhill to Lowell, ID.  We should be in Montana in one or two days!!!  We just had to say goodbye to our good friend Paul who has been riding with us for a couple days.  He had been so fun to have around, and we'll miss him big time!  Happy travels, friend!!! :)

It was the best ride from Baker City to Richland, all downhill! (which of course means big uphill the next day). As soon as we rolled into town we saw a big sign at the park we were camping for free at that read, "Eagle Valley Days june 20-21" All of us jogged our minds for the date, and after asking Debbie at the ice cream shop we learned that INDEED we were there for the celebration!! So the town of 120 people was bustling. The RV park was full, but we thought we could try to sneak a shower off of them..... fail. Just as Kelsey was leaving the bathroom sure enough a very crabby receptionist demanded $5 each from us. BOGUS. I would have taken a longer shower. Later that night Kels and I hit up the ATM which just so happened to be at the local bar where we met our new friends, Gary and Dalelyn! We sat down for one drink and ended up staying hours talking to them! Poor Dan was left holding down the fort in the city park. Ya win some you lose some. The next day we woke up to coffee and donuts just hundreds of feet from our beds. Love it. Then after an hour of learning how to play the Nez Perce flute from one of the vendors, Kelsey and I jumped off the cliff together and made the purchase. Now, we have a new activity for tent time, don't worry, concert to come upon our arrival to Iowa City! Meanwhile, Dan had already been put to work by the locals numbering the parade floats with the promise of a free lunch. After we had stuffed our faces with parade candy and hot dogs we disdainfully started the six mile uphill out of Richland. We joked about how funny it would be to blog about how we vomited up our hot dogs as we sweated up the mtn, but thankfully we all kept them down.
Yesterday we made it into IDAHO! (finally!!!) We camped right along the Snake River. It would have been the perfect night- campfire, flutes, and all, EXCEPT for the fact that it started storming, and never stopped. Our tents were whipping us in the face, everything was soaked, and on top of that, we had set up our tent directly below the only light in the parking lot. Way to go. The next morning was hot, we were tired, grouchy, and dreading the climb out of the valley. After another 13 mile uphill climb, we reached the top just in time for the rain to come pouring down on us. Rain ruins a fun downhill pretty quickly. We raced to Cambridge which was only 8 miles away, completely soaked, and hung out at Bucky's Cafe for the next few hours. We camped out at the local park which had free camping for bikers!! And outlets galore-- awesome! However, we soon learned that the shelter's lights were motion activated and wouldn't turn off! So after laying in our tent under bright light for the second night in a row, Kelsey had the brilliant idea of unscrewing the light bulbs! So I climbed up on her shoulders (and after being terrified of falling down we switched spots), and voila! Problem solved! We slept like rocks. Big 70+ mile day today, we're hoping to make it to Polluck. We're hanging out at a coffee shop in Council with a Frenchman who wants to take our pictures.... just another day. :)

WE MADE IT TO IDAHO! Camping on the snake river. Starting up a rocking campfire complete with...uh... music(?) from rach n my new native american flutes!

Grabbed dinner at annie's cafe in Richland tonight. There's ANOTHER parade in our honor here 2mor! Aka the town of 170 is celebrating Eagle Valley Days! Woot woot!

So, it's clear that most of you that follow the blog consider me (Kelsey) to be the more reckless biker between the two of us.  The poll is now closed with an overwhelming majority of you that thought I would be the first to crash or that we would crash into each other (which Rachel informs me is still technically a vote for me as I would be the one to crash into her).  Anyway, no big crashes yet, but it's true that if there would be one....... it would be all my fault as I swerve and look around at the mountains.  Some people are just not made to travel in a straight line.

We are heading out from Baker City, OR today for Richland, OR.  Tomorrow, we are crossing into Idaho!  
PS We just figured out how to blog from our phones!!!!!! :)  Get excited people.

Dan's First Day!!!

Our friend Dan is joining us for the next few weeks, who can pass up on an adventure like this?! Anyone's welcome! DAD(s) GET OUT HERE!!! So we're taking it easy on him today, however it seems like our luck is contagious and before we even left the parking lot this morning his pedal broke. bahaha.... Kelsey and I didn't realize how much.... hmmm not sure how to say this.... maybe how much we morphed into the same person would be a good way to put it. We don't even need to speak half the time, and when we do say something the other person usually follows with, "I was just thinking that..." then we catch ourselves and giggle. Needless to say, Dan is getting very annoyed already. :) Soon enough he will catch on to the biker way of life.
We haven't completely turned into the same person, I'm still the super conscious biker: always wearing the helmet (however, Kelsey did wear it in town today when I was feeling risky and didn't), and riding on the inside of the shoulder. While Kelsey on the other hand is jammin out on her ipod and swerving as she checks out the beautiful mountains.
Along those lines, Kelsey "forgot" to mention yesterday about the second act of kindness Jeff showed to us. After he dropped us off at Austin Junction, we were hanging out, mingling with some other bikers in the restaurant and 'lo and behold 15 minutes later who shows up but Jeff. A smile on his face and Kelsey's sleeping bag in one hand and the other carrying our new stove top we had just bought since our $5 Kmart one quit on us. She had left them in his truck.  Whoops..... Thank God for good people. :)

We have met the BEST people on this trip.  Special shout outs go to the Nortons, Hudsons, and Jeff!!!  We met the Nortons the first day of our trip, and since they're doing the TransAmerican Route we see them periodically throughout the trip!  The Nortons, an Irish couple in their 50s, traveled all the way from Britain to do the tour across the United States!  It has been Dermot's dream since he was just seven years old.  To follow their story, go to http://nortonsdousa.blogspot.com.  The Hudson's, a retired couple from Maine, have been touring for thirty years!  They've definitely taught us a thing or two... half the weight they carry is in awesome food!  Our kind of people!  We don't ride all together during the day, but we sweat up some hills together and catch up at the next town for lunch/dinner/camping.  It has been so awesome to get to know them both.  They've been our families out on the road.  Today, we realized that we won't be seeing either couple anymore and the goodbyes were hard!!!!  Susan Hudson caught me peeing on the side of the road and said I'm a woman after her own heart.  I knew we were going to be fast friends after that. It's crazy how close you get with people when you're roughing it!

Last night, it rained just as we were getting to our camp ground.  We hid underneath the bathroom overhang for two hours waiting for the rain to let up.  Then, Rach had a brilliant idea!!  We put the tent together in the bathroom to stay dry, and we ran with it fully assembled(rain fly and all) to the hiker/biker campsites 500 yards away.  We looked like fools, but dry ones! :) 

It has been a long/awesome couple of days since our last blog.  We have biked up four mountains (If you count hitchhiking a ride up one of them with the FABULOUS JEFF!)  This morning we stopped at a diner for breakfast (even though we had already eaten breakfast) because we were dreading the three mountains that we were planning on biking up.  While we laughed with the locals, one of them (Aka Angel Jeff) offered to give us a ride to the top of the most difficult of the three mountains!!  Without a moments hesitation, Rachel and I agreed! :)  Jeff later told us he was shocked we actually took him up on his generous offer!  Little did he know how desperate we were to take the 30 miles of mountain climb off our day!  Since Jeff gave us a ride, we ended up making it to Baker City a day earlier than we originally planned!!!!  Hallelujah!!!  And now, we get to share the hotel room that Dan got for himself tonight!  Not only did we get a hot shower immediately after finishing our ride, but Dan also got us sloppy joes and banana bread from the hotel front counter.  It doesn't get much better after a long ride. :) :) :)

Since we last blogged, we have finally found Rachel's weakness.  The cold!  As we were climbing one of the mountains of the trip, it started hailing on us!  Literally.  Hail!  It was all good until we had a 31 mile descent in the freezing rain.  Rachel's face was set in a grim line, and I wisely kept my mouth shut until we reached the bottom.  At the bottom, we hopped off our bikes, took off our shoes, and shoved our toes in the hot rocks on the side of the road to warm up.  We shivered and laughed and Rachel's mood warmed right up with her body.  For my sake, pray for sunny weather until the end of the trip! :)

Yesterday was a good Day of Rest! We met Jason at our campsite when he was off work and he biked with us to his place where he made us a carb loaded pasta dinner! It felt good to hang out INSIDE for a change, and we made a great friend in Sisters :) He introduced us to the Grateful Dead and even taught me how to play cribbage! This morning we made banana pancakes (Praise The Lord!!! DID YOU CATCH THAT?!? pancakes, TWO days in a row!!!) and then Jason took us out to get Pepper Spray- you can stop worrying now, Wiecks!! The three of us biked out of town around noon and Jason left us by Smith Rock. Now we're in Prineville, which is the last trace of civilization we're going to be seeing for awhile. Stocking up on cliff bars, water, and propane! We'll be in the desert for the next few days. Maybe I'll use some of that sunblock you made me pack, Mom!

Today has been the coolest day!  We are spending the day in Sisters, and this morning we stole yet another shower from Sister's High School because the boys basketball tournament was still going on!  Then, the tournament moms offered us pancakes for free!!  Rachel's FAVORITE!  Since it's our day off after the mountain climb of yesterday, we put on our sundresses, make-up, and entered civilization for a day of fun!  We took our bikes into Eurosport (an awesome bike shop) to get my inner chain ring fixed so that I can climb the next mountain in 1st gear instead of 2nd like yesterday.  While Jason worked on our bikes, Rachel and I headed to the coffee shop where we had warm coffee and Jesus time on a comfy couch!  We headed back to pick up our bikes, and I ended up loaning my bike out to a woman named Alison because hers was broken.  I have her wallet so hopefully she'll bring back my Fisher of Men.  I'm not worried about it though... this trip has taught me to trust.  We "paid" Jason (although he barely charged us for his awesome labor), and before we could even leave he offered us his guest house for the night!!!!  Rachel and I are now going to be staying in a house with a bed, shower, and tv!  If there is one thing I've learned along this trip, it's that people are so GOOD.  Our adventure started out a little rocky with lots of rain and tough mountain climbs, but we are getting to see people at their best as they keep lifting us up!  Maybe we just look so pitifully tired and hungry, but the people of Oregon have been housing us, feeding us, and loving on us.  It makes me want to give and give and give back to them.  Hopefully, that's what the rest of my life will look like. :)

Thursday morning after breakfast at the Broken Yoke with Shelby we left the Murrays with panniers full of clean laundry and headed to our next house in Springfield! It was a much needed nice, easy ride... except for the rain which we're getting used to. We hung out downtown Eugene then attempted to find the Jones' house which was in Springfield (without a map..don't know why we thought we could do that since we get lost when we DO have a map :) ). After a frustrating forty minutes of biking around trying to get around the interstate we hopped on a bus for $1.50 so we could make it to Tom and Julia's for dinner!! We have been so blessed! Thank you Shelby and Joe for hooking us up with your friends in Springfield! Tom and Julia made us an awesome and organic home cooked meal, followed by hot cocoa, and popcorn and a big comfy bed! We did not want to leave in the morning thats for sure!

Friday we had a late start, but it was finally beautiful weather and we had the best ride along the McKenzie River and stopped at McKenzie Bridge (which we learned from the man at the convenient store that it was NOT a town and there was NO library to get internet access/charge phones... so we just hung out there for a few hours :) ).

I don't even know what to say about yesterday.... probably should start about a mile down the road while approaching our first hill when kels tries to put her bike into lowest gear and her chain fell off.. Important to note: we were climbing the 5325 ft. McKenzie pass and the lowest gear is pretty much a necessity when ridin fully loaded, so this wasn't cool. After messing with it for a solid 30 mins on the side of the road and getting so desperate that we even called Mr. Fix-It-Luke back in IA for repair tips we were pretty close to giving up when some legit cyclists come by heading up the McKenzie Pass. A few mins later we had localized the problem to a bent inner chain ring, which means, kelsey was S.O.L. and would not be able to use her lowest gear until we could get to a bike shop for a new chain ring. Problem being, we first had to climb the mt. to get there. Kelsey was a CHAMPION, and three and a half hours later we reached the summit!! We couldn't have attempted it at any better time, the road had just opened up, and the snow (yes SNOW! in OR in June!!) had been plowed off the roads and only bikers were allowed through so there was NO TRAFFIC to fight on the switchbacks. We met another bike tourist, Mark, at the summit who made us feel pretty good about hauling our load up while all the cyclists on their roadbikes sped past us. So thankful we met Mark, cuz on our way down we got word that there was a rodeo in Sisters, the town we were plannin on stopping at, and that all campsites were full. But Mark had sent a message for us through this other biker to tell us that people were camping out at the high school! Thanks, Mark!! So we put down tent for free!! and snuck in the high school during a basketball tournament, used the girls' locker room showers then headed into town for dinner. The town is super cute, western store fronts, perfect for a rodeo! We felt a little out of place in our smelly bike attire. After dinner we roamed around to an icecream/cafe/coffee shop where we were hoping to sit down, charge our phones, and chill out for awhile. The lady told us that they were closing soon and we must have looked a little pathetic because right after she said that she said, "ohh, girls, how 'bout you sit down. Relax, relax. I'll clean, you sit." So we sat. :) Then as we were leaving she handed us this HUGE container of homemade chicken noodle soup and told us she was going to throw it away otherwise. She told us to be strong and courageous and shouted, "I love you!" as we headed out the door. People in Oregon are great....we might just stay. :)

From the top of a really tough climb!  We made it! :)

Cannon Beach

Here I am trying to stay out of the rain while putting my bike together in Astoria!

Our first morning in Oregon!  It's raining... weird ;)

Today it rained and rained and rained. We woke up on the Indian reservation that Chief Mike Larson let us put our tent on for free and began our 60-some mile ride to Corvallis, Oregon. The ride was fairly easy, but we spent the day wet and cold. Rachel's ipod won't work so I'm in charge of singing along with mine for her entertainment(don't cringe!). It's fairly unfortunate in general, but it's especially hilarious as we bike uphill and I run out of air. I know you're all sad to be missing it. :) Tonight we are staying with the AWESOME Joe and Shelby Murray!!! Rachel knew them through some friends, but we just met them today! They have been SO GOOD TO US!!! Upon seeing us, Joe declared that we could both use a shower! We arrived here at about 5:00 pm and so far they have given us a shower, done our laundry, and fed us! It doesn't get much better. They're even letting us sleep on their couches tonight so that we can stay out of the rain. So rest assured, Iowa, we are taken care of! :) :) :) Love you all!

If I told you everything that has gone on since we last blogged, you wouldn't believe me. Two days ago, we left our Hilton of all camps to head out to Tillamook. It was going to be about a 40 mile day. Along the trail, we met the five coolest Canadians ever that were biking down the Oregon coast to California! Dan was the perky, sweet one. Jonathon was quiet and cool. Larry was 70 and sweet as can be (he even let Rachel use his toenail clippers!). Tom was a lot like my dad... funny, the boss, but randomly would throw out compliments when you least expected it. Brian was cool and collected. We met them along the trail a couple times throughout the day, and they invited us to throw our stuff in their support vehicle and meet them for a beer in Pacific City (which was "15" miles farther than our original destination aka Tillamook). WE OF COURSE AGREED!!! They had a head start because we were busy filling their car with our stuff. About 17 miles after Tillamook, we realized something more than our usual couple miles of "detours" was going on. Starting to get hungry and tired, we rechecked our maps... and when we say rechecked... it was actually the first time we had checked them since throwing our things (EVERYTHING... tent, snacks, extra water, jackets) in the boys' car. We realized that the route that our maps gave us took us on a 35 mile mountainous, coastal climb to Pacific City instead of the 15 mile flat route that they had taken. So, we called Tom and left a msg on his phone that they should leave our stuff at the restaurant because we were going to be much later than 5:00 pm. Just as we biked/walked/crawled to the top of the most treacherous 7 mile peak, we began flying down the other side and Rachel spotted Jonathon and Dan in the support vehicle coming to save the day! Meanwhile, my last remaining bag had flown off of my bike on the descent so I was running back up the hill to get it from the middle of the road when I spotted the help! The guys drove us the rest of the 15 miles to Pacific City and took us to a coastal bar to enjoy dark beer and pasta. They were so fun, and we had a rowdy time together until 12:00 am when they dropped us off at a campsite and let us put up our tent with their headlights. Rachel and I snuggled down for the night certain that we may have died if not for the help of our Canadian friends... Happy 70th Birthday Larry and enjoy the rest of your ride down the coast!!! You were all so good to us. :)

Yesterday (Tuesday) was a MUCH better day...We woke up, grabbed coffee, wrote a few postcards, packed up then hit the road! We thought we would treat ourselves to a short day, but the ride was so quick and we were having so much fun (however much you can have on a bike..) that we decided to just keep going. We had headed off the coast and started realizing there weren't too many towns around. We were at mile 45 and decided to find a place to camp. Spirit Mountain Casino seemed like a brilliant option, they even had a parking lot designated just for RV parking..however, we were soon scolded and told that they do not allow camping there. So we packed back up and went to the the gas station 200 yards away to ask if we could set up in their yard. The manager thought that the casino security might not like that, so he told us he would make a few calls. Three short minutes later Chris came out and told us to follow him, they had found a place for us to camp! A mile off the highway we came upon this huge open field... Chris told us that it was an Indian Pow Wow site and that they had called Chief Mike Larson and we were given the O.K. to set up camp there! Ed, the security man, unlocked the bathrooms for us, and gave us some tips in the slight chance that the black bear who lives in the woods nearby starts roaming over in our direction. Kelsey conquered her bear fear last night and didn't even sleep in the bathroom like she said she was going to--I WAS SO PROUD! :) :) After setting up camp we went to the casino!!! duhhhh!!! and ATE! our last real meal, we decided we are saving our bucks and eating Ravioli from the can the rest of the trip! With full bellys we meandered over to the casino hotel lobby, sat in front of their huge awesome fireplace, put up our feet and chilled... what a good night :) Just as the rain was starting we headed home (to the pow wow grounds) and fell fast asleep... it was only 9pm.. biking sure wears you out.

The day wasn't ALL bad... We got our bikes on bus for free to Astoria and when we got there it turned out to be a goonie anniversary week celebration-- you can't plan that kind of perfect timing! After the afternoon of putting our bikes together we walked them to the gas station since our bike pump didn't work/we didn't have the patience for it, then hit the road! Only to stop a few blocks later when Kelsey yelled at me that my camelback was leaking everywhere-- but at least I got it for 10% off - thanks Scott! And there's nothing a role of duct tape can't fix! After a beautiful ride to cannon beach we found the Hilton of all campsites.. And enjoyed the longest showers ever. Then tried out cooking over the propane tank, good thing I had lots of practice last summer! We had a hearty meal of ramen and granola bars! Snuggled down to bed at 9:15 and dead asleep before it even got dark.. Maybe I'll get to try out the flashlight tomo night :)

We survived day one... Barely. :). Nothing Went as planned. It downpoured. Took the wrong train... Thank u rach :) almost missed our bus to astoria but I sprinted in the middle of traffic n rain for a cab. Got to bus station n they said they didn't have my bike. Rach calmly asked them to check again. Once in Astoria, the frustrations of putting our bikes together in the rain are undescribable. Hungry and wet we rode 37 miles to our camp site. The major question of the day was what in the heck were we thinking coming out here? It was like everyone elses reality was finally hitting us. But there was good in the mist of our day. We laughed until we cried and built some character. Here's rach to tell you what we are THANKFUL for...

WE MADE IT!!!

Wow, can't believe we're finally here!!

We stayed in Portland last night and guess what-- they had a parade for us! (not really FOR us, but it was fun to think so). We mastered the MAX and are takin it downtown this morning to meet up with our BIKES at the Greyhound station (BEST MODE OF SHIPPING EVER!!) and take the 9:10 bus to Astoria!

We're getting our first taste of Oregon weather-- woke up and went outside to enjoy Econo Lodge continental breakfast and see downpour....sweet. Shout out to Mom who got me an awesome rainjacket for my birthday! I'll let ya know how it holds up!

Last night I woke up with the worst earache ever!!! I am embarrassed to say that I even cried! Special shout out to Dr. Gross for getting me in to see him today and putting me right on medication! Have no fear Oregon, I will be ready for you tomorrow!!!!! :)

I just got the call that my bike made it to Oregon safe and sound! Hopefully in just two days I will be able to report that Rachel and I have as well! :)

Rachel left yesterday to head out for the West coast. She is attending a conference in California for her position next year with Every Ethne. She'll be mobilizing college students to go out into the world to tell people about Jesus! I fly out from Minneapolis on Saturday (June 5th), and I will be meeting Rachel in Portland. Our bikes are officially on their way to Oregon, and we pray that they will make it there before us and in good shape! I am completely ready for this adventure. I hope that it will change the way I look at the world and really move me to go after more of life. I feel excited, blessed, and slightly terrified! Leave your address on the blog comments if you want a sweet postcard from the Northwest! :)