The boys of summer: Washington D.C.

The night before I left Elon once and for all, I spent some quality time with some of my closest fellow graduates. With the realization that the best four years of our life had run its course, we found it appropriate to blast some of the most depressing songs in our music arsenal about saying goodbye, while sharing some memories and leftover beer. Sounds pretty awful I’m sure, but it was strangely therapeutic. Well, I was unexpectedly woken up by another “DJ Depressing” mix by none other than Mike Keough on the final morning of the Journey. All the emotion I thought I might somehow suppress on this day I had awaited for so long began to creep out slowly (the first song to choke me up: “Goodbye to You” by Michelle Branch… embarrassing). And then it all began to move quickly – the final morning meeting and prayer, the final sponsor photo, the final proclamation of “Let’s ride bikes!” Before I knew it, we were on the road.

Of all days for things to go wrong… this had to be the most inconvenient! Luckily my bike went unharmed, but the TransAm team was stricken with countless flat ties, red lights and even a chain snapped in half as we neared our final destination. With time ticking away from our required appearance at the stage up site at George Washington University, we began to shred through the city once we got within its borders (this may or may not have been fueled by a sighting of the South team a few blocks behind us). Probably not our safest course of action, but we were acting on pure adrenaline and I’d have it no other way. After our team arrived at stage up in an unscripted double pace line, we fulfilled our various photo requirements (and plenty of not required, somewhat inappropriate ones as well). Then, as we so often did, the TransAm boys circled up.

Realizing our time together would come to a close a mere three miles away, the majority of the team was fighting back tears as we stood shoulder to shoulder with the men who had defined the most incredible summer of our lives. I was most definitely included in this contingent, especially when our project manager Jeremy, a man who has been through so much in recent years and been a fantastic role model for our team, spoke to us. “There has never been a better team than you guys right here,” he said with intention. “You all have changed my life.” After making a consorted effort to hug each of my teammates, we assembled the final, 100-plus man pace line. I had the unbelievable opportunity of being one of two men to lead the entire pack. I cannot claim any credit for this as my fellow Eloner Robby was the top fundraiser for the event (raking in around $13,000) and chose me to ride alongside him to the finish line.

With understandable butterflies in my stomach, it was time to begin the three mile procession to the Capitol Building. Words cannot do justice to how it felt to be there in that moment with the rowdy crewmembers hanging out of the van directly in front of me, my fellow cyclists in tow, and countless curious tourists snapping away at their cameras as we screamed “Feel the Hope!” through the streets of D.C. I will say that it had to be the quickest three miles of all time! Pretty soon we were on the Mall and familiar faces cheering and holding up signs began to pop up. We hopped off our bikes and began walking up to the lawn and there was my family and my friends and this moment I’d long played out in my head felt completely surreal. After the initial ceremony, I was cut loose to feel the love from everyone in attendance (and even feel the water my mom ceremoniously dumped on my head). It will undoubtedly go down as one of the best and most bittersweet days of my life.

By the time the following day rolled around my trusty bike was all packed up, goodbyes had been said (sometimes more than once), and a celebration worthy of 4,000 miles had most certainly taken place. En route to my hotel, I passed through the Capitol. In comparison to the day before, the lawn seemed empty and lifeless. I tried to conjure up everything in my mind all into one – the people, the places, the lessons learned, and the unbelievable strides I made since that grueling first day. It didn’t work. It became more clear to me than ever that the Journey of Hope and all that it meant was going to take some time to process. If and when I’m ever able to sum it all up neatly, I hope I am continuing to live the Hope as best I can. I am so thankful for everyone and everything that made it possible.

In closing, some wise words I came across at a bike shop along the way:

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein

Amen.