UConn Coast to Coast Bike Trip 2018

Hello all, Today marks the end of day 12! In the past two days we have reached Sandpoint, Idaho and Troy, Montana. In Idaho we had a lovely time enjoying both the mountains and the beach. We were able to have a nice stroll around town and generally recuperate from the past 10 days of riding. Our hosts taught us Rummikub and we cuddled with the adorable pup. We were also treated to many a delicious breakfast :).  Luckily for us, our generous host even went 10 miles out of her way, tracked us down, and was able to return our forgotten belongings! Today we crossed into Montana and the sights were absolutely breathtaking, with green mountains and snow caps along deep blue lakes. However, when we reached our campsite we realized it wasn't available for the night. By a stroke of luck, we were able to find a friendly neighbor at the last minute who rents cabins to let us tent in her yard, take warm showers, and have a fire. We've been genuinely overwhelmed by the generosity w

Hello! It is the morning of day 9 and we have had an eventful few days. We climbed 3 more smaller peaks staying in Twisp, Okanogan, Republic, and Colville and have had amazing hosts along the way. We've learned an ancient viking game called Kuubs, played horseshoes, milked goats, picked farm fresh strawberries, and learned about what desert, rural, and farming life is all about. The other day I tried strawberry rhubarb jam for the first time in my life and it was absolutely amazing. Having farm fresh eggs, sausages, burgers, and veggies at warm showers after a long day of biking truly makes me feel like I've found an oasis along our journey. Yesterday we ran into a bit of rough weather with thunderstorms and nickel sized hail. It was so cold that we had to take shelter in the forest to warm up until the storm passed. Luckily, once we reached town our host popped our bikes into her truck and took us to the farm. We couldn't help smiling while feeding the ducks and obse

Hello Family and Friends! I just completed my first week on the bike trip. We flew out last Saturday and spent 2 days hanging out in Seattle and met up with family. We then officially started the trip Monday out of Anacortes, a seaside town where we touched our bikes to the Pacific Ocean. We are taking the Northern Tier Route, a well established route that starts in Washington. Thus far this trip has been everything I hoped for and more. However this was the most challenging week of my life both mentally and physically. We climbed a series of mountains this week which made traversing through Washington state one of the most grueling weeks of the trip. Physically, I reached my breaking points multiple times during this week. Climbing up the mountains such as Washington Pass was grueling, to the point where even on the lowest gear I was moving at a snails pass comparable to walking the bike. Mentally, it can be difficult to stay positive at times knowing you have so many more miles

Hello again, Today is day 5 and we are well on our way. We have conquered our first peak in the Cascade mountains, climbing up and down 5477 ft. Both Rainy Pass and Washington Pass were breathtaking and made the 30 miles uphill feel well worth it. Now, we are eating breakfast in Mazama, WA and will be on our way to Twisp. We can't waiy to have our first real shower in days! The country store owner has given us great advice about sights and resources in the area as we sip our coffee. Tomorrow we will be off to Okanogan and conquering Loup Loup Pass. We'll update you when we have phone service again! Christine

Hello all! Today, we reached the end of our second day and have arrived in New Halem, WA at Northern Cascade National Park. We began our journey yesterday in Anacortes, staying with a lovely family who introduced us to the state and gave us meaningful tips and advice. While eating a beautiful home cooked dinner, we learned about good foods to eat such as mountain house meals as well as being kind to our bodies during the strenuous climbs. The next morning we began our journey at the Pacific Ocean, and biked all the way to Concrete. We ran into a flat tire on the way though, and timed fixing it to compare at the end of our trip. It clocked in at 50 mins, so we hope to see some improvement in the future. Today, we biked along the Skagit River and admired the Cascades during our journey. The water is a magnificent teal and we are happy to rest by the fire tonight at our campsite. We hope that camping treats is well and are looking to start the climb to our first peak tomorrow. C

Journal entry #1 Rohan Joshi "If you want to change the world, you must first let the world change you." – Ernesto Guevara Today, my teammates and I biked to Washington park-the furthest place west in the US, to dip our tires in the Pacific Ocean and begin our trek back home (pictured below): I don’t know what this trip holds for me, or how it will change me. I hope it sheds light on some important questions I have for my future self:  How do I want to contribute to society?  What kind of mark do I want to leave on this planet? How can I continue to have a chaotic, colorful life while being a healthcare professional? I don’t want to dwell on these questions too long or dismiss them too early, doing either may be a lost opportunity on this journey that awaits me. For now, perhaps all I can do is revel in the uncertainty of these questions. In healthcare, uncertainty is almost taboo. At the end of the day, certain conclusions need to be made in orde