Arizona

Time sure is flying on this trip! Can not believe we just finished day #9 and are about to enter our 3rd state, New Mexico, tomorrow along with a time change getting me closer to my normal schedule. Tomorrow will also be a monumental day for several of the riders. It will be a lot of people 1st ever century (100 miles) ride! What a special accomplishment but it should be relatively manageable by all of us after the mountains we have faced recently. The team as a whole is finally use to everyone's personalities and we are chugging along and as adhesive as a group that's known each other for years. I already feel so privileged to have know and to share this life changing adventure together.

Day 5- we rode 85 miles to Buckeye, a suburb southwest of Phoenix. There was more carrot and not so nice of smells during the 1st half of the ride. Overall it was a pretty in eventful ride as I'm sure you can imagine the desert being. As a side note- I am very impressed with the irrigation system and canals they run in the desert. It is confusing how efficient the Southwest is with their water and farming compared to the areas known for farming and disparity they face during a "drought".

Day 6- We rode across Phoenix from the southwest suburb to the northeast suburb, fountain hills. I loved the country side but was ready to enjoy an urban setting in a city I've never been in. It ended up being quite a slow day with traffic and lights but I enjoyed it. We stopped outside of Mexican restaurants during our 1st and 2nd stops in which I fully enjoyed the selections there were rough parts of town but also remarkable areas such as scottsdale. Finally the last 10 miles were on an open highway and we got to push ourselves at the end to feel a little burn for the day. A doctor lent us her house that evening while she was out of town. It was a huge, wonderful house allowing a warm shower and a bed to sleep on finally along with grapefruit trees she allowed us to pick from on her back yard. Her daughter was adorable, leaving notes throughout the house of do's and don'ts.

Day 7- Rest day in Phoenix! We actually packed up and stayed at the JCC which is a Jewish club similar to a YMCA. Their facilities were the best yet. I spent most of the day at a coffee shop working on residency paperwork and events in Oklahoma (I've posted a couple on Facebook). Then intended the day enjoying more Mexican food and relaxing in the whirlpool at the JCC.

Day 8- should I even talk about it.... we rode about 65 miles with over 7000 feet of elevation to Payson, which is impossible to get in oklahoma. I was actually excited for the trip but ended the day beaten after several flat tires, losing my eye contact, and missing a turn adding miles to my ride. We ended up at a campsite and enjoyed another night of great music from fellow riders along with a camp fire and s'mores of course. The fellowship lifted my spirit after the rough day but so did the thought of being on crew the next day. All in all, I had a blast this day and have ended each day realizing how blessed I am with the opportunity to not only enjoy riding my bike but to also get to share my passion about global health with others. Never have I felt such a rewarding and worthwhile feeling for myself.

Day 9- crew day on the 85 mile ride to Snowflake. It would have been a great day to ride but I needed the mental break. The ride went from desert to deciduous forest to pine forest to grassland. The first half was also along a rim making breathtaking views from the roads.

Thank you for the continued support and please continue to follow this blog along with even more updated Facebook and twitter pages. I feel like twitter is starting to feel somewhat more comfortable for me to use but I still have a ways to go. Also follow r4wh.org for even more info about events and our group blog. Thank you and love you all greatly.