this might be one of those rather long, boring, sentimental, whispy, look-back-and-smile posts. sorry.

it's the middle of march, 2005. ally and i talked on the phone this past week, we both happened to think of each other at the same time. a year ago we were roommates in new haven, with no idea of what kind of adventure we would be up for in the next year. and it's been about one year for us to be settled in our normal people lives again.

one year ago, ally came home from new york with an idea...bike across country to do voter registration and education. the excitement built immediately, and bike the vote was born. in two weeks i gave notice at work, as did she, and we were full swing into planning something that was an unknown adventure into the great big world. these past 365 days have been packed with action, growth, adventure, overwhelming emotion, learning & exploring.

the ironic thing is that before thoughts of bike the vote even surfaced, i was thinking about moving to portland. sort of randomly, because it sounded like a neat place, and because there was a chance i could transfer there for work. but then that all sort of turned into a pipe dream with the biking plan and the need to get back to working after that...but wait...i ended up in portland. life is so amazing sometimes!

this is what i remember of the past year, and the hazy whir i remember it in. 2 months of working two jobs and planning a big trip...fundraising, making t-shirts, website stuff, commuting, not sleeping too much. the warm days of late spring, being at home organzing all day, making calls, tying up loose ends, fundraising, planning. packing up and moving out. kick-off with granny d, and actually leading a ride of about 30 riders despite not actually having really ridden my new bike more than 14 miles before. getting sandy dipping tires in atlantic ocean. 84 days of bike riding & voter registration. meeting new people, learning about other folks, talking with people who served their time and letting them know they could vote, having a flow, sleeping in a different house (or chinese food restraunt, boat locker, or church rectory) every night, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, hospital visits, dips in the river, state line crossings, media events, inspirational community members.

crossing the city limit into portland, riding up streets i now live in, and turning at that crazy intersection that made no sense...our last turn in portland...arrival with a finish line, friends, family, champagne, cake and lots of emotions. not being sure about what would happen next.

volunteering then working for almost 2 months on the campaign to stop the oregon constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage...more meeting people in the community and on the campaign, phone banks, canvassing, recruiting volunteers, voter registration, constant moving (not by bike!) and actually feeling at home in portland. the sad loss on election night. saying goodbye.

driving to la. thanksgiving foodpoisoning. driving to portland. car accident in idaho. charlotte, nc. new haven, ct. charlotte. driving driving driving (and not nearly enough biking!). los angeles. portland. los angeles. the loss of a much loved family member. family time. portland.

and after over a month of being here, i finally feel like i am at home, and that the whirlwind of the past year is just a breeze, and life is back to its "normal" pace. there is no way a year ago i could have forseen the experiences my life would take me through. and it's always nice to have time to reflect. it's also a good reminder to take a risk, make uncertain plans, and take a chance on the possibility of something good.

i am so grateful for the experiences i have had, the lessons i have learned about life and about myself in the process. the amazing people who i talked to for minutes, but have impacted my life forever. and the people i met and still have the pleasure of knowing. i'm amazed at the lessons that can be learned from each day of life as long as you have your eyes open for them.

and now i would like to take a nap.