I have a theory about New Year’s Resolutions and why people often find them so hard to keep. When many people look at the new year, they believe that who they were before no longer matters. Just as a snake sheds its skin, the person’s flaws and failures are left behind in the previous year. […]

[Written December 18th] Yesterday I did something I’ve wanted to do for ages: bike from my dad’s house to my mom’s house. Since I’ve never owned a car, I’ve always humored the idea of biking from one to the other instead. Until now, it had always seemed infeasible: I didn’t feel safe biking alone and […]

[Written on December 4th] I don’t mind biking in the cold. After a few layers and a few miles of biking, my only complaint tends to be a runny nose. I also don’t mind biking in the rain. In fact, after sweating a good amount, the rain can feel quite nice. Combine the two together, […]

Acceptance 11/4 Walking from the clinic on my lunch break, I called back the number I missed just minutes before. Kristopher Novak, a 2017 rider whom I met at interviews, was on the other side. At my interview, he waited with me by the door and calmed my anxiety as I vented to him about how […]

Being from Austin, the Trail of Lights is a staple to my holiday experience. However, I have always approached it from an enjoyment standpoint and have never volunteered for it. Volunteering was a completely different experience and one that I greatly enjoyed. I volunteered at the start line of the race with some of my […]

Today was the last day of classes for the Fall semester. 2016 has been a… rough… year for me, in a lot of different ways. I wish I would’ve spent more time checking in with myself. I wish I would’ve spent more time doing what I’m doing now: sitting down, reflecting, and forcing myself to […]

We spend our moments together singing, dancing, and laughing. It is the epitome of vibrancy. We can also cry together, speak softly, and just be. It is gentleness and love. Never before have I seen a community of such radiant individuals. In the face of adversity, each gives encouragement to one another. In the face […]

When I think of Thanksgiving, the first thing I think of is family. Actually maybe gravy. Kidding, I think of family. Most of the time. My family has always been a top priority in my life. I talk to my brothers every day and my parents at least three times a week. But to me, […]

When I think of the idea of digging for buried treasure, I think of a tourist walking around the beach with an old fashioned metal detector waiting for it to beep. Once it finally does, they fall to the ground and dig as fast as they can to dig up whatever made the beep happen. […]

Coming into Texas 4000, alumni of past rides would often say to me, “After a certain point in the year, your T4K team will be the closest friends that you have ever made.” When I first heard this bold claim, I very much doubted its validity. How could I build friendships in this organization greater than […]