One week left!

We have one week left of the Journey of Hope. Next Saturday, we'll arrive in DC among all of our family, friends, and loved ones. Everything is amazing. Everyone is having so much fun and we get along so well. The frienship visits are a blast. No one wants the summer to end. I wish we could just keep on going past DC into Canada. There is zero end of summer negativity. This all sounds hard are to believe, but that's just the magic of the Journey of Hope. I hope to do six more JOH's and couple of GUFs. People may think I'm crazy, but I just love being on the road.

cheers,
Erich

JOH '08

"A good leader inspires men to have confidence in him...A great leader inspires his men to have confidence in themselves."

cruisin' through the dirty south

This is the leg of the trip that I was most looking forward to. The dirty south. The southwest was neat, but I was most looking forward to seeing the Louisiana to Georgia coridor. Sweet tea and humidity!

I was hoping to find some remnants of segregation even though Spencer from Birmingham assured me that I wasn't going to find that anywhere save for the civil rights museum. I had my doubts, but I'm about to leave Alabama and he was right. Although, he talked of schools in his area having segregated proms. We got to hang with native West Alabamans in Livingstone. It was fascinating that dropping the n-bomb was nothing, but holy mother of jesus if someone said "god damn!" I'm truly sad to say that I observed the "porch monkey" stereotype. I wish that I could explain the phenomenon, but I suppose that's just how it is. I grew up in Iowa where I think there were possibly 3 black people in my entire school and the soccer coach got excited when a couple thousand Bosnian refugees moved in. I had more minorities on my freshman dorm floor than I did in my entire high school. Driving through this area has been fascinating for me.

We're at Camp ASCCA. We pretty much have had the day to relax and catch up on things. I spent a good hour or two wading in the lake and than I organized and cleaned out my van a little bit. This is one of the camps that Push America has invested a lot of time and energy in. Push Camps, Gap Weekends, and Build America have come through here several times. There are lots of accessible equipment that we've built and I would've loved to have had at WCF. They have some pretty neat facilities. I checked out their web site and found the application. I'd love to have another camp summer here, but sadly my camp days are over. I love camp.


I had my first road visitor. My wonderful dyad that crewed Journey of Hope in 2005 and graduated from Mizzou with me visited us in Fort Worth. Thanks for stopping through Mike!

To repeat Wilbourn's famous line, "Enjoy the summer 'cause it'll be over before you know it." I can't believe that DC arrival is in 14 days. Two weeks. This has been a great way for me to spend my summer in between schools. Of course, it's made things somewhat difficult that I'm so pumped about joining the Sooner Nation. It's hard to explain to people how amazing it is to have the career goal that I set in December 2005 be actualized 20 days from now. Especially with how difficult my Missouri State experience was.

The next two weeks will be tough. We lost two crew members in Dallas and lost another one yesterday in Birmingham. Poor Kankles came down with some sort of unexplained illness. His side hurt and he was running a 101 fever. His mother came to be with him in the hospital. I think the hope is that he can figure out what's wrong and than rejoin us in Atlanta or Charlotte. Hope is always at a 10, but he was definately not feeling well. At the least, we'll see him in DC for arrival.

Once again, thanks for everyone's support. The extra mail in Alabama was much appreciated!

JOH the Bachelor

sorth route

Drayton vs. Vince: Drayton - prettier
Kankles vs. Candy: Kankles - the legs
Phil vs. PVO: Phil - obvious reasons
Chuck vs. Gantimal: Gantimal - draw
Comet vs. Campo: Campo - the hair
Tom vs. Zeebala: Tom - better pillow talk
Klocke vs. Curphy: Klocke - Iron Man!
D. Brown vs. JB: JB - ?

Kankles vs. Drayton: Drayton - flaming metrosexual
Phil vs. Gantimal: Phil - duh.
Campo vs. Tom: Campo - close
Klocke vs. JB: Klocke - Ioweagan

Drayton vs. Phil: Phil - the champ
Campo vs. Klocke: Campo - still gotta love that hair

Campo vs. Phil: Phil - total cutie pie

north route finals

Kimbo Slice vs. Frat Mason: Mason - stud muffin

Mason vs. Phil B.

And, the winner is...Mason...upon further review Mason is disqualified for random acts of scandalousness...2nd Lt. PHIL!!

thank you to my fundraising contributors!

Well, I made it! I flew to sunny North Carolina, than traveled to San Francisco by way of Memphis, Wichita, Breckenridge, and Vegas. We got all the riders checked in and now we've gone through Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico on our way through Texas and the southern US to DC on August 16 to meet the north and transamerica routes for the Arrival. I'm writing you from Abilene, Texas!

I thank all of my fundraising contributors: Archer Daniels Midland Matching Gifts Program, Carol Hayes, Chris & Patti Johnson, Clinton Thomas, David Corey, Dave Adickes, Drew Hartley, Dylan and Susan Hayes, Erle Morring, George & Ruth Hayes, George & Vicky Oster, Helen Oster, Jim Noce, Jeff & Karyn Meyer, Jessica Oster, Joshua Peppers, Kerri Fredrickson & Jens Miller, Kristina Bunyard, Lori Hart Ebert, Mandy Jones, Mary Kay Riley, Michael Wallace, Michael & Elaine Miller, Nathaniel Oster, T.J. Sullivan, Barbi & Reggie Greenlaw, Rob Noce, David & Susan Hayes, Tom & Kathy Rosskopf, and TJ Tollakson.

I couldn't have done it without you! Please everyone follow my progress at http://joherich.blogspot.com/. I've already put up some photos and postings.

By the way, we have mail drops along the road - http://www.pushamerica.org/events/joh/maildrops.cfm?route=South - I'd love to get some mail! The next drop is July 29 and the last one is August 7. If you happen to be along our route (http://www.pushamerica.org/events/te_itinerary.cfm?ride_code=JOH&route=South) or either of the other two routes, please feel encouraged to stop by one of our arrivals.

go tigers,
Erich
Programming Coordinator
JOH South Route '08

beta epsilon alumni update

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to update ya'll on some things going on with me. Before I do that - I'm happy to report that one of my fellow refounding members - AJ Friedhoff - has been hired as a leadership consultant with HQ. I imagine that he'll be at supreme chapter in Denver for anyone attending. I'm glad that he's taking the opportunity to work for the national office.

Two important developments in my life: One, I'm going to be a teaching assistant and PhD candidate in the communication graduate program at the University of Oklahoma beginning next fall. This is a pretty strong placement for me because of the program, professors, and the teaching opportunities that I'll have available to me. OU ranks in the top half of both of my emphasis areas - interpersonal and health communication. Plus, I expect that I'll get the opportunity to see College GameDay visit us in Norman sometime.

Before I join the Sooner Nation, I'm crewing for Push America's Journey of Hope. I'm currently writing you from Zuni, New Mexico on our way to sunny Texas. We'll make our way to Washington DC for arrival at the capital on August 16. This is something I've always wanted to do so I'm glad that I'm getting the opportunity while I'm in between schools. You can follow our progress at my blog: http://joherich.blogspot.com/.

I'll fly back to Oklahoma City two days before I have orientation at OU on August 22. Everything I own, including my car, is in storage for the summer in sunny Norman.

It's amazing to watch what everyone I went to Mizzou with is doing with themselves. Chris Wolfe got engaged last December. Joshua Moore had an adorable daughter a little over a year ago - first child of the new chapter. Brad Collier will be a PhD candidate at Texas A&M in the fall. Rob & Jim Noce are entering their second year of MU law school. I'm interested to know what anyone else is doing with their lives, my era or previous ones.

Have a good summer - I may be joining the Sooner Nation, but I'll always be a tiger at heart.

go mizzou,

Erich '05

on to New Mexico

So, we left sunny Arizona today. It really wasn't as hot as I expected. A few days were hot for the riders, but they drank lots of water and made it through. That's a picture from the lake house that we got to stay at in Parker, Arizona. It's likely the closest thing we'll have to a day with nothing to do

I can't explain how relaxing Tempe was for me. I got to get away from everything and just hang out with people that I wasn't going to live with for another 40+ days. My one regret is that I spent too much of my potential pool and relaxing time nerding out on the internet. We get it so infrequently - I'm going to start considering that a gift and only update this and read my e-mail. Collegehumor.com can wait until the end of the summer - it'll still be there. Still, I gotta please my readers. I can't necessarily blame myself, though. We arrived at the Arizona State campus and all the riders immediately flocked to the guest internet kiosks. I still recall sending my first e-mail in 8th grade...to my mom, no less.

I had a rather sobering moment today when I went ahead purchased my flight to Oklahoma from Charlotte after crew wrap-up. I was happy to have a $150 travel voucher that I received on the way to crew training in exchange for taking a flight one hour later. My Journey of Hope summer will be over at 11:30 am on Wednesday, August 20, 2008. 44 days away. This put an end to the experience and a beginning of the reality that will be the next 3-4 years of my life. I can't necessarily complain, though. Teaching and studying in the Sooner Nation is just about everything I wanted when I decided to return to graduate school in December 2005.

Now, we're moving on to New Mexico. It was actually a little cold this morning when we woke up. It's supposed to be even cooler as we head east through the southern Rocky Mountains. I'm sure it will warm up again as we head into the dirty south - Alabama, Mississippi. This'll mark our fourth state. Arizona was nice - hopefully New Mexico won't revert to a Nevada-like experience.

bye Tonopah...hello sunny Arizona

Arizona is clearly the hottest place in the US. I can't really complain at the present moment because I'm chillinlaxin' with some ASU guys by their pool/BBQ. Thank you to Greg Richards, whom I met at PKC and MYLC, for inviting me to his casa for some hang time. Not that I don't enjoy my route's company, but I've spent the last three weeks with them and have another month and a half with them 24/7.

My trip so far has been wonderful. I'm experiencing everything I hoped when I signed up. I can't envision another opportunity for spending an entire summer rolling across the country. When else am I gonna get to go through Tonopah, Nevada? Hopefully, never again.

My writings have apparently created a reasonable amount of drama. Whatev. Push America has paid me $4,500 between my summer fellowships and the Voorneveld research grant to develop the views on disability that I have. Might as well go ahead and add some more.

Our stop in sunny Pheonix was pretty neat 'cause I got to hook up with Kim Novak and Matthew Hunt, whom I've known through various fraternity involvements. Matt's first question for me encompassed a large part of my JOH experience: "So, how is it not being in charge and taking orders?" My response was "Well, I'm just along for the ride. I take one moment at at time." Or, something to that effect. Truly, I wouldn't know what to do with being in charge. From a strict leadership/organization respect, I could totally do it. But, I know almost nothing about bikes and only slightly more about the Journey of Hope process. Had I partaken in a JOH summer rather than my summer fellowships at Wonderland Camp, perhaps it would make sense. For now, I'm just along for the ride. I get the same experience regardless of whether I run things or follow along.

I thought that my blogging would be more regular, but internet is hit and miss. Sorry to my readers. I'm surprised that I get about 100 visits per week, not including facebook.

leaving San Francisco

So, we've left San Francisco and we're on our way through sunny Nevada. We split with north route yesterday and we won't see them again until DC in August. Kinda sad. We don't get to see the transamerica guys until DC either, and there are three Missouri State kids on that route that I actually knew before this adventure.

I'm starting to settle into a routine, which is good because the chaoticness of the first week was getting to me. I felt like I never knew what was coming next. I got into the mindset that I was just along for the ride. I suppose that I still am. I spent the entire first two weeks thinking about uncertainty reduction and expectancy violation theories.

The guys get super excited about the friendship visits. This is JOH's opportunity to connect with people from a group home or some other organization. I don't get all that excited because I've had two summer long friendship visits. I also haven't been too impressed with the staff at the group homes. I watched one of our guys give a guy a Red Bull. Ok - we should know better, but their staff should be paying better attention. These guys and girls are on a laundry list of medications that interact in funny ways. The most dangerous thing some of these people do is eat - it's the quickest way that something gets into their body. Push America emphasizes abilities, but we absolutely must assume that they don't have the ability to choose what they consume. :(

I presented my first Kid's on the Block. It went well, but I also see room for improvement. I also have the best cheesy magic trick/joke to use in between acts. I can't wait to use it for the next one.

Nevada has so far proven to be a pretty desolate place. Outside of Vegas, there's not much there. It's a great opportunity to play "throw things at other things." The game is pretty much how it sounds. I try to spend most of my time along the way writing postcards and ignoring my responsibilities that await me two days after I leave DC and Charlotte on August 20.

I expect that the routine that I've gotten into will allow me more opportunities to add to this. I will eventually create some photo albums.

By the way, before I left San Fran, I had the opportunity to stop by my mom's apartment in 1968, the summer of love, I'm told. It just happened to be three blocks away from where we were staying for orientation at the University of San Francisco. I didn't know that she lived in San Francisco - I thought this was when she was attending Drake University in Des Moines! Anyway, pretty neat. I wanted to knock on the actual studio apartment door that she lived in, but I could never get there during the day. Anyway, here's a photo!

on the road

WELL! I survived the journey from sunny North Carolina to San Francisco. We had our first accident, sorta. (see picture) And, it wasn't even me driving!

The drive across the country took us through Memphis, Wichita, Breckenridge, Vegas, and than San Francisco. Special thanks to all the sponsors that provided us with accomodation and food along the way.

Vegas was pretty amazing. It's everything I detest in the world. I lost $96 while north crew stud-muffin Matt scored a cool grand. It's ok though cause gambling is evil so he'll eventually lose and die poor and lonely. I suppose that I should win my $96 back when we go through Vegas again in three weeks. But, that's how gambling problems start.

Spending five days in the car made my current dorm room at the University of San Francisco seem spacious and relaxing. Training and organizing for the upcoming kick-off from the Golden Gate bridge is taking up a lot of time. I've made three bike shop runs, two visits to Walgreens, and a trip to the UPS store because apparently kids can ship bikes these days.

Tomorrow, we have our first practice run, our kick-off dinner, and than the kick-off itself on Sunday!