We pitched our tents in the backyard (& side yard) of Jose Luis Villasenor, the owner of Tamales y Bicicletas. The following day we volunteered at 2 urban community gardens weeding and transplanting followed by a tour led by Jose of the toxic environmental areas through the city’s low income and minority neighborhoods. The purpose of the tour was to raise awareness of environmental racism and the indigenous communities being affected most by big polluters. In the evening, we were welcomed in by the Little Earth of United Tribes residents for a humbling ceremony of gratitude and potluck!

So far, I have put about 475 miles on my bike and tomorrow I plan to tackle my first ever 100 mile ride from Fargo to Jamestown, ND. I feel so blessed to have found a fellow rider who matches my style and speed, so I do not have to take on these miles alone. I am also so grateful for all the training I did while in Colorado. It has certainly paid off! I was so terrified that I would be falling far behind other riders that have been going since the end of May, but it appears that my high elevation and climbing train rides have definitely prepared me for the big miles, (shout out to my Vixen ladies!). I am feeling it in my back and arms more than my legs! Yesterday, we experienced some tough headwinds over lots of farmland hills and at only 60 miles, this was the hardest ride yet, but my spirit is soaring high and the community of riders are so encouraging and inspiring.

As some of you may know, a big theme of this trip is salvaging food waste from dumpsters. We have a handful of riders who are VERY good at dumpster diving and are always carrying in tons of food at our stops. I have eaten so well from dumpsters in the last week and have spent less than $40 buying food so far. I have taken the lead on keeping track of the food we salvage from dumpsters. The group takes pictures and sends them to me and together we estimate the pounds we save. A lot of times we are collecting way more food than even our strong and very hungry group can eat, but since we are staying at a lot of farms, we have been able to compost what we cannot eat, which is so much better than allowing it to sit in a landfill. It’s been eye opening to hear stories of riders having the police called on them and other negative interactions with grocery store managers. Our group has handled these instances with so much grace and understanding. Another purpose of the trip is to try to collect as much trash as we can while on the road. Many riders, like myself, are making a point to do this during the last 3 or so miles of our ride days. Another rider is attempting to track the pieces of trash collected by each rider so we can also have an estimate of trash we’ve cleaned from road sides and bike paths along our route.

Today we are hosted by the Soleberg Farm family and will be volunteering at the Prairie Roots Food Co-op and sharing food at a potluck by the farm later tonight. So much joy, gratitude and love all around me! I can’t wait to keep the adventure going! Thank you again for following.

p.s. my beautiful bike is holding strong! Thank you so much Venture Sports! I brag about you all on a daily basis!

Peace, Love & Sustainability, 

                                        ~Nicole Elizabeth Abrams~

I expect great challenges on the road, but also great opportunities for growth and vitality. The months leading up to this moment have done nothing short of provide evidence to John Muir’s idea that, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe” I did not get to this moment on my own. I received guidance and motivation from friends and family near and far and those I have not yet met. I grew my community, especially with Venture and the Vixens, learning from inspiring individuals, while being supported at every step in my preparations for the journey. I have so much to be grateful for already, it’s hard to imagine the incredible gifts and lessons to come.

Today, I head out on my own from Redwood Falls, MN, about 116 miles outside the city of Minneapolis. I don’t really have a plan for sleeping yet, but hope to get in touch with some kind folks who might be willing to open their home, or at least a backyard to me. If not, I was made aware that campgrounds in Minnesota cannot deny a cyclist who need a space to camp, (thanks to my colleague, Amanda Hewitt, for the inside scope)! I will be on the lookout for a host in the city on the 5^th of July and I head out to meet the other Green Riders on July 6^th. My free time this next week will be spent contacting potential hosts along our route west of Fargo, ND. I see a lot of stealth camping in my future!

Thanks again to all of you for following along. After doing a final gear load up with my bike, I decided not to bring my laptop. This unfortunately means less opportunities for email updates as typing on a phone is very tedious work. I will still post quick updates and photos on my Google +profile, so please follow me here if you aren’t already. I plan to seek out libraries during rest days and be sure you are updated on the best stories! OH and I will of course still send video updates too!