Reid Cooper
Day One – Long Beach, CA – 0 miles
Day one of South Route’s Journey of Hope marks the beginning of an incredible adventure for 37 men. As a member of crew, I have looked forward to this day since my arrival in Portland almost two weeks ago for crew training and I couldn’t be more excited that it is finally here. Today, I had the privilege to meet brothers of Pi Kappa Phi from universities across the United States and I cannot wait to travel the country with them.
As the cyclists arrived we had the opportunity to welcome them and help them adjust to their new life on the road. The day’s events included general orientation to the team and an introduction to the Ability Experience’s mission and values. As part of this we had the opportunity to create our own mission and vision statements, statements to be used to guide ourselves throughout this journey. Many team members included personal growth, service to others, and a desire to change the world for the better as part of their mission for this journey. The impact the Journey of Hope can have on an individual can be profound and I hope my mission for the trip will drive me to improve as an individual.
With the day winding down I found myself reflecting on my last 2 weeks with the crew. Together we have already formed a bond different from anything I have experienced and I am looking to build the same relationship with the rest of the team. Those who have participated in the Journey of Hope know the saying “one team one dream” and despite how cliche it might be I believe that this mentality will drive us to be successful as a team and help us work toward our individual missions.
As for now, I cannot express how excited I am to begin this journey in a few short days
Paul Glaza – University of Toledo ’18
Crew – Social Media Coordinator