For those whose minds are definitely 18-25 years old but whose bodies may outdate that range a bit... you can skip to the bottom and check out some options for you.
 |
| Don't you want an awesome photo like this?! |
Does any of the following apply to you?
- You like being outside
- You like adventure
- You like being active
- You like being around friends/awesome people
- You hate cancer
Now you're probably thinking, "Okay fine, one of those applied to me. But let's stop at the fact that...
I can't even ride 5 miles on a bike... there's no way I could bike across the country.
To that I will say: young healthy bodies can be trained to do anything. Not everyone on my team was in shape when the ride started, and we all made it to the Pacific Ocean. People have done the 4K having never ridden a bike before. No matter if you're a varsity athlete or a couch potato before the ride, everyone will get to the west coast on the same day. You really truly can push your body to do anything you want.
Fine. But I need to be doing something more useful with my summer than biking across the country... I need to do an internship so can I get a job when I graduate.
This was definitely my main concern that almost kept me from doing the 4K. Taking off on a bike for 10 weeks is just not something people in my major do. I was even flat out told by one faculty member, "You can't do that... you're an engineer. You have to work."
But for my high-achieving friends that need to fill every second of their lives with resume-boosters that will help them get a job in the future (yes, I am one of you), consider this: biking across the country shows a ridiculous amount of dedication. And biking across the country for a cause is even better. People think, "If so-and-so can bike across the country, they can probably handle any challenge I throw at them." Employers WANT energetic young people.
Don't forget that you have the rest of your life to work. This is probably the only time in your life that you'll be able to do such a thing. And if you have already done an internship or two, an extra three months of work experience is not going to make a huge difference on your resume.
You have four summers in college. The way I see it, if you use the other three wisely, you can spare one of them to do something ridiculous and crazy. Read: The 4K.
OK fine. But I also need the money.
Unfortunately, yes, money could be an unavoidable concern. But not for all. The thing is that on the 4K you can spend as little as $0 the entire summer, since you get all food donated and never spend money on housing. This is the way I thought through it:
4K Life:
- Spend $0 on housing
- Spend $0 on food
- Spend about $250 on bike gear
- Get a free bike
- Have a free, 10-week long vacation
- Have a lot of fun
- Make a difference
- See the US
Normal life:
- Spend $X on housing
- Spend $Y on food
- Spend $Z on a vacation
- Be at work all the time
Also, if you're an average college student on track for a well-paying career, the amount of money you can make as an undergrad barely compares to what you'll make once you start out in the real world, and saving up $2000 over the course of the summer really isn't going to make a huge impact on your post-college life.
Ok... but what's this about raising $4,500.... That's a LOT of money.
It's totally doable. There are tons of creative ways to fundraise, especially for a cause that has affected so many. If you are lucky enough to have an extensive & supportive network of family and family friends, you could receive all of your fundraising just by sending out some nice letters asking for support. If not, fundraising dinners, yard sales, restaurant nights, and setting up a table in bike friendly areas are a few other options. And the 4K will help you out if you are struggling.
Ok so isn't riding your bike across the country on roads kinda dangerous?
Yes, there is definitely an element of risk involved... probably more than your average summer entails. But the 4K does a training day in which you learn how to ride safely, etc. And people are on each other all the time about safe riding habits.
*******************************************************************************
One final thought is that the 4K was sort of a substitute for the study abroad experience I always wanted. I'd been planning to study abroad in Italy since I was 14 and I was very upset to learn when I got to college that there was simply no way I could fit an Italian study abroad experience into my bioengineering curriculum. I didn't want to do a summer study abroad program because first, they are extremely expensive, and second, I think they are more like vacations than really getting immersed in the country and culture.
The 4K is obviously not a study abroad experience, but it does have similarities in that you get to see awesome new things every day, make awesome friends, and experience different cultures across the US. Heck, the 4K lifestyle is even a different culture in itself. Oh, and it's also free. I know a lot of science majors are also unable to study abroad, so consider this as a substitute.
And I'll leave you with some other random incentives to do the 4K. Imagine a summer that involves all of the following:
**For those older folk: You can most definitely bike across the country too. You can go with an organization, or even by yourself if you go self supported. There are many organizations out there that do fully supported or partially supported bike tours. The group we passed was a part of Adventure Cycling, which has MANY different routes, of which the TransAm route is only one. So you could do a shorter one too, that might fit in your schedule better. A few other bike tour companies I found in the Adventure Cycling magazine are: Lifecycle Adventures (allows a lot of customization), Bike Dreams (European tours), Senior Cycling (for 50+, I'm sure my dad will be thrilled to learn that he is eligible for Senior cycling). We also passed 6 or 8 people just biking across the country by themselves or with a partner. They carry all their gear in panniers on their bikes which is definitely an option..just not one I'd choose for myself.
Ok... but what's this about raising $4,500.... That's a LOT of money.
It's totally doable. There are tons of creative ways to fundraise, especially for a cause that has affected so many. If you are lucky enough to have an extensive & supportive network of family and family friends, you could receive all of your fundraising just by sending out some nice letters asking for support. If not, fundraising dinners, yard sales, restaurant nights, and setting up a table in bike friendly areas are a few other options. And the 4K will help you out if you are struggling.
Ok so isn't riding your bike across the country on roads kinda dangerous?
Yes, there is definitely an element of risk involved... probably more than your average summer entails. But the 4K does a training day in which you learn how to ride safely, etc. And people are on each other all the time about safe riding habits.
*******************************************************************************
One final thought is that the 4K was sort of a substitute for the study abroad experience I always wanted. I'd been planning to study abroad in Italy since I was 14 and I was very upset to learn when I got to college that there was simply no way I could fit an Italian study abroad experience into my bioengineering curriculum. I didn't want to do a summer study abroad program because first, they are extremely expensive, and second, I think they are more like vacations than really getting immersed in the country and culture.
The 4K is obviously not a study abroad experience, but it does have similarities in that you get to see awesome new things every day, make awesome friends, and experience different cultures across the US. Heck, the 4K lifestyle is even a different culture in itself. Oh, and it's also free. I know a lot of science majors are also unable to study abroad, so consider this as a substitute.
And I'll leave you with some other random incentives to do the 4K. Imagine a summer that involves all of the following:
- Making 25 new friends that basically turn into a family by the end
- Climbing mountains on your bike
- Seeing some of the most beautiful views in the country
- Delivering scholarships to young cancer patients going through treatment
- Having no worries each day except getting from Point A to Point B on your bike
- Getting to absorb the great outdoors all day
- Accomplishing things you never knew your body could do
- Knowing you made a difference in people's lives
**For those older folk: You can most definitely bike across the country too. You can go with an organization, or even by yourself if you go self supported. There are many organizations out there that do fully supported or partially supported bike tours. The group we passed was a part of Adventure Cycling, which has MANY different routes, of which the TransAm route is only one. So you could do a shorter one too, that might fit in your schedule better. A few other bike tour companies I found in the Adventure Cycling magazine are: Lifecycle Adventures (allows a lot of customization), Bike Dreams (European tours), Senior Cycling (for 50+, I'm sure my dad will be thrilled to learn that he is eligible for Senior cycling). We also passed 6 or 8 people just biking across the country by themselves or with a partner. They carry all their gear in panniers on their bikes which is definitely an option..just not one I'd choose for myself.
No comments:
Post a Comment