Lost Boy Ben: A Pilgrim Again.

It seems that the wanderlust in my blood has gotten the best of me once again. In the past two weeks I packed up all my earthly possessions in a totalled Honda Accord and drove halfway across the country to begin my new life in Colorado as a Teach for America Corps member. Along the way I rode some of the best trails the west has to offer, showered in the Colorado river, and generally embraced my inner vagabond. Leaving Oakland was bittersweet. While I never felt entirely like the Bay was my permanent home, I will miss all of the incredible friends I made during my time there.
My past three weeks on the road have been fantastic. Leaving the Braemar house in Oakland and packing all my belongings in a car was just ridiculous. How I managed to fit everything in my car is beyond me, especially since my good friend Nate came along with his bike and bags to join me for the first part of my journey. Over these first five days our plan was simple- mountain bike our brains out. Tahoe. Moab. Fruita. I don't have time for details, but needless to say it was epic. See the pictures below if you need proof.
Arriving in Denver after all of our excursions was a liberating experience. It just feels like I am once again on a grand adventure. I was also able to spend some time with my favorite med school student, which has been an absolute blast as we have been able to mountain bike, camp, and eat great food together.
I am currently sitting in Colorado Springs at Teach for America Colorado's induction. It feels like I am back in college! For the past 48 hours I have met tons of like minded individuals, many of which I am sure I will grow to be close friends with over the next two hectic years. It's an exciting beginning to what will be a grand adventure. Tomorrow some of my new friends and I will caravan to Tulsa for the five weeks of TFA summer institute, aka teacher boot camp. We are camping in Wichita, an experience which should be. . . .interesting. Expect pictures and updates from the road!

I am running out of time, but I will leave y'all with some pictures from the past few weeks. Feels good to be a pilgrim again!