Thursday, June 17th
We got ready to leave early morning, but we got stuck at the dorm because of the T-storms. I was first very much excited to take some time to actually watch the soccer games of the World Cup, not knowing that how hot it would get later that day. By the time we finally got ready to leave it was already ten. But after a few miles of biking, we realized that the road we were about to take was the interstate therefore, prohibited for us to bike on. Although we desperately tried to find new directions out of the city, we met the dead ends. It seemed that St. Louis never wanted us to leave. As much as I loved the city, I was dying to end the day and have some rest. After a few hours of lingering on the grass while support vans went out to find new directions, we ate lunch around four. It had been decided that the vans would shuttle us to the beginning of the road we can bike on, and we will bike to the camping site. I was one of the first groups to get shuttled. We biked about the thirty miles from the point we got dropped off to the camping site.
All of us were already too exhausted from facing really hot sun whole day, although it was almost four; the sun was still way up and torturing us with high humidity. Some of us were had injuries especially around their knees, which made really hard for them to bike. Each stroke gave them lots of pain. But I remembered what Jose said, biking is similar to the path of fighting cancer. There are some unforeseen obstacles and pain involved in the process, but we need to endure and fight strong. Not really knowing the pain that people are in, it is hard to imagine what they are going through and how I can help them. As a group, I wanted to help them with whatever way I can but I doubted myself if I have done my job well enough.
Today was a rough day with T-storms followed by excruciatingly hot weather, which was only worsened by no roads to bike on. Some people came in very late at night, unlike what I imagined what camping would be like in childhood days, there were lots of bugs and heat waiting for us. However, I knew this is a part of getting stronger and being in part of 4K.
-Chorong Song
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