Alright, so we're almost ready to head out from San Francisco now. Today we did a basic skills assessment to make sure we were all able to ride well once we get on the road. It started with some pretty simple stuff: clipping in, riding in groups and calling out obstacles, changing flats, and moved on to some more complicated riding: slow speed turns, quick stops, and picking up a fallen water bottle from the ground while moving.

Tonight we're heading over to Fisherman's Wharf for dinner on the town and some down time with the rest of the team. I'm meeting Pi Kappa Phis from all over the country, and I'm learning interesting stuff about their chapters and hometowns. It's really interesting how involvement with a national organization such as a fraternity can unify a group of people. We've all shared similar experiences, and chosen to join Pi Kapp out of a passion for similar ideals. I'm excited to get to know every one of the 32 Pi Kapps on the Journey of Hope's South Route 2010.

Yesterday was even cooler than today was. We started out the day with our first Friendship Visit, where we went and spent some time with some of the residents of the Janet Pomeroy center, and I met some really amazing people. The day started off with a basketball game between our team and the residents. I felt pretty awkward in the beginning, and a lot of us didn't know what to do. Should we take it easy on them? Should we cheer when they score? I went over to the sidelines and talked with some of our "Opponents" and the answer became clear pretty quickly. It was all about having a good time. The half time show was awesome as well. Just imagine a bunch of Pi Kapps and residents shaking our groove things in the middle of the gymnasium to the tune of "Celebration".

After the game we took a quick tour of the facilities (and saw a playground that Pi Kapps built some 20 years ago) and went on to have a meal with all the people with disabilities who were there for the dinner hour. I met a gentleman who was telling me all about his wife and the movies they went out to see together and a woman named Susan who was leading us in group cheers. When we finally left, it was hard to go, it was a blast getting to meet everyone that I did that day. I can't believe I've got a whole summer of this ahead.

When we got back to the University of San Francisco dorms where we are staying. We had one final meeting to learn about another event that Push America participants put on for schools and assisted living centers across the country. It's a puppet show called "Kids on the Block" designed to teach kids to focus on what people with disabilities can do as opposed to what they can't do. I signed up to play the part of Mark Riley, who suffers from Cerebral Palsy and explains his "Cruiser" wheel chair to one of the other kids on the playground.

Dinnertime! More to come soon!