One Legged Peddler

C2C4K CA.3.158

Salt Point State Park to Manchester,

The knee doesn’t feel a whole lot better, but it’s not worse after a decent night sleep.  Will see how my back continues to handle sleeping on a thin air pad on the ground.  We got up and made breakfast again.  The first day we had eggs and oats and were going to do the same this morning with one small change.  Erik would not burn the oats and I was going to add a significant amount of maple syrup to the batch, much better.

The early goings of our ride were fairly smooth, not to many hills, at least nothing that made you get into your lowest gear and crank it for 20 minutes, and a fairly complacent headwind.  We made 20 miles in fairly good time.  We stopped for lunch in Gualala and grabbed some steaks to grill for dinner.  The ride from there was a little rougher, more uphill and the headwind became stronger and stronger.  Getting to the point where we needed to ride in a group, taking turns breaking the wind and trying to go faster than 6 mph while on level terrain.  Everything is still spectacular though and while we will get to Portland past our expected arrival date, I am enjoying the ride, albeit one legged still.

The camp site we planned on staying at in Manchester was closed.  We’ve been staying at state park campsites that cost between $5 and $6 dollars per person for the night.  As luck would have it though there was a KOA site right next to the state park one.  With a really nice camper kitchen, free showers and coined laundry, for $10 dollars a person it was totally worth the splurge. 

We met a gent named Ian, originally from England and living in Vancouver, who was making the trip from Canada to Mexico.  Traveling light, eating out mostly, but camping wherever he made it too, it was fun talking with him and hanging by a nice fire we made at night.  We had a few IPA’s we picked up at the store in town before camp and had our first night of really pigging out.

Miss you Muppet,

Matteo

Oh my knee

C2C4K CA.2.115mi

Leaving Bodega Bay arriving in Salt Point State Park

After a long first day and an injury, day two followed up with a much shorter ride of about 35 miles.  We got a late start this morning after getting into camp so late.  By some chance a physical therapist encountered us on the road in camp stretching out.  She immediately came to my rescue, informing me that my knee was fine, I just pulled the lower portion of my quad muscle.  She said constantly stretching and rolling it, ice and heat and a good amount a rest and I would get better.  Well I took half of that advice.

Riding up route 1 is absolutely spectacular, from the coastal views to the golden farm lands.  We most certainly hit our fair share of decent hills, but the killer is the head wind.  It’s constant and lacks forgiveness.  You know you’re in trouble when you have to pedal downhill and you can only push with one leg.  Camp the second night was much more relaxing than the first.  We got in with sunlight, set up our hammocks and relaxed a bit before making dinner, doing some stretching and going to sleep. 

We’ve been cooking our breakfast and dinners along with prepping our lunches.  It’s been enjoyable so far but will see how we continue to feel about the extra weight.

I caught this little guy trying to eat the almonds out of my feed bag!

Miss you Muppet,

Matteo

Let's Ride!

C2C4K CA.1.81mi

So I’ve had numerous people tell me already I did a poor job of creating my own calendar so were going to try again.  The above starts with C2C4K, meaning Coast2Coast4Kelly and is followed by the state I am in,then  list total days into the trip and then total miles traveled.  That should hopefully be simpler.

We had breakfast this morning with Eric Hardy and Bobby Ladue before heading out around 9 o’clock, after some fussing around for a place to mail some stuff we then stopped at a sports store as Ryan forgot his helmet on the east coast and it seemed like that was a necessity for the trip.  From there we headed WEST to the ocean where we dragged our bikes and all our gear onto the beach and dipped our back tires in the ocean.  Well that was the plan at least but Erik ended up dipping more than his bike.  Great way to start, wet and with sand in everything.

We headed out over the Golden Gate Bridge leaving behind San Francisco physically, but tethering the emotional ties to work and life.  The early goings, through towns and relatively populated areas were nice, but the towns grew further apart as we made our way to route 1.  The day wasn’t as smooth as one could hope for though, around mile 65 I developed a pain in my left knee.  Whether from just riding too much or from the clips on my new petals being too tight, It grew to the point where I could only pedal with my right leg.  So we made it to camp pretty late, well after the sunset and had to cook and setup in the dark.  We were fried and it was clear we had bit off more than we could chew day one, but we got it done none the less.

I slept fairly decent, with Erik’s snoring only waking me up once. 

Getting ready

C2C4K 0.LA.5.5/ 0.SF.6.6

Bobby Ladue!!!

Yesterday I left L.A. around noon to fly back to San Francisco.  I got up early, made a trip to Starbucks, got some stuff done, had lunch with Connor and hit the runway.  

I landed in San Francisco, grabbed an Uber pool, it really is the best way to get around out here, and took off to get Erik and head to the bike shop.  My Uber pool partner was a woman named Sarah who was visiting from Boston, she is there at Harvard doing research on media and the internet.  She is originally from Zurich and still calls Switzerland home.  I love meeting people and learning parts of who they are, even if brief.  Sarah had just been backing for two weeks throughout many of California’s state and national parks.

So last night, myself, Erik and our friends Bobby, Eric and Leana went to the Yard, right near the S.F. Giants ball park, had dinner and some beers, then we went out and had more beers.  The short of it is I ended up playing pool for 2 hours with a gentleman named Abraham, he wasn’t very good and I wasn’t under full calibration, but somehow we managed to pull out more than a few wins.

There isn’t much more to add.  Our bikes were ready and look to be in good shape.  I did find a Revelate frame bag! I ended up picking up two more small Revelate bags so I can have my camera more accessible on the bike and a seat cover at a local bike shape.  I’ve been trying to hunt down one of those frame bags for at least 4 weeks.  Everywhere online was backordered, it will be nice to not have to go into my paniers every time I need something.

Today I fight a “light” hangover and start packing for liftoff tomorrow!  In two weeks will hopefully be in Portland and I’m excited to see an old college friend, Sarah, when we get there.  I’m off to go get food with Erik and a few last things and Ryan should be arriving in a few hours.

Next time you hear from me it will be C2C4K 1.SF.1.7!!!

Miss you Muppet,

Matteo

Erik, Eric Hardy and Leana Lai

BREWING - C2C4K 0.LA.4.4

Writing everyday just me be overly taxing, but here is to recapping day 4.

I really don’t want to like L.A.  I’m an upstate boy at heart, four seasons, green shit, space, cleanliness, and just enough diversity to make you feel good about yourself but not uncomfortable. When you’re from upstate and you think of L.A. you think of movie stars, studios, agencies, and life dictated by fame and fortune. But people are people, and the people I’ve met here so far have been great.  Like any city, any population, its faces it challenges, but there are clearly people here trying to make an impact.  While small, the fundraiser we went to on Thursday night for Big Citizen Hub - http://www.thebigcitizenhub.org/ was great and their executive director, Mario Fedelin, is one of those people you meet, even if briefly, and know his heart is way too big. They are on to something though and I suggest you check out their organization. 

So Friday was spent primarily at Indie Brewing Company.  I got to follow Jason, their head brewer, from start to finish, as he made their signature saison brew.  It was a great first time to watch an all grain brew and to learn a lot more about the science and equipment needed to perfect your consistency.  I can’t thank him enough for the time and I know that Indie Brewing Company is in good hands under his headbrewership, I think I just made up a word : ).

So I wrote down as much as possible along with getting some other breweries to visit as I make my way back to San Francisco, eventually to Portland and then to Seattle.

There isn’t much more to say today other than thanks to Connor and Amanda for their hospitality!  It’s been a great two days and a good start before the start of the bike ride.

Miss you Muppet

Matteo

SF to LA - C2C4K 0.LA.3.3

C2C4K 0.LA.3.3

Getting up at 5:30 is easy when you’re still on NY time and it feels more like 8:30.  Today will be day one spent with the boys at Indie Brewing Company.  They’ve graciously taken me in for 2 ½ days to “help” while educating me on all things commercial brewing.  It’s been a good amount of time going over equipment and watching a small test brew, but as should have been expected, it’s also been a good amount of time catching up with Connor and drinking some beer.  We’re off to a charity event they are providing the beer for and I am looking forward to getting out and meeting a bunch of new faces. I’ll recap the night’s events tomorrow morning.

Last night I had dinner with my San Francisco host, Sean Mills.  Whether it’s him, or my friends Doug and Lally, I always seem to have a home when I come to San Fran and I can’t thank them enough.  I met Sean through Kelly and this is most certainly a shout out to him for all his support to Kel and me.  It’s so easy to see why Kelly called him a friend and I am happy that I believe myself to carry the same title now.  If you know Doug, Lally or Sean, next time you see them, tell them thanks for being awesome.

Before dinner yesterday, I got to the bike shop where Erik and mines bikes are shipping.  At first the gentleman at the shop seemed to have no idea what I was talking about or any record of our previous communication, but I finally got the service manager involved and things were in fact squared away.  First hurdle cleared.  They called later today, the bikes had arrived and had already been put together…sweeeeeeeet. Next to the bike shop was a rock climbing gym.  Convenient and with some time to kill before dinner I headed in and did some bouldering for two hours, because why not?

So tomorrow is Friday, a work day and the last one before heading out on the bike.  So far things at work seemed to be managing ok.  I think a lot of it is just adjusting to a different style of accomplishing what needs to be done, and becoming more and more comfortable relying on those at the office to support me. 

So here is to a great event tonight for a good cause (more to come) and continuing to fall into a new life for the next three months.

Miss you Muppet,

Matteo

Rainy Girl - C2C4K 0.SF.2.2

RAINY GIRL – By Andrew McMahon

C2C4K 0.SF.2.2

It’s raining this morning in San Francisco.  My jet leg as always is worse day two and I’m fighting getting sick.  I think I am so use to getting sick after the cross country flight that my body just psyches itself into it.

When Andrew McMahon first released his Album in the Wilderness I thought well here is a throwback to my high school Something Corporate obsession days.  It’s amazing how full circle things can come though when I started to put it all together.  Kelly and I once watched a documentary called Dear Jack, it documents Andrew’s battle with Leukemia, and I remember how tough it was to watch.  I could also remember how good it was to watch and how glad I was he had taken the time to document his experience. 

So it’s raining this morning, and when I put my iTunes on shuffle, the first song that came up? Rainy Girl.  When I first heard this song it reminded me of Kel, and today while sitting in a coffee shop, with it rainy in San Francisco, I can’t help to think of her again, how if she were here she would light up the place, making me lose sight of the gray and wet that currently soaks my environment.

I thoroughly enjoy Andrew’s new album, it’s a great blend of some of his old sound with some new.  It’s a great “theme” album for the bike trip and I am sure I’ll be listening to it a bunch.  Today I recommend giving Rainy Girl a play. I use to learn to play Andrew’s music on the piano growing up and he adheres to his piano roots in the new album and especially in Rainy Girl.  Combine all that with the ever appropriate title In the Wilderness and you can see why it’s such a fitting album for the ride.

Just after thinking about the rain and Kel and listening to Rainy Girl, the girl above walked by in her purple umbrella, I snapped a photo real quick on my iPhone and loved the way the umbrella popped with a little help from photoshop, perfect timing. 

Miss you Muppet

Matteo

The Beginning - C2C4K 0.SF.1.1

The Beginning,

C2C4K 0.SF.1.

I am going to keep my own calendar on our trip as it is a trip that comes on my terms, so why not document with my own calendar.  So today we start at C2C4K 0.SF.1.1.  C2C4K, an abbreviation for Coast2Coast4Kelly, represents the event. The first digit, 0, represents a leg of the trip, determined arbitrarily be me in an ascending order, so 0 being the leg before departure, because I say so. This is followed by the state I am in on that day. Yes a leg can, in theory, consist of multiple states and I might be in more than one state over the course of day, so I’ll base it on where I spend the most time, or just what I feel like. Like today where I am flying across the country, I’m going with SF because that is where I land. The second digit represents how many days into that specific leg and the last digit will represent total days.  So today is C2C4K 0.SF.1.1!

Today the word freedom is on the mind.  What are we truly free to do, what decisions are dictated by us and what do we allow, for sake of excuse, to allow others to make for us.  It seems a fitting word for my first day physically away from “home” and away from “work”, but its use in expressing my physical removal from one environment into another does not reflect the mental aspect of life.  Mental freedom seems to be an entirely different challenge and potentially a mindset one is born with, or determines to develop throughout life.  What makes us mentally free and what does that mean?  It has always seemed to me that mental freedom is an emotional one, one where a person can choose how they experience a situation, how they choose to react to it.  Are you consistently anxious, worried, nervous, upset, unhappy or quick to blame others? Or are you a cup half full person?

As with everything, I believe in few absolutes.  Physical and mental freedom each have its own spectrum, its own outliers that create insurmountable difficulties that one cannot truly control, so I am careful in my judgements of one's situation.  How mentally free can one be when facing a terminal illness?  Sure, Kelly could look at her life and see all she had been blessed with and find a comfort in it, but the mind is powerful and the diagnosis does not disappear. And what about the physical?  Kelly was born with knees that looked at the idea of running like a cat probably feels about the idea of swimming, yeah it could be done, but it really should be avoided.  Throw cancer on top of that and how “Physically” free can you be? 

So it’s a balance of your own personal situation, a fight to find your own center amongst the cards you have been dealt.  We might believe some of us have more freedom than others, and I can’t disagree with that, but everyone’s scale, from the physical to the emotional, has to be unique.  I am free, given a series of events that have taken place throughout my life to ride my bike for over three months across the country, but with any life, there are emotional and mental freedoms that I have lost or am fighting to maintain or am working to create.  Better to fight though than to give in.

Today I left Rochester, NY.  My mom created the below image of my dad and I using her IPhone, it’s a great first photo for the trip and one for the book.  It’s a reminder that, without hesitation, they got up at 4:00am to drive me to the airport.  As always I can’t thank my parents enough for what they have created for me along with so many friends and family who have chosen to be part of my life. For those of you who continue to read these post, I promise to try and maintain some sensibility to my writing, some clear direction, but sometimes it’s hard enough for me to remember to put underwear on.

Miss you Muppet,

Matteo  

#nohairdontcare - Matteo's Stories

It’s hard to think it’s been six weeks since I last wrote an entry.  It’s not that there is less on my mind, less to say.  I’ve been busy but no more than what would be deemed usual for me.  I most certainly plan to write more as I get ready to leave on June 15th for what we are calling Coast2Coast4Kelly (thanks Erik, it’s the perfect hashtag).  I plan to blog throughout the trip, posting pictures and updating everyone on the way.  We will be using Mail Chimp to deliver weekly updates.  If you would like to be on that list, just email me at matt@gingerstrong.com. You can however just check the blog on the website also.  Ryan Jean will have his own blog and Erik Braun will be instagramming, along with myself, the whole time.  At least that is the plan, and well sometimes plans are just plans for a reason.

I’ve been preparing a lot for this trip, spending a lot of time at the gym, riding my bike, working on my diet, getting all my equipment together.  It’s been great, but it’s also been a distraction.  I know when I hit the road for 5, 6 sometime 8 hours a day, that’s a lot of time to think.  My father asked me if I was nervous about my trip (if you’re new here I’m riding my bike across the country with two close friends).  I told him no, I’m not worried about handling it physically, getting through the 90-100 days of biking and camping and finding our way from San Francisco to Portland to Mount Rainier to Seattle to Jackson to Denver to Chicago to Cleveland to Buffalo to Manhattan. But what I didn’t tell him is I am nervous about all that time to think.  What will come of it?  I know how difficult an hour car ride can still be, thinking of Kelly.  What will all that time on the bike amount to?  I guess we will find out and I’ll do my best to let you all in as it happens.

I fly to San Francisco on June 9th.  I get to see some friends briefly before heading to LA to work at Indie Brewing Company, where Connor Forbes has agreed to let me work for four days, trading my manual labor for his knowledge on all things commercial brewing.  You can check them out here http://indiebrewco.com/# .  This is one of many steps I’m taking in making our charitable brewery a reality.  Every day I am chipping away at it and I’ve found the work enjoyable :)

So here is to TWO more weeks of prep and anticipation. 

Miss you Muppet

Matteo

Brian Rozelle

I learned today of Brian's passing.

Life can be weird I guess.  When I woke up this morning, I put my Rozelle Strong shirt on for the second day in a row.  Brian has been on my mind for some reason, and every time I think of him there is a sadness that comes.  My good friend sent me a text message a few hours later to tell me the SF gate had written an article about his passing a few days ago.

For those of you who don't know Brian, you can read it here and get a fraction of the man he was.

This year I had a chance to talk with Brian at length at the end of cycle for survival in San Francisco.  It was most certainly not an easy conversation but an honest one.  We talked about the difficulties of his treatments.  His fight for life, both physically and emotionally.  We talked about what I said that day to all the participants about Kelly and his difficulties with knowing someday soon, one of his loved ones would be up there doing the same on his behalf.

I told him that as much as that sucks and as little as i can understand the fear and anxiety associated with that, that there is a pride that he can take it in.  To know you've been a good enough man that you will be remembered and looked upon for inspiration.  That those memories of you will stay alive in those who are still fighting and that they will make a change in the world for the better.  That is something great, something impacting that not many get remembered for.

I'm having a hard time writing today so I will keep it brief, I will miss seeing you next year at cycle Brian, but I'm honored you took the time to talk to me, to pass upon a memory of you and your inspiration, and will forever remember the fight you gave, not just for yourself but for so many others.  It takes true strength to chose to fight for others when you know your own battle is most likely loss.

We will continue to ride in your honor, and I will continue to wear this shirt with pride.

#nohairdontcare - Matteo's Stories

A CONTINUED EDUCATION

For those of you who don't know who Siddhartha Mukherjee is, that is ok.  A good friend gave me his book, The Emperor of All Maladies, this January and it was the first I have ever heard of him.  To try and put it concisely, it is one of the most beautifully written, intense and difficult reads I have ever had.  I worked my way through Siddhartha's history of cancer and would recommend it to anyone who is up for the task. Some might find it surprising that a doctor could write the way that Siddhartha does, but if you've ever met an Oncologist, you know most of them are more than just "doctors".

This Monday (3/30/2015) on your local PBS station, the first of three segments of Ken Burns Presents Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies A Film by Barak Goodman, will be airing. Given the documentaries association with Siddhartha's book, I know I will be sitting down to watch. 

I've always had a desire to learn how things work, but the dive into the workings of cancer have been a slow, tentative one.  My rational mind tells me that the biology of the body, of cancer, is so diverse, complicated, that I don't need to worry about coming across something that would make me think I made some wrong decision, that there were better treatment options for Kelly, that we could have done something different.  But the irrational mind can be powerful.

If we are however, going to continue the fight, I believe the more educated we all are, the better.  There is a quote in the review of the Ken Burns documentary by The New York Times that drives home the magnitude of what we are facing.  “More will die from cancer over the next two years than died in combat in all the wars the United States has ever fought, combined,”  You can read the whole article here - NY TIMES.

Kelly's doctor always says it takes a team to fight cancer, to help someone through diagnosis and treatment.  It's going to take more than a team to cure cancer though, to win more battles than we lose.  It's going to take all of us doing our own small part that adds up to one large army.

As always I want to thank everyone who has joined our small force. 

#nohairdontcare - Matteo's Storie

Giving Thanks,

I was reminded once again Friday night of the power of family and friendship.  Of the importance of saying thank you and giving back.  Last night we had our last fundraiser of Ginger Strong’s 2015 Cycle for Survival season.  The Tobey Village House Band played again for free, we actually finished the corn hole tournament, we had a great raffle and silent auction, amazing volunteers, and 330 amazing homemade meatballs by my dad with the help of some very close family friends.  We partied like Kelly would have wanted too and raised a bunch of money again for a great cause.

Our fundraising ends April 1st and I am looking forward to announcing our fundraising total and thanking all our donors and riders this year.  In the last three months so many people have given their time to support this cause in memory of Kelly and it often makes me feel like she is still with us in a way.  We are defined by memories, and Kelly most certainly is still creating them.

After Friday’s event I flew to NYC Saturday to spend the rest of the weekend with some close friends, my brother, sister-in-law and niece.  If you know me, then you know 32 hour trips are common.  It’s always tough to go to and to leave the city.  It was home for Kelly and I, and there are so many memories there.

So I got to spend time brewing beer with my older brother, Justin on Saturday.

I think about how much lays a head in the Ginger Strong venture, how much we have to learn and the challenges we will face.  Knowing that Justin will be there along with some many others though has kept me moving, putting one foot in front of the other.  

It's days like this Saturday that remind you of the strength of people, the importance of relationships and living for others.

I'm excited to taste the two batches we made, to hopefully share them with a large group of friends.  I know this little one has a ways to go before she can have a Ginger Strong beer, but I'm feeling good that when she gets to that age, we can tell her she was there at the beginning, and while she won't be able to meet her Aunt Kelly, she will understand the impact she had.

#nohairdontcare - Matteo's Stories

First off, it seems only fitting to continue the use of Kelly's Hashtag given my own hair loss :)  but more importantly, I will continue to use it for my own personal post.  That way you know what you are getting into before you start reading.

Thinking about these last two months on my drive home from NYC last night, I knew I was ready to start my first blog post.  Blogging was something that was very therapeutic to Kelly and I am hoping that it might have the same effect on me.  I also know it was something that helped others as much as it helped Kelly.  You can only convey so much with words about how you are feeling, what you are experiencing, but there is a sense of strength that comes with the vulnerability of putting oneself out there in the digital world, to be read and judged.  If Kelly could do it, with all she was going through, then I can muster the strength to do it also.

I hope to cover all things past, present and future in these post.  Sharing moments of my past with Kelly, where I am now, personally and with Ginger Strong, along with ideas and hopes for the future.  I also want to tell you, if you have your own story or idea you would like to share on our Ginger Strong page or with us privately, email me at Matt@GingerStrong.com

So the last two months…

As most of you know, Kelly passed away on January 2nd from neuroendocrine carcinoma of the pancreas.  Her disease was aggressive when she was diagnosed on September 13th, 2013 at 26, but through treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering, she got better quickly and it was easy to live the day to day without thinking about cancer at every step.  In a way we lived as any couple strives to do, we shared stories about inconsequential things that either made us happy, sad, or angry during our work day.  We planned dates, dinners with friends, vacations, family time.  We talked about our future, where we would live, when we would get married, when we would have kids.  We had to plan meetings with a specialist to make sure Kelly’s eggs looked healthy and there weren’t any complications from chemotherapy, but we had back up plans, from surrogacy to adoption, and while the umbrella of cancer was always there, in a way we felt like we were winning, moving forward.

Amongst all these days of normalcy, there were still difficulties, the constant reminders that things would not be ok at some point, a lingering inevitability. Most nights I was there for Kelly, for her to cry for 30 minutes or an hour or longer before we went to sleep. On other nights skype was our solution. I would read to her until she fell asleep or had pulled herself through the depression, anxiety, fear and sadness that comes with knowing your life will be taken from you soon by something outside of your control.  Those feelings are so powerful, so difficult to fight every minute with a strong face, they have to win at times and when they do, it is heart breaking to see, to bear witness too.  But there was something about being with Kelly in those moments of total vulnerability that creates a bond I never imagined I would experience.  To have someone open themselves in that way, to trust you with everything, it’s the most amazing thing you can ever receive and give yourself.  I can tell you without hesitation that it changed me in so many ways and I believe has made me a better man.  I will never be able to thank Kelly enough for that, but love is just that, not having to say thanks, just knowing you both do it because you want to, you know what it means to each other without ever having to open your mouth.

So I gave it all to Kelly and while it hurts beyond words to have lost that, there is a comfort in having experienced it, in not going a lifetime without it. 

I started this post with a picture of Kelly many of you are familiar with, it’s a picture I always see and feel that shares who she was in so many ways, without actually explaining any of them.  It’s a reflection of the parts of her life that were beautiful, the parts she so bravely shared with the world.  But this photo doesn’t show it all.  

Behind that big welcoming loving smile was a disease that was beyond difficult for Kelly to manage.  When I met a young gentlemen at cycle for survival this past month in San Francisco, I immediately recognized his similarities to Kelly.  He had enthusiasm in his words, love for all he had been given, but I could see the weight he carried in a way I wouldn’t have had been able to before.  I could see what the tough moments had done to him and what strength he was drawing on to live in that moment, to enjoy it all, to not let the thoughts that can come with being terminally ill take over.  He was winning, in a way, much like Kelly did, but I could feel his desperation, the reality that while it was such an inspiring experience for him, it was one that was ending and most likely will not unfold again. 

How do you balance this fear of the inevitable while trying to live in the moment?  So many of us can do it easily because death seems so distance, but for those like Kelly, death is there pushing you to give up, to call it quits early, and when you can’t fight it on the physical front, the mental fight is all you have.  Death is a physical thing though and so you can only win the mental battle until the physical one is over.

So these last two months have been filled with reflecting on so much of this, all while trying to live in the moment.  From taking in the funeral services provided for Kelly, the people she inspired and loved outside of myself who showed up to say goodbye and to grieve, to participating exhaustively in Cycle for Survival for a month, a truly empowering organization, too seeing how many people have come to my side, to support me.  It is this support that I think gives us all hope, that teaches us to remember more often we aren’t the only ones fighting and battling the downs that life throws at us.  I often get asked how I handle it all, how I get up and try to continue to do more good than bad.  It’s everyone that has been at my side in all different ways who make this possible, when I know they have their own battles to fight.

And so I very much feel like I am moving on to another chapter now.  One where I can grieve in some sort of independence for the next few months.  I will then be riding my bike across the country with two great friends this summer, and this experience comes with excitement and nervousness, like so many things we choose to try and tackle in the future.  I worry about what’s a head, will I find the comfort, the oneness I had with Kelly ever again?  Will I ever really want to give that to someone again knowing what the end of it feels like? I look at my newly born niece and see all that is right and lovely in life, all the beauty that can come from it.  Can this still be my course one day?  Can I bring another Kelly into people’s lives? 

Minimally I hope that I continue to expand on Ginger Strong and our plans to make our brewery a reality, to honor Kelly for all she did for me and continues to do.  To honor all those who have supported Kelly and I in the fight against cancer.  To support others as they have supported me. 

I still cry everyday, but with everything that we all face in life, and how unfortunate it can be for some, how difficult and cruel, well beyond what Kelly faced, I know it's ok to be sad as it reminds me of how lucky I was.

Miss you Muppet

Matteo Seconi

Chief Ginger Lover

YOU DRINK WE DONATE

Email: Matt@gingerstrong.com

Team Ginger Strong kicks off its new website

Hey everyone!  Thanks for heading over to our website.  We wanted to create a space for Team Ginger Strong where people could get updates, donate, and figure out a way to participate.  So poke around, give us feedback, and most of all, donate your time and money to help fight rare cancers!  Lastly, check out our founder's blog #nohairdontcare by clicking on the KELLY"S BLOG tab.

Keep Fighting!