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Brinn A. Crowdus

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CNC Life Long Experience
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This years CNC was my first and was meant to be merely a personal challenge, but what it turned out to be is a life changing experience; An experience that has already been a teacher to others in my life that did not go on the 2004 CNC. I never knew how much of an impact this would have on my life. It has affected me in a positive way, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.


Everyone that I met on this trip had an impact one way or another. Some more than others and some with merely more quality, but everyone I talked with had a positive impact.


I had no idea how much, until after I left REI (which by the way are awesome!!) on Sat. evening. I was driving back to Burlington and just broke into tears. The exhaustion and accomplishment of the week was hitting me. I began to revisit the week and the events that took place. It started on the bus ride out and ended with the last picture I took in the REI parking lot. 7 full days of an experience that will stay so close to my heart. I could NEVER have accomplished this without the help of all that I met and even the ones that I did not meet. All the way to even the hard working volunteers that made PB&J's for our second stop of each day.  I could go on for days with how this affected me and how I can use this experience to help myself and others. Every time I think about the week and what people helped me to accomplish, I get tears in my eyes and remember every helping hand. Thank you so much CNC Staff, Riders, and towns that we went through. I am a better person because of this and I want to do this ride every year.


I also want to thank those that are hopefully going to be special people and maybe friends for life.

Ron Via (Man this guy is exciting).
Bill (do not know the last name, but is a soon to be retired fireman in Durham. Thanks for the site seeing in Hillsborough. You are in my heart forever.)
Bob and Barbara Byrd, Jerry(from my hometown of Burlington. We were the B-Team for a day)
Jasper Spurlock (You really inspired me with our talk about C.S. Lewis and bcs you are so young)
Jack Toomey (for riding out the first day when I did not know many people)
SAG Driver (I do not remember her name, but she has volunteered several years and did a wonderful job helping me with my flat and showed me the trick with the dollar inside the tire. I do have a picture though!!)
Juli Tenney (do not think I will not call. I want to ride with the Tarwheels!!)
Sherri (From, Elon. I will look for you when I ride from Elon. If I do not see you soon, I know where you live!!!)
Ann (Charlotte) and Carrie (Oregon/Ohio) ( You two are the best. I cherish the last day's ride that we had. It really meant the world to me. Plus, if I would never had hit on Carrie at the 1st stop on the 2nd day, she would have never invited me to have dinner with such an awesome group. You are two beautiful women that I hope to stay in contact with the rest of my life. A lifetime is not too long to live as friends.)

I love all of you and can not wait to see everyone again.


If anyone reads this, please feel free to email me @ brinn@crowdus.com


Thank you CNC!


Brinn Crowdus
Burlington, NC



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Sheri James

Date:
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Stop by and join me on the deck next time you pass by! I agree that this was an awesome week. I especially liked being serenaded with "Queen of the Road" while riding into Oriental!


Sheri



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Steve

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Hey Brinn,


I found your post very interesting due to a similar experience.  Also, there was a very similar thread on this board a couple of years ago. 


I missed CNC this year due to other obligations.  However, I have followed the weblogs and Raleigh News & Observer articles all week long.  Your story about the emotional response and the immediate feeling of this being a lifelong, if not life altering, experience hit home with me.  You are also more correct than you know about this experience sticking to you.  I have since done other rides but something about that first bike tour really leaves an impression.  I also made friends with people I still talk to and have even done another tour with one of them.  A nickels worth of free advice: start recording your memories in a diary while they are fresh.  Sorry to state the obvious but not a day goes by that I don't think about my first tour and I wish I had more memories.  A journal would have been a nice way to provide more stories and memories.   


I did my first CNC in 2001; a tour that covered much of the same route that you guys did this year.  That year seemed to have something extra special about it because it was just weeks after the 9/11 attacks and there was a very patriotic flavor to the ride.  American flags were everywhere and people were glad to be doing something they felt pasionate about after what the nation had just experienced.  We finished in Elizabeth City that year.  I still remember the tremendous sense of accomplishment and emotional response during my four hour drive home.  Mine was, in part, due to my being so unprepared!  At age 28, I bought the first bike I had owned since childhood the month before CNC.  I attempted to get a few miles here and there but truthfully, I did CNC with little preparation and I wouldn't wish that on anyone!  It was a struggle but I never had to ride the SAG vehicles into camp.  I also fell in with a fun group that prided itself on being dead ass last or close to it! 


Other people I've talked to describe a similar emotional response and a substantial let down in the first week or two after coming home from a trip such as CNC.  After doing something so unique, it's tough to get back into the swing of regular life.  Trust me, you'll spend the next months dreaming and planning about the next trip!  Bike tours are simply the best vacation a person can take.  I would never consider spending a week off of work doing anything else.  I've also learned that the best parts of these tours are the nights in the host towns and eating in the local restaurants and meeting the locals.  The campsites are also usually a wealth of funny stories! 


Congratulations on a successful first tour and I wish you many more!


Steve



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