To start I am assuming the only people reading this blog right now are friends and family; therefor, my explanations of certain topics will be short.

                I don’t know how many years ago (which is sad because it really wasn’t that long ago), I read a book for my freshmen high school biology class, And The Band Played On, by Randy Stilts.

 I honestly haven’t read a single page of the book since than because it still daunts me that I read close to 100 pages of the book in period of 3 hours so I could do one of the many assignments that went along with this book. It was 700 pages about the history of the AIDS epidemic, and specifically the political history.  (If you don't want to read all 600 pages feel free to skip to the movie, and feel guilty).

When I say political I’m not just talking about President Regan’s response or even President Obama’s response singularly, I’m talking about how the country responded and the scientific community and how they intertwined. The book was a turning point for me. I’ve always had my causes, I’m sure you (if you’re a fb friend, or a friend, or a family member) could list 5 right now. I can: Breast Cancer (huge for so many reasons and started probably when I was I don’t know whenever the Susan G. Komen walk in Denver started, I’ve been doing it every year),

 Bullying (I can tell stories that you should have to buy me a beer to hear), Asthma (I have asthma, but really it goes beyond that I fell in love with Champ Camp 2 years ago, a topic for another time, and the American lung association)

, Cystic Fibrosis (once again, a topic for another time), Alzheimers ( A topic for another time too, but my grandfather had alzheimers and I’ve seen so many friends lose loved ones so close to alzheimers, and not death, I mean loss without physical loss which I have found is the hardest),

 Traumatic Brain Injuries (My sister so amazing, but she has her story too, had a TBI in 2010), General well being and health (I helped start the wellness group on coes campus, which unfortunately has temporarily disappeared while I have been home), Kids Cancer (Topic for another time).

 Year 1 Before Pictures 

Erin and Me, Erin and I met through the Starlight Foundation. Erin has had Cancer since a very young age, she and I are the same age :)

Abby and I, Abby and I played tennis together throughout high school. 

Abby was volunteering for her sorority I believe, not a planned run in but cool to have her support since I was shaving my head 60 miles away from home, there were no shaving events in Fort Collins.

Year 2 Picture, I ran the event at my high school only 23 shaved their heads and only $3,000 raised.

Mrs. Baker and I as we shaved our heads.

Year 3 Pictures: The Wellness Group ran the event on campus. Lamda Chi brothers participated incredibly heavily and are the main reason why the event was soooo successful. We raised around $6,000, had 50 people shave their heads, and 7 of those were females. Next year starts here help Coe out, Jake Feldman is running the event which is no easy task: http://www.stbaldricks.org/events/mypage/9814/2014

From back to front: Katie shaving Sophie's head, Sophie shaving Kelsey's head, and Me.

The three girls who started this again.

 Some of the awesome people who shaved their head too! 

                  OH so my point was I have a bunch of causes, and well AIDS/HIV is probably actually one of my biggest ones, but its also a silent one in my life recently, which is truly truly unfortunate, I have fallen to the dreaded “c” word.  To understand this let me share an article with you though you don’t have to read it.  http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/12/06/249242591/hoped-for-aids-cures-fail-in-2-boston-patients

                To sum up the article, there has been a recent devastating failure in the science of a potential cure, but not so devastating after all. It helps us (the world) refocus on AIDS/HIV for a minute—really probably going to only be a short time compared to cancer (because cancer effects more people).

The point being cancer (not blaming anyone), has become the forefront of everyone’s mind because it does effect a lot of people, but we have to remember how AIDS/HIV has affected the world not just us *as in the U.S. That’s right now I am trying to make you mad, we the U.S., and other developed countries have put cancer on the top priority list because that’s what affects us the most. It’s only in developed countries that you can get cancer treatment let alone live to have cancer. Cancer sucks. I am the first to say that not because I have cancer, but because I’ve just seen too much of it. The people with the money here have chosen where to spend it and AIDS/HIV has fallen on the backburner, because now you truly can live with HIV. We’re scared shitless of it when you mention it or someone has it, but you can live with it. Its important we do remember, and my generation and the next generation learn from the generations above what happened and how it affected their lives, this issue isn't just a disease its much more than that.

Since the book, I have spent a lot of time learning about how AIDS/HIV has affected the world including my own town, Fort Collins. I’ve taken every opportunity I could to learn about AIDS/HIV, whether it be the history, the science/medicine, and the social aspect. I’ve written countless papers, read many books and articles, watched an array of movies, and talked with a lot of different people for all of this. I’ve produced artwork and presentations on the issue both successful and unsuccessful and I’ve learned so many life lessons from all of this.  One of these life lessons being, illness of any sort whether it be disease related or trauma related can affect anyone, a second being the way a community reacts to a this is dependent on what is the interpreted cause of the illness. The second lesson is so very important because it is reflective of humans, in that people as a whole tend to assume and assume the worst (worst being in their mind).  This is true whether it be a car accident, or a disease causing the illness, there is stigma around the causes of illness, and this includes obesity. Though obesity tends to be other way around until the “cause” is established there is a negative stigma associated with that individual.

So the point of this entire novel is I’m passionate about the issue and find it to be something that I have related to throughout my years of exploring the epidemic and how it became an issue.

I am 19 close to turning 20, and one of my bucket list items is to do the 7 Day Ride to End AIDS in California, a 500+mile ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles over 7 Days. In order to do this several things have to happen 1. I have to be healthy enough to even get in shape for this challenge. 2. I have to raise $3,000 to do the ride and work to pay for my own share of getting to California. 3. I have to get in shape for this ride. 4. In February I will have the opportunity to complete a century ride at the pace of or faster pace than my father, this is when I will get to register for the 7 day ride. 

A lot has to happen for me to do the 7 day ride to end AIDS in June of 2014, but it’s a challenge and a journey that I’m looking forward to. With this fundraiser/cause of mine, it’ll really reflect a journey of my own. Each week I’ll blog about different topics related to my journey.  My goal is to reach a level of fit that I haven’t gotten to enjoy in awhile due to constant stress fractures and being in and out of hospitals. While making getting to the level of fitness or health any individual wants it is never easy, it has been an incredibly difficult challenge for me due to stress fractures, the threat of a stress fracture, and my asthma and allergies. As I go through this challenge I will have mini goals and my first mini goal is to complete for the eating side of becoming fit is to complete the Whole 30. I couldn’t have picked a worst time to try this seeing how it is the holiday season, but in reality if I can’t do it now I can’t do it any other time. Life is all about making the right choices and that’s what the whole 30 is.

So here is the beginning of my blog and my journey. I have started a lot of projects before but this isn’t a project, it’s my life. This is me recovering to find good health again both physically and mentally.