The theme of today is: Blessings.
The short, yet crazy ride from our sleep spot in Hillside to our volunteer location in Newark, definitely felt like the biggest challenge yet. With lots of road traffic and little to no bike lanes, we were sure to be alert and focused. Fortunately, along the way, we met another fellow local cycler who provided tips and tricks on how to cycle in Newark. He offered a friendly face and good advice on our daunting commute.
We met a doggie named 60 Blessings, named after the owner after she had turned the blessed big 6 0. 60 Blessings rolled and cuddled up next to us and warmed our hearts with joy. At St. John Church we served delicious hot meals cooked by a Korean Church group. While serving, I connected with 2 of the motherly church figures and we traded traditional food recipes; my Chinese soup noodle recipe for their KBBQ bulgogi recipe. My favorite thing is passing down and sharing family traditions and culture, so this connection with these two women was truly a heartwarming moment.
After riding and volunteering at two locations, we finally reached our sleep destination: Rutgers Newark. 3 showers, 3 bedrooms, 1 Kitchen, 1 living room…the best sleep of my life is rounding the corner, I can feel it. I am extremely grateful for all the amazing people I have met and the conversations I had shared with others today; Gordon, Becky, Diane, thank you for being such a blessing.