“What’s that tattoo about?” I asked the girl sitting across from me and pointed at the ink on her wrist – the thin lines were the outline of a bicycle.

I would have never guessed I would be standing in a room with all of my mom’s friends at their wine night talking about the issue of sex trafficking in the United States, but thats what Pedal in Place did. It made us into community leaders, bold advocates, or just someone people knew they could go to with questions as they navigated the complex realities of how trafficking exists.

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I am starting to see that it’s okay to challenge what it means to be a “real” cyclist, because what does that even mean? The bicycle has such a rich history in political change, and I’m excited that no matter where we will ride this summer, we will be connected to many great people who have used the bike for similar reasons.

I had emailed someone I knew before I left Austin asking if they would be a part of a fundraising event I was planning, and as soon as I got off the plane, I saw their response: “Gonna have to pass.” Ouch. Then my phone died, I got lost in the airport, and when I finally found my shuttle, it was midnight and 20-something degrees outside.

We were already living in a global pandemic before this quarantine.

Following the heavy experience, my mom and I spent time talking and processing what we experienced.

“…to me, there is no greater weapon we have than to use our voice. I want to share a story about someone who taught me to use my own voice, which eventually landed me here on the Pedal the Pacific team.”