The Woes of Van Life
By Janine Zimnie


A common saying on Bike & Build is “The best day in the van is still worse than the worst day on a bike”. It’s true. I watched my friends become increasingly dehydrated, wind burnt, and saddle sored over 85 miles and 3,000 feet of climbing over Mt. Hood into Portland. My day sitting in the air-conditioned van with 2 ill and injured riders was hardly note-worthy. Lame-o. I would trade places with a rider any day. So instead of documenting this banal UHaul experience I will do a countdown of the top ten van moments from CUS ’08.


FYI- the van’s name is Betty


10. When Alana fell asleep in the back of the van without anyone noticing and didn’t wake up until Lois had already driven away from lunch. Alana suddenly bolted into an upright position and scared the crap out of Lois.


9. After the van broke down the first time and I parked the 17 ft. Uhaul at a lunch stop/strawberry farm and everyone packed into the cargo bed to find some shade while eating pbjs.


8. Watching chore groups wedge laundry burritos (or taco salads) into the 2 front seats of the van.


7. Thinking of all the weird places we have pulled the van over for lunch breaks. Gas stations, city parks, turn outs on mountain passes, random dirt roads in Wyoming and Idaho without a town in sight for miles, farms, churches, fire stations, interacting with folks from the rainbow gathering….


6. Gabe’s infamous bachelorette party dance for Ellen and then going to the karaoke bar in Dayville, OR that night and have the store owner say over the microphone say, “Alright, I wanna know who that guy was dancing on top of the Uhaul today!”


5. Driving the 3rd shuttle home from the build day in Steamboat Springs and having a sing-along to In Your Eyes. And that rocking sing-along to Queen in the van on the way back to the church from the pool party at Anne’s in St. Louis.


4. Sleeping on top of Betty when we were camping in Flaming Gorge, WY. And twice sleeping in the bed of the Uhaul on camping nights in Idaho and Oregon.


3. (LOW) Going up Bolt Mountain and having 9 people in the van. (HIGH) Going over the Rockies, Sawtooth, Tetons, and Cascades and being MUCH stronger.


2. Driving the van during the scavenger hunt day in Kansas and driving behind each group to watch & judge their synchronized bicycle routines.


1. Walking home from the Sawtooth in Arco, ID and piling 10 people on Betty’s roof and laughing so much while looking at the stars. How romantic.