The Last Hill Before Home: The Last Hill Before Home video

Monday, April 27, 2009

The Last Hill Before Home video

I had an opportunity...so I took it...

Back in September of 2007 life was running along at its usual pace. I was the Director of Sales for a boutique Real Estate Finance firm in downtown San Francisco. I had an amazing apartment full of nice stuff in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood with a killer sweeping view of the city by the bay. I had the nice German car in the garage. And since I had been living in San Francisco for the past 10 years I had the city figured out. Life was great but at the same time I was looking for something more. I was looking to expand the way I saw the world. I was looking to travel. My dream for the past 5 years was to give it all up and travel the world.

The economic crash was on the horizon and the real estate industry was already starting to tank. Our company had to lay off some employees and from there my business partner and I started to question our careers in the real estate industry. Eventually we closed up and I was left with one question..."what now?" With nothing really holding me down I realized that I had the opportunity that I was looking for. I had the opportunity to pursue my dream of taking the year off and travelling the world.

On November 19, 2007, my best friend Davy and his sister Krissy dropped me off at San Francisco International Airport. All I had on me were two backpacks and an around the world plane ticket. The plan was to travel to South East Asia, India, Eastern Europe, North Africa and eventually South America. I was scheduled to get back home to San Francisco 9 months later. Well....a year and a half later I arrived back in San Francisco crossing the Golden Golden Gate Bridge on a bike. Its truly funny how some things work out.

Along my travels I had an amazing time. I met people from all over the world. I joking say these days that I could do the whole trip again but this time Ill have a couch to crash on wherever I go. I ate exotic food from grasshoppers in Thailand to goat head in Morocco. I saw some amazing sights like the Pyramids in Egypt or Iguazu falls in Argentina. I lived in Barcelona, I studied yoga in an ashram in India, I walked across Spain on the pilgrims trail and I studied Spanish in Santiago de Chile. I made the most out of my time.

People often ask me..."do you feel like you changed"? I can honestly say yes. Along my travels I saw many things that affected the way I look at the world. I came face to face with the challenges and hardships that countries face. I saw the ugly side of pollution, poverty and homelessness. One specific example, I remember, in Mumbai I saw a women begging for money with one hand while clutching her dying baby with the other.

Before I returned home I wanted to do something. I wanted to give back. When I experienced that horrible sight in Mumbai I felt helpless. I really didn't know what to do. So finally while I was living in Santiago de Chile, around the same time that Barack Obama was filling the international airwaves with rhetoric of change and peace, I decided to do something about it. I decided to create. I decided to DO. I decided to create a grassroots charitable fundraiser that was aimed to bring awareness and funds to children living in poverty. I decided to do an inspirational event that would bring attention to the cause. I decided to ride my bike 3,500 miles across 8 countries to bring the stories of the children to conscious of the public. I worked with an amazing non profit organization, Plan USA (www.planusa.org), and with their leadership and guidance I was able to make this dream become a reality.

On April 25th, 2009 I crossed the Golden Gate bridge on a bike. It was a long journey, an amazing journey and this blog has been the story of that ride. Crossing the Golden Gate bridge with friends and family cheering me on was a day that Ill never forget.

As of right now the unofficial total that we have raised is about $11,000. Were raising this money so that we can give the gift of education to a small community of children in a town about 3 hours drive from Guatemala City. I rode my bike from Panama to San Francisco because I love adventure, I rode my bike through the jungles of Central America because I love the great outdoors, I rode my bike through the wind, rain and desert because I wanted to get peoples attention so that I could tell them about the struggle and challenges that people living in poverty face today.

This video above is the story of my life from the past year and a half. This video above was a gift given to me and the Last Hill project as a chronicle of the adventures. This video was probably one of the best gifts I have ever received. For this I have to thank one of my best friends James G. James put countless hours into the video. If you watch closely you can even see that the lyrics match the photos. James was so dedicated to this project that he even spent his Saturday afternoon, the same Saturday when I rolled over the Golden Gate, to put the final touches on the video. James works as a writer/editor for CBS TV in LA. One thing that is truly amazing is that this project is bringing together people that are using their professional skills to contribute to an amazing cause. James...I don't know how to say this or how to ever repay you but...thank you my friend...thank you.

I hope you all enjoy the video...

Peace, Power and Pedal

Aaron

1 comment:

Anonymous said...: Hi Aaron!
I was in SF last weekend and was invited to your fundraiser event at the Atmosphere Lounge and learned about who you are and what you are doing.

I am sure you have already been in touch, but Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea, has spent many years building schools for girls in Pakistan. He might be able to impart some financial/political advise to you and your endeavor!
Best of luck!; May 1, 2009 at 7:00 AM

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Plan USA

¨Plan is a global partnership of caring people founded in 1937 to bring hope and help to the world’s poorest children.

Plan began as a child sponsorship organization. Today, we are one of the oldest and largest organizations of our kind—our grassroots, self-help programs assist more than 10 million children and their families in poor communities around the world.

We are proudly private, not for profit, and respectful of local religions and cultures—we have no agenda other than helping kids. Plan USA is one of more than 60 national organizations bearing the renowned Plan logo. ¨

Right about the time that I was identifying non profit organizations to work with I received an email from my cousin Joshua. Josh, a meteorologist for the United States Air Force who is living in Germany and currently stationed in Iraq, mentioned that he was now sponsoring a child through Plan USA. He said that it was a small step but a small step in the right direction. He also mentioned that Plan USA was backed by the Better Business Bureau, a point that we both respect. Through various research of my own I found that Plan USA is a prominent NGO and has a great marks from InterAction and the Charities Review Council. Most importantly I found that Plan USA´s mission of ¨striving to achieve lasting improvement in the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries¨ linked exactly to my own mission for this fundraising event. Needless to say, it was a great fit.

The Inspiration

¨You must be the change you want to see in the world¨

- Mahatma Gandhi

I love to travel.

I have been lucky enough to throw on a backpack and visit 5 continents. I have been fortunate enough to see some amazing sights. It´s hard not to be inspired when your standing under the rotunda at the Taj Mahal or approaching the Pyramids of Egypt or wandering through the waterfalls at Iguazu in Argentina. These have all been inspiring times.

I also cherish the fact that I have met people from all over the world and been able to learn and share in the differences in cultures. You can learn so much when you share a spicy vietnamese sandwich with a local in Hoi An, when you take a stroll with a friend in a park in Santiago de Chile or gather with pilgrims over a pitcher of sangria at Santiago de Compostella in Spain. I´ve learned a lot and I´m incredibly grateful for all the opportunities.

With all the ups there´s also the downs. Theres another side you see when travelling. This side isn´t shared as much and it can also be quite difficult to talk about. Many countries, especially in the developing worlds, face many problems. HIV/AIDS, pollution, over population, lack of clean drinking water, dangerous living conditions and of course people living under $1 a day are just a few of the issues to mention.

I have wandered through the ghetto´s of Bangkok, I played stick games with the kids in the slums of Mumbai and seen the horrible living conditions of the street beggars in La Paz. While these encounters were only brief they still had a profound affect on me. Somehow, I draw inspiration from these encounters and connections. In so many situations these people who seemed to have nothing, were still smiling, still playing and still trying with all their means to get by. If only I had that much courage!

It was culture shock and it hurt.

I feel that now is the time to give back.

I encourage you to leave comments on this blog. Every word of positivity will help me along my journey. I encourage you to pass the message forward. Together we can help make a change for the kids that need it most. Finally, I encourage you to donate. There´s an icon on the top right hand corner of this blog that will direct you to a third party site that facilitates the donations. Its totally secure and safe. I appreciate all the love and positivity that I´m already recieving, of course this is not possible without people who want to help make a difference.

I don´t think that I´ll necessarily change the world, after all I´m just a 28 year old guy from San Francisco. But, I do want to give back. I do want to help. I have the opportunity so why not use it to help the children in the world who don´t have the same chances.

Now is the time to ¨be the change¨.

The Goal

In riding my bike from Panama City to San Francisco, I am initiating a grassroots fundraising effort to help raise money to feed starving children in Central and South America. All proceeds will go to PLAN USA. My goal is to raise a minimum of 15,000 dollars. In doing so I also hope to bring the plight and struggle of these children into the concious of the public, as well as their profound sense of life, courage, hope and faith. Their undeniable love for life, and ability to continue to dream.

Donate today http://www.firstgiving.com/lasthillbeforehome

I Believe

When taking on a mission like this it´s important to create a set of ideals, principles or beliefs. The task at hand is by no means going to be easy. These 7 beliefs are truly the fundamentals that will help me along my journey.

I Believe...

- In Plan USA. Plan´s clearly defined mission of ¨striving to achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries¨, is possible with the support from us if we are willing to make a difference today.

- In grassroots charitable efforts. Dedicated individual leaders and community outreach groups are fighting the growing problems of poverty.

- In the power of communication and information. Plan´s key programs of ¨growing up healthy, learning, habitat, livelihood and building relationships¨, are possible by making a donation and passing the message forward.

- Riding a bike from Panama City to San Francisco will raise awareness to the fight against poverty.

- In outdoor adventure travel. Riding is one of the positive and healthy activities that plants confidence into any individual.

- In the power of synergy. A group with a common mission driven by creativity and passion can accomplish any set of goals.

- A dream, a bike and a regular guy from San Francisco can help make a change in the lives of children whom need it most.

The Last Hill Before Home

Monday, April 27, 2009

The Last Hill Before Home video

1 comment:

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