Why say goodbye when I can say see you later?

Sometimes an opportunity comes knockin’ at your door and you have to take it.

Unfortunately, that opportunity means that at the end of the day today (4/2), I am no longer an employee at Boise Bicycle Project.

While I am excited to take on a new opportunity with an international nonprofit (don’t worry! I’ll still be in Boise), I am filled with sadness knowing my time working at BBP is coming to an end. But it doesn’t have to all be sad, because 99.9% of my job was filled with joy, exciting challenges, new experiences, and good old fashioned bicycle fun!

As I look back at the last 2.5 years, bikes are a big, big thing I see (looking at you, stacks of kid bikes for HKBG at midnight the night before), but the fondest memory I hold are the faces. Faces of the staff, volunteers, board, and people we serve.

I think of the ecstatic energy I felt on my first Holiday Kids Bike Giveaway, and how lucky I am to have had the job of taking photos of all the kids who receive bikes. I’ve worked 3 Holiday Kids Bike Giveaways, and took the photos of nearly 2000 happy kids from HKBG alone.

I think of not just the kids we serve, but the adults too. I think of the one day I got to work on an early Tuesday morning and a man who didn’t speak English was there in need of a new tire. I was so nervous because I was not yet super confident in changing someone’s tire and knowing I didn’t make things worse, so him and I biked to Cycle Learning Center. I remember laughing with him as we rang our bells through campus, and appreciating that you don’t need to speak the same language as someone to feel a happy connection with them.

I think of a shop regular, who at the time was experiencing homelessness, coming to BBP to find a new bike after his was stolen. A few months later he came back and read me a letter about how BBP saved his life by helping him find a job, save money to get a car, and eventually found housing. I haven’t seen him around recently, which I think is a good sign. A quick check on Facebook shows he now works in a packaging warehouse.

I think of the countless public meetings I’ve attended, some alone and some with individuals attending a public meeting for their first time. I think of all the transportation advocates I’ve been so lucky to meet, become close with, and learn so so much from. I think about how just a month ago, I was advocating at a national level for bicycle infrastructure and safety improvements with those bad ass advocates.

Finally, I think of the community I have found here at BBP, a community that has molded me into the person I am today, a community that has made me feel confident in my bike mechanic skills, a community that has challenged me for the better, and that has made this departure one of the most emotional life changes I’ve had so far. Sometimes I wish I could do an Irish Goodbye and avoid the crying, the lack of hugging (thanks COVID!), and general feels of moving on. But then I remind myself: why say goodbye when I can say see you later?

There is no doubt in my mind that this is not goodbye to BBP. I am BBP Member #2026. I am a volunteer. I am forever supporter of the mission and vision of this incredibly rad organization. I may be transitioning out as an employee, but I see this as a transition into the other side of the BBP Community.

I have immense respect for everyone at BBP. I want to thank the board for being an incredibly active and supportive resource to me throughout this journey. I thank the BBP staff for always rollin’ with my wild social rides, Bikin’ 4 Lovin’ events and watching me fall off of a mini penny-farthing during Boise Bike Week. A special shout out to the mechanics who were always willing to answer the many questions I had on all things bikes. I thank the volunteers for welcoming me to their space from day one, and sharing with me their bicycling books, yummy homemade food, and life stories. I thank the other half of the Dynamic Duo, Emily, for pushing me, supporting me, helping me grow as a person and professional and becoming a lifelong friend. And last but certainly not least, I thank Jimmy for not just being an amazing boss and someone for me to nerd out on urban planning around Boise, but for creating this space for all of us to come together and create the BBP Experience we all know and love.

Thank you for sticking through my love letter to BBP till the end, and I will see you later.

Nina Schaeffer