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 ~ Hangin' in an Aaron's store in Atlanta..
This past weekend I traveled to Atlanta to attend my very first team camp, as a member of the newly formed Aaron’s Professional Cycling Team. I had been looking forward to this weekend ever since I had signed my team contract back in November and now the weekend had finally arrived. Needless to say, I was determined not to let the predicted weather forecast of cold temperatures and rains do anything to spoil my trip. Even if we would be unable to get in a quality weekend of training due to weather, I knew the weekend held much more in store for me.
I arrived in Atlanta on Friday night and was greeted by my team director Jeremy Krupat. After countless emails and phone conversations over the past few months, it was nice to finally meet Jeremy in person. From the airport, we headed back to Jeremy’s house to pick up the rest of the team and go to dinner. Although I had seen all of my teammates at previous races throughout the season last year, I was actually meeting the majority of my teammates for the first time. 
The dinner conversation quickly took off over some delicious chips and salsa, as the girls caught up with each other and began discussing the latest cycling news. Soaking in the moment, I quietly sank back into my chair, wide eyed and grinning. I had been dreaming of joining a professional cycling team ever since I hopped on my bike three years ago and competed in my first race. Now, in a dimly lit Mexican cantina in Atlanta, that dream was coming true right before my very eyes!
The dinner was everything I hoped for and more. Sitting at the table among three of the most talented and well respected riders in the women’s peloton, I knew I was in good company. The conversation continued to flow effortlessly, as we all got to know each other better by admitting any odd quirks that we possessed. After dinner we returned to Jeremy and Shannon’s home to begin fine tuning our bikes and sorting through our team clothing. I could not have been more pleased with our new Hincapie team kits and Bianchi Freccia Celeste bikes, as it all looked amazing. I went to bed that night with a huge smile on my face. Grateful to be apart of this team, I was looking forward to the rest of the weekends activities which included; rides, photo shoots, and of course meeting the Aaron’s sponsors who were instrumental in making this all happen.
-Mackenzie
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