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Washington resident Treva Inzerillo has a lifelong dream in sight as she prepares to ride a bicycle across the country, from Pine Knoll Shores to Portland, Oregon.

On June 5, Inzerillo plans to start an estimated 13-week trek through many trails throughout the country.

Her inspiration came from a book written by Barbara Savage titled, “Miles from Nowhere.”

“That book just captured my imagination when I was in college at 19-years-old,” Inzerillo said. “I did a couple of little 200-mile trips, but in my heart, I knew that I wanted to cross the country after reading that book. That dream never went away.”

Inzerillo said that the other half of her two-fold inspiration belonged to the people behind Pamlico Rose Institute for Sustainable Communities, the Washington-based nonprofit with a mission of helping veterans who’ve experienced trauma reacclimate to the community.

“When I became familiar with Pamlico Rose, veterans of Pamlico Rose, Rose Haven — it is all about resiliency for people that have been through hard times and hard situations. Life is hard,” Inzerillo said. “To live is to struggle. Sometimes when you get on the other side of those struggles, you look back with appreciation and gratefulness. … There’s a theme of resiliency. This dream of mine has never gone away. I think even though I’m 55, I still have it in me. The dream is still there.”

Inzerillo said she will plan her trip a week at a time. There are many variables involved such as weather, how she feels physically, the bike’s function and more.

On Sunday afternoon, Chrislyn Wedderien hosted a going away party for Inzerillo at Carryout by Chrislyn’s downtown.

“We’ve been friends for 15 years. When I first moved from Manhattan to North Carolina, we were together at the Montessori school because our kids went there together. So we’ve been in and out of each other’s lives for some time,” Wedderien said. “She came to work at Carryout by Chrislyn. … She has always been called, ‘the heart’ of Carryout by Chrislyn, because she cares about people. When we have a client that has cancer, and they’re trying to eat foods that build up their resilience, Treva is the first one there to help develop a food plan for them. She does so many things for everybody else, and even on this trip, she’s raising money for Pamlico Rose.”

There will be ways to keep up with Inzerillo on her journey, as she will regularly update her Facebook page with her location and adventures. Inzerillo is also carrying a booklet, which she will ask people and other cyclists to sign throughout her journey.

Those who wish to donate towards Inzerillo’s cause, can visit the donate page at pamlicorose.org.