Tomorrow we GO!

Almost ready to roll. Will and Suzie with our SEVEN 7 CYCLE bikes and traveling gear

After a year of dreaming and probably at least six months of active planning the day of departure arrives tomorrow. Reservations made. Bike tuned and cleaned. Clothes washed. Routes planned, printed and downloaded. Panniers, rack and fenders tested. Bags packed. Body trained. Papers stopped. Mail held. Bills paid. Dog boarded. Weather consulted, consulted, consulted …

I guess its time to get this show on the road. As my friend Barbara implied "Aren't you guys gone yet?"

Someone asked me the other day, "What are you most worried about?" The answer was simple: the weather - 40º and rain, thunderstorms, or 30º and snow. I've ridden in the rain and survived, but lightening can be dangerous, snow can be slippery. So, let's keep that at bay. The question though made me ask myself "What am I looking forward to?" The answer to that is far more complex. As I anticipate the leaving then, let me muse a bit on that question. 

What am I Looking Forward To?

• Time on the open road - just the act of riding, of going
• Being in the moment without other responsibilities
• Looking around and marveling at THE LAKE multiple times a day, for hours at a time, in all kinds of weather
• Experiencing the reality undying all those maps - learning what places feel like
• Meeting lots of people along the way and learning a little of their stories, seeing THE LAKE through their eyes
• Encountering history. Encountering nature. 
• Creating my own story of Lake Michigan, its history, its present, its natures, its people
• Sharing that story as best I can
• Enjoying my riding companions, comparing our perspectives and our journey, learning from each other
• Getting stronger as the days go by

And Away We Go!  -- Next stop - Portage, Indiana