Closing In On Departure...2 Day Until New York City

This will more than likely be my last blog post from home. I'm sure anybody who has been keeping up with this blog will be thrilled at this as a blog about a bicycle trip is undoubtedly going to be more interesting when it's actually being written about a trip rather than the preparation. My opportunities to blog on the road may end up being limited as I will have to either find a library to sit down at or borrow Carson's netbook and find a place with wifi. In order to give an accurate account of our journey I will be writing out entries by hand in my tent at night and throughout the day so that when I do have an opportunity to get online I can write several entries at a time. I look forward to taking you all along with me this week and in the months ahead.

Everything is finalized at this point. I'm in the difficult process of packing my four panniers and handlebar bag, trying to figure out how to pack everything for easy access while keeping weight in mind in order to balance it out appropriately. It is kind of amazing to me that I'll be living out of these bags for the next two months but in time I hope it will be routine and I will have a good system figured out. For now it will have to be trial and error time.

I went in to the barber today to have my head shaved and it is easily the shortest it has been since I was a baby. I think it's a weird experience to feel my spongy scalp so well but I also feel so free from the tyranny of what was once a head full of hair in need of liberation. I will have to adjust to my new found baldness by remembering to apply sunscreen and keep it covered with a bandana and helmet.

After getting packed the only thing left to do is to purchase a bike rack off Craigslist that I can throw away after dropping off my rental car on E.31st Street. The plan is to leave on Wednesday morning around 4am EST. That should put me in Manhattan around 12pm EST, leaving me with six hours of wiggle room before I have to have the car dropped off. The plan is to meet up with Jared somewhere outside of the city and then drive in together where we'll meet Carson and Travis at the rental car place before loading up the bicycles and riding them back to the Westin at Times Square where we'll be fortunate enough to stay for free courtesy of Carson's mother who graciously got us a comped room.

Thursday morning, time to wake up and ride. We'll try to make an early morning of it in an attempt to beat the busyness of the city and ride out before sunrise across the George Washington Bridge. Our goal for the first day is probably not the most well advised as we'll make it our sole purpose to put as many miles between ourselves and the city as possible by dusk so we can have a chance of camping out without fear of shady individuals.

I'm excited, time to go. Come with me along for the ride.