(Dec. 25th Christmas Day)
Before I Begin - A Window Opens

 

My trial ride with all my gear the day before I depart

From the day I decided to ride from my driveway to San Diego until now, only 10 days have passed. But with the help of some terrific resources published by the ACA and an amazingly dedicated and helpful local bike shop and head mechanic, I'm as ready as I'm going to be. While I know many folks who tour and journal spend much longer (no doubt wisely) planning their route, gear lists, etc., I made the most of my "window."

That's an important term when it comes to this trip: my "window." Just over two weeks ago I resigned from my position at a company I thought I would, until very recently, thought I would retire from doing a job I've told many was the best job I've ever had. Well, at least it was until recently. But if there was one truth ever spoken, it is that change is the only constant. So, the fact that I didn't need to be showing up at my old workplace every day helped create my "window."

But that wasn't all. As some of my friends know I also had been trying to obtain a divorce from my estranged wife (and when I mean estranged I mean that I have no idea even what her address is currently) for the past 16 months. Then, finally, a little over a week ago I received word that she would finally agree to a divorce. So I no longer had a need to stay close to home should I need to appear in court, etc.. The "window" was now truly a real thing. So, the combination of leaving a job and being released from my awkward marriage-which-wasn't-a-marriage meant I was free to pursue whatever was "next" for me.

Of course, instead of going on a trial run today and putting together packing lists last week, etc., I could be looking for work. Yes...no doubt. And I'll admit there is a strong argument for that. But, with technology as advanced as it is today, I can look for work almost as easily from the wilds of New Mexico as I can from my kitchen table. Now, admittedly, I won't be all that available for immediate interviews, but my previous experience with seeking employment tells me things never move as fast as I want them to anyway. Might as well be having an adventure while I'm waiting for responses, for budgets to be approved for a new position, etc..

But why a bicycle tour? Why not just ride my Harley around the country for a while? That would be an adventure in its own right, yes. And plenty of fun I have no doubt. However, the one thing it wouldn't really be would be challenging. And the challenge of a 2300 mile solo winter bicycle tour simply can't be denied. Indeed, after today's 20 mile trial run with my fully-loaded rig I began to really understand just how challenging this is going to be. I purposefully rode up the biggest hill around (Cavalier Hill...which gets to a 7.4% grade at one point) just to see what it was like. And what it was like was SLOW. I mean glacial. I've ridden that hill several times on my road bike thinking "wow, that was a steep hill!" but realized that riding up that steep hill with my full rig resulted in exclamations of an entirely less kindly nature.

And that was 20 miles. Tomorrow...Day 1...I've got a 70 mile trip from my home down the Natchez Trace to Port Gibson where I plan to camp. Doing the quick calculations in my head at my mile 10 rest break I realized I'd be riding steadily tomorrow for AT LEAST 7 hours...maybe more. Yikes. That is daunting.

So, like some other big decisions I've made in my life I've decided to do this because 1) there is an indefinable sense of rightness to it, 2) Because this window may never come again and 3) Because I really feel like I need a big challenge at this exact point in my life. Something to DO! besides just sit in from of my computer searching for my next job. I'll very likely need to get that done soon enough, but for now it's time to do something I'll never forget.