All of us come to points in our lives where we ask ourselves 'What am I going to do with my life? What happens next?' Some of us go to college, grad school. Get a new job, make a five year plan. Or...go on a bike tour! That's what I decided to do.
I'm riding my Surly Long Haul Trucker on the TransAmerica route from the Oregon coast to Iowa, hopefully in time for RAGBRAI. I'm carrying everything with me, and I'm doing it by myself.
Planning my trip over the last 10 months, many people I talked with expressed interest in the idea of doing a bike tour but usually admitted that it didn't seem like a reality...costing too much money, taking too much time, not feeling fit enough, and the fear of going alone were the common excuses given.
I'm NOT a cyclist. Before this trip I had never ridden my bike more than 30 or 40 miles in flat Iowa, and I have been known to fall off my bike or ride it into objects not blocking my path. I make my living working as a waitress. My bike maintenance knowledge extends to knowing how to patch a flat tire, but I've never actually tried to do it.
If going on a bike tour is something that you really want to do, then it IS possible. With no money, no muscle, no experience, no company and even no balls, I'm riding my bike across the country. And if I can do it then you can.
Join me next week as I update you on week one... Crossing my first mountain pass.
