We were already one week late! Not like it was all that big of a deal since we had nothing else to do with our fall, so we arrived nonetheless; we arrived at the beginning.
Ellsworth, Maine (this time we didn't have to mumble or guess). Don't ask how we picked it, (not me at least) it was Adam (the map master <-- sarcasm) that chose it; I believe he based his decision off adventurecycling.com... which is really not a bad place to go off but it was the only time we accessed their "guidance". Everything was foot loose and fancy free: no training, no directions, no maps either (not in the beginning), no clue... young. dumb. and motivated.
2 months, that's what we gave ourselves "as long as I can hop on a plane in MSP to make it to Mexico by Nov. 19th!" it'd all be good. So we woke at 6am Saturday, November 10th and started packing. "Where's the bug spray?", "do you think we'll need pots/pans? matches? reflective tape?"
We were not ready.
Really we knew this, but we had no idea to what great extent. For example: yesterday, the day we arrived we payed a bike shop attendee $10 to show us how to change a popped tube/flat tire (that $10 turned out to be the best investment of the trip after more than 15 flat tires). We didn't know how to change a tube/tire! Not at least until after we became the victims of thus mentioned mishap on a hwy in NY the day before our arrival in Maine (got my first flat on a "practice ride" in Herkimer, NY on our drive up to Maine).
Fortunately we were aware enough to realize our predicament... we would need to begin tomorrow.
Our last time at "home". Leaving Steve's in Elgin, IL.
First ride together. Somewhere in IN, on the way to ME... a whopping 15 miles.
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