Well folks, it all comes down to this. Tonight will be my last night at home for the next 7 weeks, which I must admit is slightly scary. Not so much the leaving home part, but the sleeping in a tent wherever i can find space part. However, without risk there is no reward, so I must push forward. Tommorow morning I will be hitting the road for my first full day of bicycling, carrying almost fifty pounds of equipment, clothing, food and of course, a tent. Though I havent figured out all the tiny details, everything seems to be coming together pretty well. I rode my bike fully loaded with all the gear yesterday, and was surprised at how easy it was. Though it definitely made the uphills harder, the downhills were faster than ever (i hit 76 kph yesterday) and the flats were no different at all. My first non-camping stop will be in Kingston, where I am staying with Dave Wilson's sister Allison and her fiance Alan. I'm going along the waterfront trail as much as possible, which is a nice flat paved road, large sections of which are dedicated bike and pedestrian trails, meaning no cars. After that, the Route Vert in Quebec, and the trans-canada highway in Newbrunswick. Anyway, enough boring details, I will update you all on my progress as soon as possible, and hopefully have some nice pictures along the way. To see my album, just click the slideshow in the right hand column, and it will redirect you there. Also, if anyone wants to call or text message, my number is 416-704-5787. Leave your numbers and I will try to message you back.
Before I go I just want to thank my Mom and Dad for all the help they have given me so far with gear and preparation (my mom has printed off about 50 pages of maps). Also, thanks to Dave (Toronto's newest EMS paramedic) for the tent and first aid kit, and to Paul for the thermarest and headlamp. Talk to you all soon, thanks for your support and I'll see you on the road.
