Dwindling

Another week gone is another week closer.
And that leaves me with less than a week left until I leave.

I finished getting together all the bicycle parts I'm going to need to finally make this thing road worthy and comfortable. It's been a lot more work and money than I wanted to put into such an old bike, but I'll be able to paint it when I come back so it's going to look amazing. I decided on the colors and design, but that's all too far away, so why talk about it now? It looks great, it will ride great, and best of all, it's all mine.

I still have a lot to do before I leave. My route is still very general and I haven't researched any places to stay yet, although I did look at the Couch Surfing website the other day so I'll keep that in mind as an option. What could be better than meeting interesting people and not paying for lodging at night.I'll really have to zero in on my nightly stops and traveling distance for each day so I can start to get messages out to people and see if they'll be home those days and willing to house me for the night. I found a few that seemed really interesting, in places where I know I'll stop, so maybe I'll just continue along with that. It's better than sleeping alone in the Jeep or paying some ridiculous amount to stay somewhere. Plus it offers the chance for a shower. It'll be a test though because I don't really go out of my way to interact with people that I don't know. It's worth a try. At the very least, I'll find out that I need better communication skills, and at best I could find a whole new side of myself.

I started making a pile of all the things I'll be bringing, and it's still pretty manageable at the time being. Hopefully it doesn't get too ridiculously out of hand. I want to travel light and just live without the world. My 4x5 case will come in handy as a second locking box to keep in the Jeep, and i can keep the actual camera in the bigger box in the back to it's safer. It's amazing to think that this is actually happening. Six short days until I leave. Six long days of waiting and trying to smush everything in that I want to get done and people I want to see.

Gone, gone to the wind,
Gone to the wind in an instant.
I'll never come back,
but if I do, I'll be a different me.