Catching Up

I've been riding my Trek 520 for almost two months. I love mine, and Ashlinn loves hers. I still haven't done any long days on it yet, but with unemployment less than two weeks away, I feel I will be in the saddle much more. I've also been riding with my new BOB trailer, which I bought from Minya. The combination of the two are really great, even for quick trips to the dump or grocery shopping. 

In other bike touring news, friends Alan Winslow and Morrigan McCarthy are heading across country this summer too. They've got big plans though. Read all about it at www.tandemproject.org.

And in more bike news, Bagwell has fixed up his new old Peugeot. I got the frame last summer, but it was way too big for me, and wasn't even close to ridable. Bagwell has got it going though, and will join us in the Camden bike gang.

The Deal

So here's the deal:
Ashlinn and I are riding our bikes to Portland, Oregon. We're leaving at the beginning of June, and are allotting two months to complete the trip. 60 days of biking and 60 nights of camping. Once there, we are going to give the Northwest a shot. From what people have told me, I'm going to love Portland. "It's not 'too city' or 'too country'" they tell me. "It's so progressive and green."

That right there is Ashlinn's bike. The folks at Maine Sport Outfitters were very helpful, especially Mike Hartley. He gave us a lot of information about realistic touring. As much as I read about touring, it still seems more useful hearing it from a real person. Minya, a former 7 Bay roommate, has also proved herself to be a wealth of knowledge.
Although I will miss The Workshops, and everybody there, I think this is an opportunity for me to do something that may never be possible again. 23 years old seems like the most appropriate time to be doing things like this. Afterall, if I had gone to a traditional four year college, right now I'd be a new graduate, sick of working part time at a restaurant in Bangor or Lewiston, and be ready for an adventure. Luckily, I've got enough cash saved up that these 2 months of unemployment, preceded by many large purchases, will be survivable.
In addition to the fantastic things people tell me about Portland, they also like to tell me how much of a "life changing experience" this is going to be. What a great way to start a new life; saddle sores and soggy sleeping bags.