The Plan

I've been planning a trip since the turn of the year. For almost five months I've had the idea churning in my head, as well as a longing to move through the land which I glimpsed during my ride on the Greyhound going to Charleston from Phoenix in summer last year. This summer I'm going to ride my bicycle out of Charleston (on April 28th) heading for Arizona in a roundabout way.

My first stop will be Greenville, SC, after just a few days of riding. There I will meet my current roommate at his parents' house and stay for a day or two before I continue toward Sioux Falls, SD. Here I'll take a rest for a week or two, visiting my sister, her husband, and their daughters, as well as my friends from high school. I will also (hopefully) be going to a show where a friend I met just a few months ago will be playing in Sioux Falls, if I arrive on time. After this I have a little more freedom in the path I follow. My plan is to go north through Montana to see the land, then turn south into California to travel through the redwood forests and then Yosemite National Park. The final part of the trip will be when I enter Arizona. There I will go through Flagstaff and then coast south from its mountains into the deserts of Phoenix, finally arriving at my parent's front door.

I'm going to try and post updates here as often as possible. Whether that will be every few days or every few weeks, I can't be sure. This will let you all know I'm still alive, as well as provide you with knowledge on my progress and anything else I find interesting.

The trip's total distance will be around 4,500 miles and will take about four months. I have will be carrying all of my necessary supplies on my bike, including, but not limited to:

• oatmeal and rice, for breakfast and dinner respectively,
  
• a very compact stove to cook with and a small aluminum pot,
  
• water bottles,
• bike repair tools,
• tent, fleece sleeping bag, and bed pad (a very thin, deflatable mattress),
  
• a few items of clothing,
• a few toiletries,
• a few books and my Pokemon game,
  
• a digital audio recorder to journal my progress and any interesting thoughts I have,
• a compass, camera, flashlight, phone, neosporin, knife,
  
• a bunch of other stuff, too.

My daily goal will be at least 70 or 80 miles. If I can do more I will and this should allow some extra time to explore or take extensive pictures of the most amazing places I come upon.

I have very high hopes about how profound an experience this journey will be and, considering the distance and length of time I'm dedicating to the trip, I doubt it's even possible that I could come out of this disappointed.

I'd like to thank everyone I've met here in Charleston for all of your encouragement and for every kindness you've shown me. I've learned a lot over the past year about myself, about people, and about God, and I owe a lot to all of you.

I love you and I believe that God will bless you in ways you've never imagined.

(quite a first post, huh?)