The Right Tool for the Job

It has been a busy couple of weeks! I was feeling very under pressure with a lot of loose ends and so I made a plan to get a few major things accomplished. One of the biggest decisions I have had to make was weather to fix up my 11 year old Cannondale bike for the trip or get new equipment. Having decided that new was better I then had to decide what type of bike to get. This decision proved to be worse than buying a car - too many choices! Last week I finally ordered the new bike and it arrived this week. It was my Birthday on the 23rd and it just happened that was the day my new bike was ready! I promise I will post a pic of the new bike - hopefully by next week - but I wanted to get most of the accessories mounted first. I think I made a wise purchase when I finally decided on (say it with me tourists) the Surly Long Haul Trucker! It seems to be the bike of choice for bicycle tourists on a budget - not that it was inexpensive but rather a nice compromise between price and function. I think I will be quite happy with it.

Yesterday was a most unusual day. First, I finally made a decision on the bike and pannier bags I will be using on this trip and placed orders for both - they should arrive early next week. This was a cause of great excitement for me as I have been searching for the right equipment for months now and finally making a decision is a huge load off my mind.

However, my excitement was somewhat dampened throughout the day when at least 5 people on different occasions suggested that I seriously reconsider taking this trip in light of the current economic crisis the country is facing and the huge unemployment rate. Who knew the most adventurist part of this trip might be my career! So it was a mixed bag of emotions but the little voice inside still says "go!" so I eagerly await my equipment arrival and will likely take a short video when it arrives so I can test posting videos to this site.

73 days until departure! :)