Three things this trip has evolved into...

Countdown - 7 days!

Just a short update to give you an idea of my thoughts a mere week out of blasting off...

Stress levels are high - I want to make sure I have all my loose ends wrapped up at work so that I can fully concentrate on the trip and not worry about some ad campaign being missed while I'm gone. I want to make sure that I've taken care of all the things going on at home before I leave so that my beautiful and talented wife need not worry about getting household chores done (the few that I actually do). And I'll be missing my friends and family a bunch too. Notably, my riding buddy Matt, who couldn't take the ride with me. I feel some sorrow for the fact he's gotta stand on the sidelines and miss out on an adventure we planned for over a year together.

But there are thousands of fun things just down the road. I cannot begin to imagine the things I'll see (and share) and the things I'll see (and not share)!

Here's how it's evolved -
1. This trip started out as a simple 'vacation'. It was just an adventure that was planned for Vancouver and then back home through some portion of the US. It started out to be pure relaxation and exploration. As people learned about this trip, they asked lots of questions. Suddenly I had their interest and thought, "wouldn't this make a great book?" So the trip turned into fodder for a passion I still have to undertake. Still a vacation - even if it was an 'endurance vacation'!

2. Then, as people showed more interest, I figured I'd take advantage of their interest and try and kill a couple birds with one stone: I'd raise awareness and money for a charity as part of this trip. I mean, what's a little extra work if it can help those in need? So, quickly this went from a 'vacation' to a 'cause'.

3. As things progressed, the cause became much more important than the simple endurance vacation with a cause. It's now blown into a full "Mission" with all sorts of angles and features and high points and sidebars. The vacation portion is all but a distant memory. I'm hopeful that once on the road, some of that vacation momentum will return and I'll be able to turn down the energy level on 'cause' and turn up the 'relax' mode.

The whole process has taught me an awful lot: I can help others in more ways than I ever thought I was capable; I can use my wit and wile to get others to help my cause, and they can feel good about it at the same time; and I can put together the fodder that I need to set myself up for my next adventure, which will include re-telling this story in a different format.

I can't encourage you enough to feedback and tell me what you like and what you don't. I can't make any promises, but if you tell me what is most interesting and least interesting, I can do my best to bring it to you!