Day#1 (3.31.10)

My first day on the road was nothing to complain about. I left home at 9:00 a.m. and arrived in the city around 12:30 after 30 miles of biking. At one point before I left, I thought I should be afraid of traveling alone for the next six months. This is the first time I will be away from my close family like my parents and siblings for more than a couple weeks.

A lot of people close to me thought I was giving up the friendships I had formed, as well as any hope of forming future, stable ones. But over the years, I’ve come to realize that I’ve never held any long-term relationships. Though I’ve had a lot of the same people circulating in my list of acquaintances, the importance of each individual has varied on a nearly year-to-year basis. I think the reason behind this pattern is due to the fact that I bore easily. I’m in no way commenting on the personalities of those close to me, but once I know a person well my interest drops off.

I hope that by completing my travels in a more bare and simple manner that I will be able to connect with people on a more intimate level. I aspire for those friendships that last a lifetime after only knowing the person for a couple of days. I want to cut through all the superficial garbage that people go through when trying to form a relationship.

Tonight will be my first time camping on what probably is someone else’s property. I plan on leaving the dense, crowded area for the farmed suburbs where I may ask a home owner if I could set up my tent on their lawn for the night. I’m close to exhaustion, but the day ends in high spirits. I’ve got almost a full week of sunny days ahead and a lot more pedaling to knock out.