T-0 Steeplechase

September 5, 2021

'cause of all the hurdles we have to leap over

We're at the gate at Seatac! First of all, a big shout-out to Fred and Sue, who went above and beyond to get us and our crazy traveling circus act to the airport.

Last night reality started to set in: we're actually doing this. I was anxious not so much about the tour itself, but everything else. Leaving this peaceful home we've spent so much time in over the last 18 months. Interrupting the routine we'd become very comfortable with (well, as comfortable as one can be during a global pandemic). The extra hoops we have to jump through to fly in addition to the stress of dealing with oversize baggage and whatnot. I embraced the emotion for a while. What if it's telling me that maybe we forgot something important? Or maybe we should just call off the whole thing? By 1am I had decided that this was somewhat normal pre-trip jitters and convinced myself that I really needed the rest and would pick up with the mental and printed checklists in the morning.

I slept well, and occupied myself with last-minute house cleaning. It's a gift to our future selves.

The next report should be from Paris-ish tomorrow, perhaps even a bit early due to the 9-hour time difference. Or maybe I'll just sleep for 18 hours straight like I did the last time I visited there 25 years ago.

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I can't seem to catch a break with carry-on screening. The TSA employee was super nice, though, and gave me a big thumbs-up after reviewing the jumble of cables and other assorted nonsense in my handlebar bag.

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Suzanne GibsonIt's comforting to hear that other people also suffer from pre-trip jitters. I always thought it was just my timid nature, now I see it's normal.
Bon voyage!
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3 years ago

Ken RyanKevin and Sunyoung, Seiko, and I wanted to get in touch with you before you left so we could send out best wishes. Time, however, intruded, or I got lazy; you pick. Anyway ... you're off! Congrats. My first two impressions: 1. Looking at your map, L:e Tour has nothing on the 2 of you. 2. What an adventure. Although flat tires and bent chainrings suck, they - and other incidents - will add to the lore of your trip and enhance future tellings.
Also, well written.

We are really looking forward to seeing the daily updates. Thanks a ton for creating this blog.

Ken & Seiko
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3 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Suzanne GibsonTwo data points aren’t quite enough to establish normalcy.
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3 years ago

Suzanne GibsonTo Scott AndersonWell, at least not unheard of. And I have even heard of two more cases...
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3 years ago