Plans are just directional suggestions

I made plans three years ago,

to ride my bike from Anchorage Alaska, down to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.  My plans have since changed...

Eh, there's a lot of things that happen in three years.  But I'm still going to ride, to LA.

I had hoped to tour all the bicycle collectives along the west coast, teaching and learning, and finding out what makes bike collectives so interesting.  I still plan on doing this.  But since then, I've found and participated in this cool little thing called BikeBike! and I realize that this conference does more then I could have hoped to do.  And rather than try to reinvent/recreate what bikebike does, I'd rather just build upon bikebike.  I'm going this year to bikebike in Vancouver, and I'm tasking myself with the job of documenting it.  So that all that is taught and learned, is not forgotten.

But i'm still going to go on this ride, and I'm still going to visit a lot of bike collectives,

So this time, I'm still going to teach and learn, but not in the same way i was originally thinking.  This new plan is to re-teach some of the lessons I have learned at bikebike, and also, to teach bike collectives about bikebike, and all the many resources that are available them.  And if I happen upon a collective which is well aware of all the resources, then I will take it as an opportunity to learn.  

It's not too much of a variation from the original plan, but it's a lot more focused.

    

I haven't written for a while,

I'm hung over now, which is usually a good time for me to ruminate about life.  there is a long lis of things i'm supposed to do, but on that list is also to write about this process.

But everything feels dead today and lethargic.  It's not the write time i know.

anyhow, two weeks
This is my calendar so far:

it's a good list and i'm happy about it.  I believe I will get it all done.

oh man, i've got to go now.

First Touring Set up

On my first tour i rode 450 miles around italy, france and the netherlands.  I took trains and bus to get from country to country and road between cities for a few days at a time.  I did this on a 10 speed shwinn 

here's the probable route from Portland to Seattle

Seattle to Portland Bicycle ClassicShare your bike routes @ Bikely.com

I leave from Portland June 14th. I arrive in Seattle June 16th, I stay there for a day or so collecting more riders and then head up to Vancouver. I haven't figured out the route but it's at least 350 miles which I plan on doing over about 5 days. If this feels like too many miles, we'll leave on the 13th and bump everything forward. I leave from alaska on the 1st of july, up through Fairbanks, and then down to TOK and then through canada. I plan on being in Portland late August or early september, and then I bike down to LA as fast as I can, cause i'll be leaving to go back to Australia at the end of September/early October.

View Bike Seeds in a larger map

And the date is in, June 21st to the 24th is this years BikeBike!! in Vancouver B.C. This is of course not great for my bike tour, I don't think it's physically possible for me to ride the 2190 miles in three weeks. And leaving before June seems cold and wet. I'm left with the option of leaving from alaska after bikebike, (most likely) or not going to bike bike and keeping the date still June 1st. yup, i think i'll leave Alaska July 1st... Hard date, anyone want to come with? Anyone want to ride up to Vancouver from Portland June 15th?

this is all becoming more real, and a bit sad.  I'm not sure how this is all going to work out.

let me vent and be real for a moment.

i'm sitting here in australia.  i'm meeting with people, talking about the future of this company.  i have no idea what the future holds.  I know i can still take two months and ride from alaska, but after that...  i think i'm supposed to go back and work for SCD (Secure cellar door) and part of me wants to.  but part of me is really fucking sad about my bike tour.  it's not going to be like i thought it would be.  But my thoughts were developed three years ago, before i ever met ben, or came to australia.  It's not much wonder that life is changing, but i don't really want it to.

i want to do both.  but i don't feel like it's possible.  Even if i don't have to be in AU all the time, I will have to work and be by a computer.  Can i really bike the pan american highway and maintain an internet job?  I suppose if i can do this it will be inspiring.  if i can make this work...

so how is the plan looking now?

i leave July 1st from Anchorage AL.  I basically take a month of work off because there is little possibility of having internet access while biking through the Yukon.  But hopefully I will still be able to check in at least once a week and answer emails from wineries.  then i will get into more populated areas and I will dedicate two days a week to finding internet and answer emails.  Once I get to Vancouver I will have to stay put for a while and get some needed work done.  Maybe some meetings, you know, that kinda shit.  and then I will bike down to portland, and by this time I will be able to do that in 3-4 days.  and then i'll have to stay there for a bit.  and then I will just bike 3-4 days down to a stable place with internet, work, and then continue on down.  weird.  is that possible?

i kinda think so.  I was working alright while i was traveling the US before, but I was on trains and not in camp sites.  but i could find cheap motels, or just work in the libraries...

gosh, it would be cool if it works.

Well, i guess we'll see.  i'm not sure what the consequence of trying it.  It's not the first time i've tried to have mobile work, not the first time i failed either.  heh.

ok, i just wanted to write.