DAY ONE

All ready to go!

I still can't believe this is our new life!  It doesn't feel real quite yet, probably because yesterday's ride was short and relaxed, all along familiar roads and ended at our friends' house in San Francisco with a delicious meal and warm showers.  I'm sure the reality will hit soon as we continue to venture north.

Aside from our front derailers needing a little adjusting, day one was a huge success.  Once I stopped crying from all of the good-byes, a permanent smiled fixed itself to my face and every time Mike and I looked at each other we could do nothing but giggle.  This is so surreal!  Yesterday was the first time we rode with our bikes fully loaded, with Mike's weighing in at 102 lbs. and mine at 99.4, but it surprisingly only took a few miles before we were comfortable with their weight and how they handled.  I was mentally prepared for it to be much more difficult than it was but I'm sure once we hit some of today's grades I'll be thinking otherwise!

Mike cresting our first "climb".