Kellen Smetana
It’s here. Departure is mere hours away now. And I feel like I’ve done enough planning to make General Eisenhower proud. In true form though, I still found a way to save ample major tasks until the very end, subsisting on about 3 hours of sleep each of the past three nights. It’s strange that I’ve had to admit to people that I’m not really excited yet.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited – it comes in spurts. I’ll open an email with a picture of Hong Kong, I’ll catch glimpse through the front window of someone cycling by, or I’ll listen to a friend explain how I should most humorously handle a hypothetical situation while riding. I just mean I’m not REALLY excited. This morning I’d put myself at about an 8 of 10, but I know I should be at least a 17. I think I let those day-to-day tasks swallow me up, and I haven’t allowed myself to sit back and think about the scale of what we’re starting. So, on the plane, the first thing I’m going to do is take a deep breath, close my eyes, and think about that last pedal stroke to the Atlantic. If that doesn’t put me at a 17, I’m not sure anything will. I’ll just have to make sure I don’t wake up like the mother from Home Alone, remembering I left my bike in my parent’s garage…
That, I can assure you, will not be happening, as my bike will be coming on the plane with me. A seat next to me would have been nice, but alas the cargo hold will have to do. It’s boxed up like a sardine and plenty padded for the journey.
It’s here. Departure is mere hours away now. And I feel like I’ve done enough planning to make General Eisenhower proud. In true form though, I still found a way to save ample major tasks until the very end, subsisting on about 3 hours of sleep each of the past three nights. It’s strange that I’ve had to admit to people that I’m not really excited yet.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited – it comes in spurts. I’ll open an email with a picture of Hong Kong, I’ll catch glimpse through the front window of someone cycling by, or I’ll listen to a friend explain how I should most humorously handle a hypothetical situation while riding. I just mean I’m not REALLY excited. This morning I’d put myself at about an 8 of 10, but I know I should be at least a 17. I think I let those day-to-day tasks swallow me up, and I haven’t allowed myself to sit back and think about the scale of what we’re starting. So, on the plane, the first thing I’m going to do is take a deep breath, close my eyes, and think about that last pedal stroke to the Atlantic. If that doesn’t put me at a 17, I’m not sure anything will. I’ll just have to make sure I don’t wake up like the mother from Home Alone, remembering I left my bike in my parent’s garage…
That, I can assure you, will not be happening, as my bike will be coming on the plane with me. A seat next to me would have been nice, but alas the cargo hold will have to do. It’s boxed up like a sardine and plenty padded for the journey.
Bike in a box
I carried my full gear onto the scale with me last night and it came in at just under 70 pounds! I’m sure my knees peered down with a frown at the all that weight. It was not far off my estimate of 60 pounds and I may still take a few items out. Final verdict will be somewhere in between the two. To get myself ready to push all this weight along I’ve been trying to eat as much as I can. My last meal in the US for six months was a huge steak and potato family dinner last night. (It’s also worthy to note that my second to last meal was a large sack of Hunter House sliders with fries… highly recommended).
My own sign!
In departing I want to give out a couple Thank Yous. First to the Deloitte office for the awesome sign and all the inspiring and supportive messages you added. Second to all my friends who stopped by or gave me farewell phone calls over the last few days. And finally to everyone who has donated to the World Bicycle Relief. We already have 13 bikes! It’s truly amazing that we are able to have such an impact so quickly; I’m looking forward to seeing how many we can get by October!
I’ll certainly miss everyone back home!
Next stop: China.
I’ll certainly miss everyone back home!
Next stop: China.
RSS Feed