…And I’m off.

I figure now is as good a time as ever for me to head out. I’ve had about 6 “last nights” in town, and I think my friends are sick of celebrating me. I know I am.

I’ll barely count my first leg as a real ride. I went from my parent’s place outside of DC to my brother’s place inside DC. 18 miles along the Capital Crescent Trail, and then I swung off in Georgetown to drop into Rock Creek Park. Posting up on the waterfront in Gtown:

The toughest part was dealing with all of the debris on the trail. Sandy has done quite a number on the trees. All of those leaves I thought I was going to see change before my eyes are now under me as I ride and are clogging up my bike.

I stopped by City Bikes in Chevy Chase to say goodbye to all of my new-found friends. They’ve been a continuous source of knowledge as I have prepared for this journey. They also allowed me to log some hours in their shop apprenticing their service department…I did my best to become a grease monkey, but I definitely had more than my fair share of embarrassing moments back there. They were so patient with me and I learned a lot. Those guys are great, and they might actually know everything there is to know about bikes.

My brother, Michael, never seems to disappoint. A last minute Thursday get together was the perfect send off. I also got to spend time truly appreciating DC up close:

     

“The Capital of All that is Free and Good.” Special thanks to Mike, Chris, Dennis, my sister Kelly, Ryan 1 & 2, Brayden, Sweet P, and the rest of the squad to make sure I headed out on a good note.