So, let's start off with some bio basics: I'm just finishing up undergrad here at UF [insert school-spirited chant here, I guess]. Majoring in environmental science, minoring in sustainability and the built environment and Chinese. I'm the editor of a neat-o lil' independent magazine called The Fine Print and I love it -- it's tough work and I don't get paid for it, but I consider my salary one of...uh, warm fuzzies. When I get to hear from our readers how much they love The Fine Print and they thank me and the other editors for everything we're doing, I know it's right. And it makes me incredibly happy. And I remember why it's worth the lost sleep and that sixth cup of coffee. If only our economy ran on warm fuzzies.
But yeah, long story short: I'm happy with these last four years of my life, proud of myself for all I've done, better off from the mistakes I have made, humbled by the people I've met. It's been a good run. As a graduation gift to myself, I'm going to take myself on a bike ride. Seattle to San Francisco, baby. It's been something I've been dreaming about for a while...probably took seed after an impromptu (and hellishly painful) 24-mile ride through the Oregon coast cliff tops almost four years ago. It's resurfaced in my mind-escapes here and there since, but really began consuming my thoughts around six months ago. What if I actually could do this? Nah, I def can, it's totally possible. Ok, with whom, though?
And I'm still kind of mulling that over, actually. I've been keeping up with one of my friends the past few months, and we're definitely entertaining the idea of doing it together, but I guess we'll see how things turn out down the line. For now, I'm just planning as I'm I'll be doing this thing solo. (To any family reading this: dude, it's all right. You know I'll be fine and safe. Please recall 2012 summer coupled with my current status of existence. No, no -- I know it's all out of love. I love y'all, too.)
This trip'll be the first of its kind for me -- I'm a commuter-and-just-because cyclist: I ride my bike to classes, to the grocery store, to run errands, or I'll pedal around town, blithely weaving through Gainesville's pockets of historic neighborhoods to take advantage of a day's sunshine and breeze. Basically, I'm casual. I'm not, like, some insane-o cyclist who's just like, yeah, just another bike tour. Here, let me tell you about it all with bike lingo and other cool-sounding stuff.
I'm straight up herpderpin' my way through this from ground zero. And here's the ground zero I'm working with:
It's an old Trek, steel frame. Bought it from a gal named Kentucky and she's taken it on two tours before, so good to know it holds up well. It's incredibly light compared to my old Cannondale hybrid, which I sold. It was weird...I'd been eyeing this bike on Craigslist for a while and finally decided to just throw my bike up there and see if I got any bites. It was test ridden and sold within 20 minutes of the posting. This was in the evening and I arranged to test ride/buy this Trek early the next morning, but from the moment I'd sold my old bike to the second I adopted this guy, I felt so...incomplete and naked and and helpless. Even though I knew I wasn't going to be using my bike in the interim, I was having some serious separation anxiety. Is this what people who don't own bikes feel like all the time? Christ.
Anyway, it's definitely a solid frame to build off of and upgrade. I'm thinking I'll definitely need to get a brake lever added to the handlebar tops, probably new wheels, and new handlebar tape for sure. Taking it to the dudes at this great local bike shop, 8th Ave Bike + Coffee House, to see what they think. They're real helpful and honest guys; I trust 'em with this stuff.
I'll keep y'all posted on the entire process of getting this new ride in shape. And, yeah, myself, too. I honestly don't even know if I'm physically equipped to do a legitimate hill at this point. Yeesh.