Night Before Jitters

So I’m as packed up as I can be. My apartment key has been delivered to the folks watching my cats. My kitten and my car have been delivered to the folks watching those.

The plan is to ride out close to sunrise. I’ll dip my tires in Tampa Bay at Spa Beach, then ride up the road to catch the Pinellas Trail.

This is my third self-contained bike tour. I’ve done the miles. Shoot, I’ve done harder miles that what I’ll face on this trip!

I circumnavigated the Gaspé peninsula back in 2018. There be mountains there! (If you’d like to read more about that trip, search for posts in June 2018.)

But I traveled with friends during the first two trips. This will be my first self-contained trip alone.

A friend told me that when they saw my route they were worried for me. It’s very rural, and I am a woman. Don’t get me wrong, plenty of women do this sort of trip by themselves. But let’s face it, they are all making just-in-case preparations that a man probably wouldn’t even think about.

I’m taking my own precautions. Pepper spray being one.

Overall I’m confident that the trip with me as eventful as I want it to be. But I’d rather have plans in place and not use them than to go in completely unprepared.

I’m very much looking forward to being out in nature and on its schedule for the next week.