Friday was my last day of work, the start of a 3 month break, easily the longest continuous period I’ve taken off work since I started working. I spent the weekend getting my apartment and bike ready for a multi-month absence, clearing out all the perishables, and getting everything in order.

I won’t know if I’ve packed the wrong things or the right things until I get going. I’ve been backpacking for many years and feel like I’ve gotten my gear dialed in, so I know exactly what I’ll need, and never carry too much, or too little. I’ve done 5 camping trips on my bicycle since buying it last October; 3 days over thanksgiving, 6 days down the California coast in February, and 3 other overnight trips, most recently in Owens Valley. Each time I’ve wanted to make gear and setup tweaks when I got home. This time I’ll have to make any changes on the road.

My gear has been laid out in little piles on the floor for the past week or so to make sure I have everything I need. Today I packed it all up onto the bike, ready for tomorrow, when I pick up a rental car for a 2 day road trip up the California and Oregon coast, to the starting point in Astoria, the northernmost point of the Oregon coast, which sits on the south shore of the Columbia River which separate Oregon from Washington. Tomorrow night I’ll be camping on the California side of the border, on the coast, and on Tuesday I’ll drive the full length of Oregon, drop off the rental car, and spend the night in Astoria, before setting off on my bike on the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail.