And so it continues...

It's our last weekend at home before we set off on Saturday and we're in the midst of final preparations.  The living room looks like a bike workshop and I'm busy sticking coloured blobs on maps to denote the places we're going to be staying.  We also need to have a "discussion" about how we're going to fit everything including the bike in/on the car.  Sean has concerns about putting the bike on the bike rack and wants to put it in the back of the car.  I don't think he realises how much stuff I'm planning to take with me... the bike simply won't fit in the back once I've got all my belongings in there.  Check back this time next week to find out whether it did - or whether Sean is going to have to ride on the roof.

Besides that, we're both itching to get going after months of training and preparation (by that I mean, Sean has been doing months of training and preparation while I've made encouraging noises and kept the unhealthy snacks out of arm's reach).  We've been talking about this and planning it for so long, now it's just around the corner the excitement is really building.  I've started to look at tourist activities I can partake in near each location we're staying and beginning to look forward to it from that perspective too.

Sean has started to look at the long range weather forecast but I can't bear it, ignorance is bliss I reckon.

I'm aiming to continue following my super healthy eating regime while I'm away so those of you interested in that sort of thing can monitor my progress in navigating pub menus and resisting toast at breakfast time.  Mmmm... toast...

I've also committed to doing some tai chi practice every day during the trip, whether that be form, qi gong or meditation - or perhaps all three!  I'm looking forward to the experience of practising in a variety of locations and hopefully finding some scenic places to enjoy my practice.

Finally, I should let you know that I won't be spending all my days alone while Sean pedals the length of the mainland.  Accompanying us on our journey will be our mascot Romeo the fox, who has made his home on our coffee table for the last couple of years.  He missed out on our trip to South Africa last year so we've promised him we won't leave him at home for our latest adventure.  Here you can see him checking that Sean's bike is roadworthy.