I'm leaving, on that midnight train to Georgia...

Well, it's really a 9pm train to South Cackalacky.  We'll get to Georgia at some point. À bientôt, Boston!

view from my kitchen on this snowy Tuesday.

I'm starting to feel very, very excited.  Before I was excited but now with the delay, I'm just feeling as though I just want to get there and see what this trip will be like!


I'm pretty excited to be going by train.  It will take us about 22 hours with our layover (do they call them that for trains? sitovers?) in D.C.  What's funny is neither Liz nor I have been to D.C. before but looks like we'll have about 3 hours in their train station, not sure we want to lug our gear anywhere to rush back.


Anyway, I'm excited to see the countryside from the train.  It will feel like we're already on the road trip in a way.  I never thought about how much flying is really disconnected from the land you're traveling through, I mean it's obvious, but in terms of the experience it is much different.  Think of how amazing it is when you can actually see something like the Grand Canyon or the Rockies from the plane.  I don't know about you but I've been mesmerized and guilty of taking pictures through the windows.


Okay so I know we're not going through the Grand Canyon or the Rockies on this trip, but, you get the idea.  Trains = better connection to the places you travel through.  Let's hope we meet some fun people, or I'll probably finish my book before we even get there! (I'm reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being - I recommend it).


The one thing I'm not thrilled about is we have to take apart our bikes to put into "bike boxes".  The thing is we're not sure if we have to take the wheels off, or the pedals off. The website says one thing and the lady on the phone says another.  We'll figure it out, but it's annoying either way.  Ah well, what can we do?


I hate taking off the back wheel, and for some reason my front wheel is trickier than my old bike, so hopefully that isn't an issue.  Taking off the pedals doesn't look too too hard if you have a pedal wrench and a stand...but we'll manage with the 15mm wrench I think, and putting the bikes upside down if we have to do pedals.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMG4I_IyzzY


Anyhow, we'll make it work.  Now let's hope that the 2 carry on rule ignores the fact that we each have a bundle and 2 panniers...shhh.


Okay off to finish getting prepped physically, emotionally and mentally!


Please keep us company on this trip by riding along with us, it will be great to hear from you all to encourage us to keep pushing even when the hills are killing our thighs and our butts are too sore to sit (never mind go dancing like we hope to!)! haha.


Cheers and spokes,
Esther


Ps.  I'm thinking of chopping my hair when I get back (similar to what I've done before).  "New me" for 2011?  I have a feeling it will be a fantastic year, so just wanting to look the part.  ;)