When you're planning a trip, you've got to do a bit of prep ahead of time. You think about what you might pack, and if you're anything like me, you go back and forth with what makes the cut. Unlike thru-hikers that may go days before getting close to a town that has stores to resupply at, as a bicycle tourist, I will be passing through towns often enough that I can resupply at grocery stores, dollar stores and convenience stores. With that said, I don't want to rely solely on those options. Have you ever shopped for food when you're hungry? Imagine doing so after cycling 60 miles; planning ahead will hopefully eliminate the mental load that is required to meal plan when you're tired and depleted.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm doing a bit of meal prep so that I can take advantage of cost-saving dehydrated-at home meals while portioning out the individual meals so I'm not eating Cream of Broccoli soup for 4 consecutive meals since the Aldi soup pouch has 8 servings*. So yes, I will still buy fresh food items and other food choices that satisfy a craving, but I won't be standing in the aisle asking myself, what do I need to buy to feed myself? 
My mail drops will allow me to send ahead food + drink options (powdered electrolyte packets, tea, coffee, powdered milk, Carnation Instant Breakfast) but I'll also tuck in to my first Colorado Mail Drop some layers in case of cold temps at higher elevations. I remember when we visited Yellowstone NP back in 2014, the overnight and early mornings were pretty chilly. 
In 2016, I missed a Mail Drop because the post office was closed early and it was devastating. Not only for me, who missed out on the thoughtfulness that came by way of mail, but I felt so bad for my friends who mailed me something and I couldn't retrieve it. This time I've looked closely at the post office hours and the day of the week I'll be rolling through that area. I'm 99% certain I've come up with a plan to accommodate small town post offices (tried to avoid the ones with very limited hours). 
If you're inclined to mail me a letter or care package, be in touch! I'll be picking up mail drops around June 11, June 16, June 22, June 26, July 2, July 9 and July 16. 
*a serving is considered 1 cup of soup but for most people, 2 cups is probably closer to what you'd consider a meal serving. I added instant rice to the soup mix to round it out and make it more filling. 

boxes with food + drink items, will add to it for specific legs of ride

People ask, how will you carry your things? Do you have a trailer you'll pull? 
A trailer is an option but I decided to use panniers on my bicycle. My touring bike is heavy and strong enough to carry the extra weight. I have front panniers that are smaller than my rear panniers. I can't remember super specifically how I divided up my gear, but the goal is to keep the bike balanced. I appreciated organizing my things so that I wasn't digging through three panniers before realizing what I needed was in the remaining bag. 
Because there's a limited amount of space, I will be careful to bring only what I will need and the things I really want. Last trip, I brought too much stuff and ended up mailing a box home when I got to Charlottesville, VA. Jim remarked how heavy it was when it arrived home. 
As I'm gathering my things, I'm asking myself, is this something necessary for my ride? Is it something that will be useful? If I don't bring it with me, can I find a replacement along my route? Will this bring me comfort while I'm away from home?
Here is my list thus far, knowing I might pack a box with cold-weather gear to meet me in Colorado. 

• clothes: 2 bike shorts, 1 bike jersey, 1 long sleeved sun shirt, 2 sets of undergarments, 2 pairs bike socks, 1 pair of compression socks, 1 pair of camp* socks, camp pants + tee, sleep pants + tee, swimsuit, rain jacket, buff, bandana
• hygiene: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, Dr. Bronners, nail clippers, tweezers, razor, sunscreen, bug spray, comb, aquaphor, menstrual care, witch hazel
• first aid: bandages, arnica, ibuprofen, pepto or similar, daily allergy pill, nasal spray
• camp needs: tent, thermorest sleep pad, sleeping bag, inflatable pillow + pillowcase, inflatable sleeping pad
• food + cook needs: camp stove + fuel, pot + plastic cup, spork, can opener, knife, water bladder, flexible folding plate, collapsible sink, dish cloth
• bike: tubes, cords to charge lights, chain lube, bike tools for flats, bike pump
• etc: headlamp, power block, maps, journal, pen, audio book, earbuds

​I'm sure I'll add in some other things as I get closer to my departure. I can't wait to see how this all shakes out round 2!
*anything labeled camp is meant for when I'm not cycling or sleeping

My loaded bike from 2016 

Looking ahead to my bicycle ride means considering the basic question which is, how will I nourish myself along the way? There are different approaches and ways cyclists can fuel themselves. One might rely on restaurants, fast food and meals/snacks that don't require a camp stove. There's dehydrated and freeze dried meals that you can buy at outdoor rec stores. That's an expensive option but might be a good option for varied flavors that are lightweight and nonperishable.
I decided this time to meal prep ahead of time so that I'm relying less on stopping in to a grocery store or dollar store (Dollar General was a common fixture in towns throughout Virginia and Kentucky) and hopefully limiting how often I'm dining in or buying take-out. Some days I might have lots of options to choose a restaurant meal but I will have stretches sometimes where there's not anywhere to dine-in or take-out. It's also expensive to rely on meals out, even at fast food places. Deciding to have camp-ready meals while also budgeting for a couple meals out a week feels like a good way to go.
I went to Aldi and found some meals that required only boiling water and some cook time. I'm planning to prepare these meals by using my camp stove to boil water, which I'll add to a container and the meal, letting it soak for 15-20 minutes. This will mean I'm only using stove fuel to boil water (this takes 2-4minutes, depending on the amount), much less than boiling/simmering it on my camp stove for 10-15 minutes.
I also borrowed a dehydrator from a local nonprofit to try my hand at dehydrating pasta and beans. Dehydrating cooked food makes for lighter weights to mail and carry. I ordered some dehydrated vegetables and black beans, as it was cost effective considering I am divvying up the ingredients into smaller snack and sandwich bags. 
So far I've prepped:

• broccoli cheese soup mix with instant rice
• couscous with dehydrated beans, dehydrated mushrooms + sliced almonds
• instant mashed potatoes, dehydrated beans, dehydrated vegetables + gravy mix
• instant rice, dehydrated beans + dehydrated vegetables 
• three-bean chili mix* with dehydrated elbow macaroni 
• quinoa to be served with tuna, sliced almonds + evoo (bonus points if I find feta along the way to add!)
• chicken noodle soup*
• oatmeal (quick cook, steel cut, chia seeds, cinnamon + dehydrated fruit)

*Aldi soup mix

I also have some pouches of food that I can reheat in hot water with instant rice to serve alongside it. And the walking tamales? Found these at Aldi and thought it'd be a nice treat. I also will have peanut or almond butter packed, which is a hiker/biker's quick way to take in calories when they're on the move. 
In addition to camp meals, I'll be adding some perishables such as tortillas, bagels, apples + other fresh fruit and salad kits or other veggies that I might pick up to enjoy that day. I'm picturing a tortilla filled with a salad kit and tuna that I can eat during a lunch break or a bagel slathered with peanut butter to eat one-handed while cycling. Having easier to eat lunch options will hopefully keep me from lingering mid-day, unless of course I want to linger!
How will I get these portioned off meals? I'm mailing them to myself along the way by way of General Delivery at the post offices. I'm planning to add some sweet treats, powdered drinks and other helpful items along the way. I won't need cold-weather clothes in Missouri and Kansas but I sure might need an extra layer for overnights in Colorado, Wyoming + Montana. 
With all that said, I'm looking forward to stopping to enjoy local cuisine, brake for ice cream and enjoy the perfect meal, otherwise known as pizza. I remember stopping and eating half a pizza easy after I crossed into Kentucky and secured the box on the back of my bike for that afternoon's snack options. It was awesome. 
I will also add, I was curious about the nutritional content in what I'm prepping. I need a healthy balance of fiber, protein and carbohydrates. I don't usually worry too much about these things but recognize that to feel good on my bike, I need to fuel my body throughout the day's ride and after the day's ride. I don't eat gels and don't tend to buy bars directed at athletes. So, I'm happy that what I've planned for my ride seems to be nutritionally balanced. 

Here's a glimpse of the pre-portioned meals. Some are single serving and some have 2 or more servings. 

The rain is falling heavy today. House gutters are overspilling and debris covered storm drains are creating little waterscapes. It's days like today that I think, gee I'm glad I'm not out in that! Which brings me to the next reality, which is, it will rain. In 2016, I woke up one morning to rain pattering my tent and was grateful to find a restaurant where I could look at my maps, eat a hot breakfast, drink coffee and wait out the storm.  I rode a good half-day's ride into Charlottesville, VA in the rain. Another time I found shelter overnight in a YMCA on a night with forecasted storms (tornado sirens went off! I was glad to be indoors and not camping, as had been the plan). The other times the rain either passed quickly or I found shelter. 
In the last ten years, I've grown more anxious around severe weather forecasts. Radar maps showing impending thunderstorms or possible tornados really stress me out. I worry about trees falling on our house (though that has all but disappeared since our neighbor's worrisome tree was cut down), our basement flooding or the power going out for days. And as in life, sometimes my anticipated worry turns out to be for nothing; the storm isn't as bad as predicted or it passes to the north or south of us, avoiding us completely. 
Which brings me to contemplate, when is worry too much worry? Certainly some awareness and concern could help me plan ahead, perhaps starting my day off earlier, shortening my planned miles or delaying my start for the day. That's all reasonable. But how do I balance that out with the nagging urge to refresh the weather radar on my phone or let my dread creep into what's otherwise perfectly fine weather at the moment? 
There's also the simple fact, which is, I'm not in control. Sure, I can adjust my day as I mentioned already, but weather will be what it is. And it's not just the rain! There will be headwind and crosswind, humid days, hot temps and otherwise weather that bums me out or makes for harder conditions. Looking ahead to over 40 days of cycling in summer, I am definitely going to have days where I wish it were less humid, cooler, less windy and dry. The practice will be, can I accept the weather for what it is? Can I let myself be in the moment, present to what is and not carry dread and disappointment because the weather is not what I'd like it to be? 
Bicycle preparations tend to lean into the mental and emotional responses I might experience; that may seem funny or unnecessary; why think about how I might feel? Well, I like thinking about this because it gives me time to practice different mindsets and rehearse what might nudge me out of that overwhelm or stress. I like considering, what do I do when I'm at a breaking point and consider stopping my ride (as I did in 2016). I wonder, what do I do when I'm sure to experience stress and overwhelm and I'm out on the roads by myself? How do I mentally get over that hurdle? 
The cycling piece of my ride is something that I'll work out, literally, on the bike. My legs will move me forward, my core will keep me upright, my hands and arms will support my upper body as it leans against the handlebars, my sit bones will anchor into the seat. And I'll adjust my positioning and stretch and figure out what my physical body needs. While that part is sure to be challenging, it's the mental space that is a little more stationary. When I start to have anticipated stress over a weather forecast for three days from now or look ahead at my maps and see my day is full of endless hills, how do I move from, this is going to be the worst day to wow, let's use this information to adjust what I can and lean into what I know to be true. For example, hey the radar shows storms coming after noon so I should wake up early and get a jump on the day's ride, or it's gotten really windy so I'll have to add on a couple extra hours to my anticipated arrival to my sleep spot. 
It's all a practice, responding to what worries us and the challenges we face. I'm really curious about the experiences I'll have on my bike, but for now, I'll enjoy the pitter patter of the rain as I sit on my porch. 

Things I'm looking forward to during the first couple weeks:

• That first moment of pedaling with a loaded bike, continuing onward from where I left off
• Arriving to my first sleep spot and having time to reflect
• Stopping in at local libraries + swimming pools, as I pass through towns in Missouri + Kansas, especially to beat the heat
• Icy cold drinks when it's hot + humid 
• Experiencing the Ozarks by bike
• The transition between Missouri hills + Kansas plains
• My first Mail Drop!
• Overcoming the challenging moments I'm sure to experience
• Waking up early enough to get a jump start on the ride, especially if it's a forecasted hot, humid, rainy, and/or windy day! 
• Tailwind! {Let's hope there's lots of it!}
• Sleep after a long day of cycling
• Pie from Cooky's Cafe
• Meeting locals 
• Eating a meal at the end of a day's ride

Cooky's Cafe

There’s a part of Into Thin Air, where Jon shares he and other Westerners would have “steaming mugs of Sherpa tea in our sleeping bags,” brought to them by the Base Camp cook and the cook boy. 
I thought about how lovely it would be to wake up and have warm tea or coffee to sip while nestled in my sleeping bag. 
There’s a part of bicycle touring that is just so freeing and fun. The day is your own and when solo-traveling, all you have to take care of is your own needs. But having been married for almost 23 years, I’ve appreciated the partnership that I have with my husband. He absolutely would bring me a mug of coffee (or cortado, equal parts steamed milk and espresso), which makes me anticipate how much I will miss our in-person partnership while I’m away. 
We will absolutely still have partnership that comes in the form of talk, text and video chats. But the in-person, home sharing and family rearing will be on pause while I’m away. 
I suppose I will find ways to appreciate the small tokens of care that my husband will share with me, along with the ways I’ll be caring for myself. 
I can absolutely boil my water and make a tea or coffee to sip in the morning before heading out. But I already know that a big challenge for me will be longing to be back home with my family, where mugs of coffee are made and brought to each other in the morning. 
I’ll be gone a short bit, in the scheme of things! I’ll have to remind myself I’m not gone forever, this bicycle ride is of my choosing and I can push through challenging times. 
Cheers (raises coffee mug)! 

Loyal Coffee, Colorado Springs, Colorado 

I’m re-reading Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. This book is a “personal account of the Mount Everest disaster” that occurred in May 1996. Climbing Everest, or any peak for that matter, feels hard to comprehend. The desire to spend several weeks climbing from Base Camp to the various camps that are set up higher on the mountain is hard to comprehend. And yet, this book tells the story of so many climbers, guides and workers that put themselves in those situations. It’s easy for me to think, I could never do that. But what’s actually the biggest truth is, I don’t want to do that. I don’t desire to climb Mount Everest. If I did, then perhaps I could consider, *could* I climb Mount Everest? 
I consider my bicycle ride to be someone else’s Mount Everest. They could never imagine themselves riding their bicycle hundreds or thousands of miles. That’s fair! When people say, I could never do that, I think what they probably also mean is, I don’t want to ride my bicycle that far. 
I’m weeks away from pedaling away from Goreville, IL. I’m feeling really excited about the first couple weeks, as I’ve got some ideas how it might feel to ride across the Midwest. I’m less sure about the last three weeks. I feel more nervous about how it’ll feel to ride through the Rocky Mountains and up into the northern plains. But I’m feeling up for the challenge and ready to see what’s next. 

View at Red Rock Open Space, Colorado Springs, CO

Why the TransAm? Learn more about the TransAm here ! But to answer your question, I decided on the TransAm over 10 years ago because it offered an opportunity to see a variety of landscapes. At the time, it was also a route that had history to it; 
From the site: The TransAmerica Bicycle Trail began in 1973, during our co-founder’s ride from Alaska to Argentina, as nothing more than an ambitious idea for a way to celebrate the nation’s upcoming 200th birthday. By June of 1976, the Trail was ready; the maps and guidebooks were published thanks to an enormous effort. Now cyclists were needed to ride it across the country. Given the name “Bikecentennial,” organizers publicized the event and thanks to strong word-of-mouth and its fortunate, prodigious publicity, 4,000 cyclists showed up for the ride.
The riders rode west-to-east in '76 but since then, riders have cycled both directions. In fact, there's a self-supported race on the TransAm every year, with the option to start on either coast. 
For me, riding west felt like the right choice. There will be wind coming from all directions and while we think of weather and wind coming from the west, Adventure Cycling Association shares "although the prevailing weather patterns are from west to east, local wind patterns are more dependent on the passing pressure systems and local terrain, so you can expect your fair share of tailwinds and headwinds regardless of which direction you ride the route." 
Heading west feels so historical and symbolic; riding my bicycle across the country would be following the path of so many. Like those before me, I'd be persevering through difficult landscapes and weather, in addition to the physical, mental and emotional challenges that arise when journeying over thousands of miles. 
Plus, now that I've ridden Virginia to Illinois, heading westward starts me out in the familiar midwest and progresses into the unknown that comes with landscapes found in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Oregon. 
I've looked at other maps available on the ACA website and there are several that pique my interest. For now, though, I'll focus on finishing up where I left off, which is the last 2,900 miles of the TransAm. 

Wondering how I know where to ride? Assuming that because I'm riding what some call the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail (or Route) that I'm riding Rails-to-Trails the entire way? Adventure Cycling Association curates routes, including the TransAmerica Bicycle Route which spans across the country. Here's a video about the maps I'll be using. 

I'm a month out from heading out on my bicycle adventure. I can't believe it! I have a list of tasks to complete before I leave, and I'm feeling so curious about how my ride will unfold. 
Things I'm thinking about include: how many miles I'll cycle each day, whether my planned sleep spot will work out, whether it'll be really hot or really humid or whether there will be headwind all the time. I wonder whether I'll feel good in my body or regret even looking at my bike and deciding this trip is a good idea. And yet... I don't know any of those answers so I'm reminded to remain in my "right here, right now" mindset and tend to the things I can. 
​Here's to new adventures and new roads to ride and being ten years older and wiser and more experienced in this life of mine to do hard things.