Day 1: New Hope

I'll take a moment to re-imagine a planned journey for anyone checking in who may not know what awaits me (God, blogging is so self-centered). I started out from my Mom's house in Newtown, PA. I'll end in my new apartment in Brooklyn sometime in the beginning of July. The middle portion is jaw dropping, on purpose of course. 9 states. 1000+ miles. 1 month. The question following those three short statements is, will I make it? I'm carrying about 100 pounds of gear split between a trailer and large pannier, all held in place with lots of bungee cord. I'm right on the brink of stability. I can see myself flying off of the bike because all of the weight on the trailer shifts to one side because of some bump on our well kept roads. It's hard to explain just what this feels like. An overly dramatic scene that comes to mind would be that of a trapeze artist lugging a trailer in tow across a gorge. The artist can control himself, but he also needs to take care that the weight behind him does not shift or else the vessel will go plummeting and the tower becomes the towed. Thus, I move slowly (those who know my riding know how much I hate this), with a bit of anxiety about every bump hit. Hopefully I'll increase in skill as a few days pass. For now all I can say to those planning a similar trip is get a two wheel trailer. One wheel is not good for the kind of weight you need to harness for a month long bike trip.

Did I say bike trip? Oh yeah. About that. This is Day 1, and it's been quite a beautiful ride. I don't expect the entire ride to be quite so picturesque. I am grateful for what I have gotten to take in already. First off, the route I am taking follows the Delaware River until I cut north for Vermont. This portion I actually do expect to be a biker's dream. Dirt road riding overlooking the river, cool dense tree cover sprinkled with wild flowers, and the smells of spring's unashamed fertility make the Delaware River Towpath a definite return visit for me.

As I write I sit in Starbucks in New Hope, utilizing free internet, making sure everything is in order. I have two online summer classes to take and my new partnership with Starbucks' internet has me appreciating more than ever the push for greater access to WiFi everywhere. Which city will be the first one to have city-wide wireless internet? New Hope? This is great little town, which I don't have the time to stop and investigate now. It kind of reminds me of Woodstock. Lots of incense, lots of vintage clothing, questionable art, as well as good art, and the looming idealism of marijuana smoking. I asked at the visitor center why New Hope is the way it is. The attendant reasoned that it was locale. She said, "It's directly between New York and Philadelphia." There's more to it than that and I intend to find out that more someday... maybe later tonight. But not now.

I have to wrap things up. It's rolling on 2:15 and I still have 25 "slow" miles to go. I've got to make it to Nockamixon State Park, find a sleeping position and settle in for the night, before nightfall. This will be my daily taskmaster, where are you going to sleep and keep your gear? When you wish to sleep free on God's green Earth you must pay the price of the search for God's free green Earth. One goal of all of this will be to promote such free sites where a tent can be thrown and anyone may re-center themselves between a city's demand for ever upward and the night sky which so quietly speaks eternity with the twinkling of a billion distant brothers.