Update 10: Trans-Europe 2015 – 1 Week Away

Johnny & Harry

Update 10: Trans-Europe 2015 – 1 Week Away

Johnny & Harry

One week left! Oh man, oh man. Do you like the photo above? Created by Crazy Harry. Real good stuff!

To truly get into the mood of everything, I went on an overnight bike tour with my MeetUp group this past weekend completely loaded up with all my stuff that I am bringing to Europe. I hopped on a couple of trains to San Clemente, CA and rode down 40+ miles to San Elijo State Beach in the San Diego county. Took everything with me as if I’m traveling out of the country.

It was very weird riding fully loaded again after I have been off for a half a year now. I was wobbly at first but I finally got used to the extra weight. I tried a new strategy this time in putting my rain gear and tarp on my rear rack. I received a net-like bungee cord from Harry that holds everything down. This actually gave me more space in my panniers. I may move some camera equipment down from my handlebar bag to give me more space in the bag to carry some essential things. The bungee net was great for my GoalZero solar panel as it gave me more options to clip onto the rear of my bike.

Salsa Vayas

Equipment Update

I also realized that there are a few things I’ll need to bring or buy before I leave this week.

  • Flip flops (for showers)
  • Freeze dried foods (heading to REI this weekend to get some at their annual 20% off sale)
  • New light hiking shirt (white shirts are going to be a problem to maintain)
  • Frying pan

I am planning to bring contact lens and sunglasses this time. It’ll be good to have options when I am not on my bike walking around town.

Helipad

What Is Left To Do

For this last week, I have to do the following things for the trip.

  • Wash my bike
  • Rip apart my bike and fit it in a box
  • Buy traveler’s insurance
  • Get a box for my panniers and gear
  • Make copies of my passport and debit card
  • Go to an ATM to try my Charles Schwab Debit Card
  • Clear out my garage so I can park my car for the 3 months
  • Saying good-bye to a few of my friends
  • Schedule all my bills for the next 3 months

As you can tell, there’s still a lot to do in 1 week! Nevertheless, they must be done on top of running a blog. So I better get cracking at it!

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