Bags packed!

Now that the bags are packed, and work is as done as it's getting, there's little else to do but wait for Adele to come home from work so we can have dinner out on my last night in town for three weeks.

Bags packed: all this goes on the bike.

I've tried to pare everything down to what is essential, not bring a lot of extras. It's hard to resist my fondness for redundancy, the belief that have more of something than you actually need is a good thing. Still, the bags can only hold so much.

I'm sure there things I've forgotten, but I can pick them up along the way. And I'll probably find there are things I've brought that I won't use, although hopefully those are just the first aid and roadside emergency kits.

In spite of all the preparations, the trip still feels slightly unreal. That is always the case for me in these kinds of situations. Once we have a couple thousand kilometres behind us, it will all feel real enough.

Thanks to everyone who has wished us a safe (but fun) trip. I'll be sure to post pictures from the road as we go. Just 13 hours till I'm on my way!