Things I have learnt after 1 or 2 days bike touring:

– fill up your water every chance you get.

– bike touring is really like learning to ride a bike again. When I left my apartment, I almost fell over several times. Every move has to be thought out and deliberate as 60 or so pounds is not easy to manage. On that note, I should have bought a kickstand! Am I ever regretting not having a kickstand.

– stealth camping is hard. More than even food, sleep has become a priority. There are plenty of nuances to finding a spot to camp. Between the window of 5pm-7pm I am on the hunt. Keep an eye out for forests. Do you grab the first spot you get or do you risk biking further and getting caught in an urban area by sunset? How visible are you? Is it private or public property? Etc, etc. Last night I was literally against the border of someone’s private property and tonight I am in a public park(forest) that has signs everywhere saying “no entry between 11pm-7am.

– when people find out where you are going and where you are from, they treat you as warmly as a loved family member. I stopped at a cafe on day 2 to charge my phone/escape the rain. As I was leaving a small older woman came up to me. She made some jokes about moving by bicycle and then went into the cafe. A minute later she came out to ask me where I was going. I told her and she couldn’t believe I was a) alone or b) traveling by bike. She said goodbye and wished me luck but a minute later came outside again and forced 5$ in change into my hand: “I know you have money but please take this! Buy yourself a coffee and think of this little old lady when you do”. It practically killed me.