Hard to believe

I‘m sitting here in Munich, having spent the last 72 hours prepping for a trip that didn‘t work out and then finding a solution that would. What didn‘t work? Well, the original Eastern Europe plan, obviously. But as a workaround, I had rerouted myself to start with friends in Milan, go to one of their summer homes in the Italian riviera, and then bike back to Berlin. All contingent upon testing negative for COVID19 on my return to Germany from the US, which I did and which then enabled me to avoid quarantine in Germany.

So on Sunday, I booked a flight for Monday night to Milan. Because I was arriving so late, I decided to look for a hotel. And then the hotel site had a warning that essentially said Italy doesn‘t care about negative tests or that Germany had released me from my quarantine obligation; they only care that I had been in the US within the last two weeks. Rather than lie to the Italian government and potentially put at risk my ability to return to the country (lifetime bans are doled out for much less, and that would be infinitely heartbreaking to me), I rerouted, sticking in Germany. 160€ donation to RyanAir for the flight not taken. Oh well.

After wasting more money on a train ticket that wound up not usable, I found a bus to Munich which could carry me and my bike. Game on.

And here we are

A full three months later and something like seven countries northwest of where I imagined, I will finally start riding. Even having unpacked and repacked my bags, having laid out the clothing for the morning and the ride tomorrow, it‘s still difficult to grasp that I will spend the next 30 days living out of two bags and a bicycle. I think after six months of uncertainty, maybe I’m struggling to grasp my new reality because I doubted it would actually happen. Who knows. Either way, it is my new reality, which is terrifying but also super exciting.

Packing list

So, what am I bringing?

  • 3 cycling kits and 3 pairs of cycling socks
  • 1 cycling undershirt, 1 cycling rain jacket, arm warmers and leg warmers
  • 1 pair cycling shoes and 1 pair running shoes
  • 36 packets of Maurtens carbohydrate drink which helps me so much I feel like the secret ingredient must be EPO
  • Butt cream (saddle sores would be a nightmare on this tour)
  • 2 spare tubes, 2 patch kits, 1 spare chain, and a multi-tool
  • 2 shortsleeve shirts, 1 longsleeve shirt
  • 1 pair of hiking (everyday) shorts, 1 pair of athletic (swimming) shorts
  • 1 pair of long pants
  • 4 pairs of underwear
  • 3 pairs non-cycling socks
  • Tent, sleeping bag, and air mattress
  • Day pack
  • iPad and Kindle
  • Toiletries, including a clothes hanger
  • Ear plugs and eye mask, because I‘m a princess and need my beauty rest

Admittedly, not all of that is necessary. Especially the Maurtens. But hey, maintaining nutrition while on 4+ hour bike rides is super important, and the fact that these things weigh so much will be a great incentive to take the planned two per day.

It‘s hard to capture how exactly I feel right now. Excitement heading into the unknown, mixed with a bit of apprehension about whether I can do it (of course I can, but still) and whether it‘ll help me clear my head as I had originally hoped. Let me be clear, it’s almost all excitement. I love cycling and I love nature, and I should have plenty of both. It will be fantastic. And whatever else it becomes, it will undoubtedly be an adventure!