Week on the road proves more difficult than expected. Still waiting for the joy of the road.Here I am finally ready to leave from Motorgrrl, a motorcycle garage in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They thought I would never actually leave!!!
Week One:

Managing body temperature, fluids and food intake is a major challenge. A trip like this really hinges on life's necessities. A good meal and lots of water are usually the difference between a good day and a bad one right now. Also, sunscreen is vital as I drive west into the summer sun. I am waiting for some zen moments where I say, this is why I started this trip and I now appreciate life better. It has yet to happen. I am still too preoccupied making my way across the country and dealing with the problems of the day. At first it was the unexpected cold, then it got terribly hot, then it was blisters and not having shoes other than my motorcycle boots that werwere digging into my calves and also causing a rash on my shines that itched terribly. Later it was finding an internet location without paying for a hotel, then just when I decided to get off the interstate and take a scenic byway across Iowa constant gusts of 30 mph and 90 degree heat made my day miserable and I ended up in a hotel with a summer cold.