The first of many long rides

June 8^th,2012

Charlottesville Virginia

Its 10:20pm so unfortunately at this time is difficult to be anything more than brutally honest. Today was a grueling pre-test of my so called endurance on two wheels. I can honestly say that after four stops for gas, and a little bit of oil to top her off, Saphira out performed me in every way. Their was one point at a gas station just outside of Charlottesville were she refused to start, but after a couple worried minutes of fussing with clutch and cables, I realized I had hit the kill switch by mistake when parking. Other than my back/arse/neck/wrist pain, and the brief post I did earlier about my first near death experience of the trip, things went great. Now I'll just have to hope that I'll be ready to do it all over again tomorrow, but hopefully I'll get off to a little earlier start and won't have to push so hard. Having a motorcycle that should be refueled every hundred miles helps me to get into a good cadence of taking pit stops every 50 miles, and using every other to refuel.

I should also mention my first new experience on the trip of couch surfing. My host is a semi-practicing Buddhist, living in what most would consider a minimalist one room cottage just as you enter town. Between awkward conversations and trying to feel each other out, you could tell Pat was a very intelligent person with a kind heart. He told me about the medicinal purposes of some of the local wild plants, showed me a book detailing the intricacies of local trees, read me a light-hearted version of a tarot card helping to answer my doubts about entering Central America, and explained some of his thoughts on inner travel within one's self as apposed to my adventures. To say the least it was informative and relaxing. So for anyone expecting a horror story from my first couch surfing experience I'm sorry to have to let you down. This has been fun, though without a doubt we're both exhausted so for the first time in many nights I'm going to try and get more than 6 hours of sleep. Pat has informed me about an amazing farmers market downtown tomorrow, so before heading back to the open road that'll be breakfast.

Its been a great day and I'm feeling pretty accomplished. I've proved to myself I could make an 400 mile 8 hour ride (even if it may have taken a total of 11 hours). I'm soar, sweaty, and completely exhausted, but without a doubt I'm ready to hit the hay and then wake up for more. Here I come Joe! Let's hope your ready.