Bags are packed and ready to go!

Tomorrow is the big day! Well, one of many big days ahead, I am sure. I fly out to Oceanside tomorrow where I will meet the other members of the team I am crewing with. Actually, there are 3 others from B'ham that will be on the same flight as me so I will get to meet them early in the morning. It's kind of weird going into something like this where I will be in such close company with a bunch of people for several days that I have yet to lay eyes on. There's only one person on the whole crew that I actually know and that's Jason Barksdale. I've known him for several years and he's worked on my bike many times. But other than Jason, I don't know anyone. However, I have a feeling that's all about to change...and I'm looking forward to it! Oh yeah, I did connect with another guy -Chris Champion- through a mutual friend on Twitter who is also crewing. And he's an edtech geek like me so that's pretty neat. It seemed like it was going to take forever for summer to arrive and especially June 9th, but now it's almost here and I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. There are so many things I am stoked about, flying being one of them. I know, you are probably thinking who gets excited about flying? Well, since I have only been on a plane 2 other times in my whole life, I DO! Being a teacher with 3 kids as well as growing up in a family that didn't do any long-distance travel, I haven't been on many planes (once in high school and once last year to fly to a conference in Orlando). So yeah, I think flying is pretty cool and see it as a fun part of this whole adventure, not simply a means to get to the place where the adventure will begin. And then there's the whole "going to California" thing. I hear you don't have to buy any fruit on the count that it grows on all the trees and I even heard your 1st month's rent is free. Well, that's what Early told me anyway (if you haven't seen Kalifornia, just ignore that part). Seeing the Pacific and some of southern CA will be pretty awesome...haven't seen it since my honeymoon took my wife and I on a road trip out there 13 years ago! And what about the RAAM? Well, I don't really know where to begin...but I have a feeling I will really soon.

Have you ever travelled across country with virtual strangers? If so, tell me about it in the comments.

Check back later and thanks for reading.