"I laughed in the face of the devil one too many times,
And he laughed right back with a two ton grin."

Travel can be an escape, a way to recover your balance in life, a window to your inner self, and always an adventure. I've written that before, and never has it been so true as for this trip. In the past year, I was hit by a car, had my leg crushed, four surgeries, months in a wheelchair, months of rehab, and far too much time sitting on my rear end jobless. I held my newborn niece in my arms, became a personal trainer at the gym, flew around the country exploring new places to live. It was a year to forget and one I'll never be able to forget. It all began with cancelled plans to take a bike trip to New Zealand in January...

My girlfriend, Amy, and I survived the year. In May, we're moving from San Francisco out to Portland, Maine to improve our quality of life. Before we begin the new life, though, we both need a vacation. No, really, we _need_ a vacation!

I had my last surgery to remove a plate and nine screws less than seven weeks before leaving on this trip. According to my doctor, my leg will still have screw holes through the bone as we leave the country, but it will be sufficiently healed to take this trip. Two weeks before leaving, I was still using crutches to get around, and I'll have to figure out how to strap a cane to my touring gear. Amy has the willpower to do whatever she attempts, but this is her first bike tour. This will be a different sort of ride.

The bikes are boxed up and the maps are ready, wish us luck as pedal off to the Land of the Long White Cloud.