Almost there...

Well, the time is near so I figure I'd better start the chronicle!
At the moment I'm lying on my mattress that is sitting on the floor, as I have just moved almost everything I own out of my house with my brother Joe's help. For those who don't exactly know what I'm getting up to (not that I really know myself) back in December I decided that I'd finally pursue my lifelong dream to do a bit of travelling. So I started saving and scrounging and eventually things started to come together.

A real twist came a month or so ago when I thought "what if I I toured Europe...on a bike!" Crazy idea I know, and I'll regret it soon enough I'm sure, but what better way to see the best non-touristy parts of Europe without spending anything on transportation!
So I headed down to The Bike Barn to get some ideas and advice and got talking with Lisa, one of the owners. Guess what...she did the exact thing years before! Long story short, I got super excited and walked out with a brand new Norco Indie 3 tour bike three days later. I have to say here as well, I would not be able to do this trip if it wasn't for Chris and Lisa at the Barn, thank you both so much for your generosity and advice, and for setting me up so well on such a budget!

So now Ive got the bike with all the bells and whistles, I've got the UK work visa, I've got the plane ticket, I've got an amazing camera that my amazing family surprised me with yesterday, and now I've got 5 days left in Canada. Only three of those in Penticton I might add! The past week has just been a blur of packing, dinners, saying bye, and giving loads of stuff to people. It definitely feels weird to leave for so long, and a little scary to have no home to come back to, the house my brother and I bought back in 2006 is being sold while I'm gone!

That being said, however, there's a certain feeling of relief to letting go of so much stuff and being forced to downsize so drastically. But I think thats quite enough blurbling for now, change is inevitable, and this is gonna be one crazy exciting adventure and I can't wait! My plan is to arrive in Gatwick on the 16th, assemble my bike at the airport, and make my way straight to Dover, and hop on a ferry over to France. From there I'll zigzag down the countryside, making my way to Barcelona and then over to Madeira via Portugal. That's all I'll say for now cuz who knows what will change, especially with no set plan to begin with!

So thank you to all for your support, and stay tuned for more wacky adventures with Phil!

PS: I promise the following posts will be much shorter than this with way more pictures!