Twenty-Ten. A New Decade. A New Adventure.

If you don't take a great leap once in a while, you lose track of time. You look back and find it difficult to trace events back to a realistic time frame; did I start juggling two months ago? or was it three? How long have I been working my new job? Six months? Eight? If eight, it could actually be ten. But the line becomes a blur, and for me, that says everything I need to know. Because life, as I see it, needs to be memorable. And to make it so, it must be relished. Preferably in fascinating little chunks so they can all be glued easily back together by a deadbeat memory-machine like my own.

That is why I've decided to take this trip. When you're younger, before all the responsibility hits you like a metric ton of gummy bears, adventure is apt to sweep you off your feet at any given moment. And it is exciting, all new, this freedom to explore.

But eventually this falls away. Leases are signed - tethers. Student loans fall from the sky and into your consciousness for the first time, suddenly screaming for your undivided attention. Then, if you let them catch up to you, you have utilities, insurances, car payments, credit card fees, a career path, maybe a family, a mortgage, vet bills, and before you know it, you're cosigning someone else's student loans.

What a chain.

How to break free?

The car payments will always be waiting. The insurances, they can wait too. Maybe that family and that mortgage, too. But not for me, not yet. The optimist in me believes that this could be a step for my resume and towards my dream job, so one could, should one so desire, claim this decision as a step on a career path. But that would be unconventional.

I wanted to pay off my credit cards before leaving. But life got in the way. They'll be here when I get back.

I digress.

I decided last year that I would take this trip, practically jumping out of my comfort zone. But I'm too excited to consider such a minor inconvenience. I've purchased my tent and a one-way ticket from Logan Airport (BOS) to Charles de Gaulle (CDG). I bought the bike too, but she was stolen in April, so I'll need another. C'est la vie. Such is life.

I bought a map, as well.

And marked all of the cities that I plan on riding to. Starting in Paris, ending at Marseille. I have good reasons for stopping in all of them. Some I will visit for festivals, some to see friends. In Lyon, I plan on camping in an abandoned castle at the top of a small mountain. At many, I plan on bringing my resume to the local bike shops - especially the specialized dealers.

I will spend some nights at friends houses and some more couch surfing, but over all, I'll be learning the art of camping.

Camping, cycling, exploring, writing, learning, busking, living.

This will be my diary.