At long last, Ryan and I set off from quiet Kingston, Rhode Island to conquer the world. He had a tearful goodbye with his parents while I said goodbye to my sedentary lifestyle. At departure, I weighed in at nearly 130 pounds including water, while Ryan topped the scales at 165. I suspect that those weights will flip flop by the end of this thing. Anyone want to take me up on this bet?
The ride began smoothly. In only one day (with the help of a ferry) we cruised through RI, CT, and found a delightful stealth camping spot on Long Island. The next day we went North (yup, North) so Ryan could get a look at Montauk. His hopes were dashed when he say a No Surfing sign so he settled for the obligatory selfie.
After passing the beautifully landscaped Hamptons, the roads got narrower and the weather turned foul. Rain, wind, and unsympathetic drivers for miles on end. Heck, even a mini school bus cut us off to rush into yet another strip mall parking lot. Of Long Island drivers, they’re best summed up by a man named Paul, “Long Island Drivers: they have no time for anything and aren’t going anywhere”. Thankfully at the end of a long, wet stretch the ever accommodating Agrell household took us in for the night. Ryan seemed in much better the spirits after a shower, a real dinner, and a night back on a mattress. This guy better toughen up before we leave the U.S.
Onward to NYC where Ryan parked me in a Brooklyn apartment while he went and had fun with friends Annie and Dan. I was chomping at the bit for some city riding while he was gallivanting with friends, eating bagels, drinking bourbon, and generally being useless. After yet another rainy day of waiting, we set off for greener pastures: the New Jersey shore. Updates coming soon.
Hi, My name is Joann. I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan today at the Lavalette NJ library. I walked up to him and asked if he was homeless . His response after some thought was , yeh, I guess. He is funny, cute and I complimented that he did not smell. His bike was cool and packed pristinely. The best of luck on your journey, be safe, ( saftey first ) Enjoy ! I will try to follow. Oh and check out RyanMackPhoto for some great surf photos. Claim It !
Yay Ryan! Looking forward to following this amazing adventure of yours. We are all truly jealous. Ride on!
And I am jealous of your profile photo! You WordPress whiz, you.
Very excited for you! Keep on trucking. Getting out of New Jersey was definitely the hardest thing you’ll encounter this trip!
Thanks Ray! 4 months in and that statement holds true.