For me, the grocery store is a big source of anxiety. For any given pantry staple, I’m faced with a half dozen brand choices that have no obvious differentiating features other than logo. I’m trying to balance my desire to be a good consumer with my desire to spend as little money and time as possible on this errand. I often find myself picking the company with the branding that looks the most eco-friendly, or the least obnoxious.

I have never just gone before. Gone without any real end goal. No time goal. No elevation goal. No destination goal. Not really anyway. Ultimately the goal is to go. And go. And go. Ending exactly where we began. For three weeks this summer, this will be my experience. But it is a chosen experience.

Committing to things is easy. I've lived the last six years of my life committing to everything I could. At times, far too much. That’s the way I like it. In January, Mike came to me and started talking about a big bike trip. Before he even finished his thought, I declared I was in. Immediately after it escaped my mouth, and after Mike finished his sentence, I actually came to the realization of what I just signed up for.