I completed my journey on June 25th, with 18 days of riding covering 1325 miles. Sorry for the delayed post, but I was busy and wanted to get a map made to include. I did not go direct from Peoria to Ft. Myers, as there was the forementioned break in TN, and I actually met Jeff and Jenny north of Gainesville on their way home. Since Peoria to Ft. Myers direct is 1280, I actually accomplished more than the distance I initially thought I'd be covering, though I zig zagged all over and did not restrict myself to the quickest route. Here is a link to the map of my first 8 days in IL and KY (IL/KY Map), post-Bonnaroo to Tallahasee (TN/AL/FL Map), and embedded is the final leg (the website used to make the ... read more

So my next leg was another four days of riding, but only ~275 miles this time. Elaine got me prepared by taking me to an art/wine fair the night before I left, and I has happy to oblige her. Southern IL and and KY have been nice and hilly, and forest took over what in most of IL was endless cornfields. I also got on to the Trans Am (a popular cross country route with many cyclists going coast to coast) so I ran into many other folks traveling by bike, though most were travelling west. I spent some time on a bike path off route, where I encountered loads of wildlife including some kind of wild cat (possibly a bobcat, but seemed a little smaller ~40lbs). The next few days were much the same with ... read more

After over 24 hours hopping planes and my most painless U.S. border crossing, I made it home to Peoria a couple of days ago. I could have stayed longer, but I'm just as happy to be home. It was quite an interesting feeling to get accustomed to a constant state of flux, that is except for wearing the same 3 sets of clothes all the time, and it's nice to know I'll have the same bed for the next month. My last week in Bangkok was mostly spent learning traditional Thai massage. I'm confident that I graduated at the top of my class, though no such distinctions were actually made, and I've even got a certificate for all those non-believers. So if you are in the Peoria area, and are interested in 1.5-2 hour massage, I'd ... read more

Since my first attempt at learning some type of meditation failed, I jumped at the chance to take a 10-day Vipassana course in Java. This wasn't the most likely place, as Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world. However, the course was not secular, and there seemed to be a variety of religions represented (I was shocked to learn that Indonesians must choose one of five religions that is than printed on their ID card, and atheist is not an option). Anyhow, I had a light dinner after checking-in, and then the actual course began. The first part of the course was accepting terms that I had known about before arriving. I practiced "sila" or morality, which was done by adopting 5 precepts: abstain from killing, stealing, sexual activity, telling lies, and taking intoxicants. ... read more

NOTE: I know it has been over a month since my last entry, but when last I wanted to write the internet became elusive, and then I spent the last 18 days on an island with no internet at all. I'm going to have 2 separate entries, and I've added pictures to the last few entries that previously had none, so check it out. Overall, Borneo was a bit of a let down. Normally, I refrain from forming any expectation or am just plain ignorant, but it is hard not to imagine adventure and wild things when you hear "Borneo." It was more than a challenge to find wild without comforts (which translates to pay a lot of money and we'll take care of everything for you). I was traveling with a guy I met in ... read more