Well, as they say, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Here goes... Growing up, my family went on many day trips throughout the Hudson Valley. As we criss-crossed the Mid Hudson Valley every weekend, we stopped on the side of the road for historic markers, small shops, roadside stands, museums, and my favorite, hiking trails. Being very fortunate to have parents who instilled a sense of history as well as adventure in my sisters and me, we each grew up to be travelers. When I say travelers, I mean that we have a strong desire to travel as often as we can, to as many destinations as possible. Iceland, wilderness canoe trips, backpacking adventures, bicycle trips, and third-world destinations are all on the list of past adventures that we have under our belts, with many more to come. At twenty-one years old I hadn’t been south of Washington, D.C., nor had I been north or west of Niagara Falls. In 1983, with the completion of a cross country bicycle trip organized by the now defunct American Youth Hostel, I knew that my life would never be the same. Being a life-altering event, this trip had changed my perspective forever. The trip had made my sense of adventure a reality, and had given me the self-confidence that had been lacking in me throughout my life. Instead of dreaming, building an empty bucket list that would never be acted upon, I took action to make my dreams a reality. Beginning in SOHO in Manhattan and finishing on the west coast in Oregon, I saw things, met people, and climbed many mountains-all with a bicycle loaded with fifty pounds of gear. Unlike others who talk about that one event in their lives for decades to come, I made it a point to not become that person. I wanted to a have a fresh batch of stories, a never-ending, continually growing repertoire of adventures to draw from. Now, thirty-six years later, I have retired from a career as a teacher, and have a job that has made my dream a reality. Working as a ramp agent for an airline in Myrtle Beach, I have flight benefits which allow me to travel as often as I can. Over the course of the past twenty years, I have gone off on bicycle trips many, many times, for two, three, and up to four weeks each summer. Now, with my flight benefits, I can travel nearly anywhere in the world for free. This is my story. If all goes as planned, I intend to travel as often as possible, and keep you posted with travel tips and many stories from my adventures. For anyone who cares to read this blog, this is my story. Jauntlet.comhttps://jauntlet.com/