To "fly a sign" is to write on cardboard with a marker asking for something. Booze, money, food, etc. It can be as simple as the classic "anything helps." I thought about it trying it. I've hung out with people who travel and write on cardboard, and they've all seemed like good people. If you really need money, then hold up a sign. Nobody owes you money, but some people will be happy to hand over their change. Some people will give you $20. Two people I was hanging out with in Grand Forks said they'd been handed a $100 bill outside of the Target. That's fine with me. We all ate great food around a campfire.
I'm probably not flying any signs, even though I'm fine with it and believe it's my right if I want to. I have a great selection of gear for this trip, and over $3600 in my bank account. I have an efficient alcohol stove, so I can cook cheaply. I have two Northface garments, and my mom bought me the second one today. I'm not a dude who needs to be flying signs. Maybe if I get sassy, I'll make a sign that asks "Can I have a beer?" If it works out then great, but it's harmless quasi-passable humor. It would be an interesting experiment in any case.
Fuck it. I don't know what I'm doing. But at a minimum, I'm going to to visit some people, meet some people, ride around, and cook something. I will definitely sleep somewhere. I will probably make something and fix something. I will probably cuss a lot, but rejoice at times throughout each day.
Today, though, I just loafed around. I did some map-work and preparation. I made a list of contacts for people willing to host touring cyclist along my route. I printed sheets out of my mom's printer, hoping that some of them might give me the strong confidence that I wish I had.
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