As I started pedaling, my first mission was making sure everything stayed strapped down—because, you know, nothing says “successful journey” like a sleeping bag taking flight at mile three. Once I confirmed that my gear wasn’t going rogue, I had a quick moment of reflection. Four years ago, two strokes. Two years ago, triple bypass. And now here I am, about to embark on a long-distance bike ride. No, it’s not the entire East Coast or a cross-country expedition, but hey, it’s long enough for me, my new goal! Life has a funny way of changing your goals, but the trick is to keep setting them. Just don’t give up—even if your goal is just surviving the morning traffic. Enough reflection—on to the day’s adventures! I’m cruising along the East Coast Greenway, minding my own business, when BAM—650 cyclists appear out of nowhere for the “Endless Summer Watermelon Ride.” If I hadn’t been warned, I would’ve thought they were all there to cheer me on. I wasn’t part of the main pack, but I saw a lot of cyclists? The trails were absolutely stunning—seriously, trees and brush separated me from the road like nature’s very own bike lane bodyguard. About a third of the way through, I stumbled upon a support station for the event riders. I stopped—not for snacks, though I did get some freebies—but to talk about brain injuries. I handed out cards and chatted about the cause. Who knew brain injury awareness and watermelon cyclists would make such a great combo? I came up on two of the support station and talked both. And then, the A1A highway. Gorgeous views, wide bike lanes, everything was going smooth… until my bike computer decided it needed a break and took a nosedive off the mount. Naturally, I stopped to retrieve it. And of course, in the process of stopping, my trike tipped over, taking me down with it. No dramatic crash—just me, the ground, and a little ego bruise. It wasn’t even a car that took me down! Nope, this fall was brought to you by pure human clumsiness. Time to rethink how much stuff I’m dragging along. Do I really need all 60 lbs of camping gear and stuff? The answer is probably no, but here we are. Reality check: this isn’t some carefree ride down a scenic trail. This is serious business—riding alongside cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Focus is crucial, but I’ll tell you what, those coastal views make it all worthwhile. And once last thing for the day. SO SAD….. I LOST NEMO…. Somewhere between the ferry ride and the end of the day Nemo disappeared. He was supposed to ride with me the whole trip, to keep me company, but yet he went his own way. If you find him please send him home to me. Thanks…. By the end of the day, I clocked 35 miles. My legs were a little tired, but I felt great overall. My brain, however, was totally fried from all the concentrating—on traffic, on road debris, and on remembering to snap pictures. By 9 PM, I was out cold, which is super early for me. But hey, I slept like a baby! Let’s see what Day 2 has in store for me—hopefully fewer unexpected trike tumbles!