The bikepacking trip I have long anticipated has begun! Conditions were absolutely perfect and the route planning so far has taken me through some simply breathtaking (and surprisingly varied) Michigan landscapes. The highlight of the day was stopping by "Sol Azteca," a neighborhood Mexican restaurant in Jackson. I mentioned to the waiter my intentions of biking to Chicago, and subsequently half the members of the restaurant staff trickled by my table to hear about my story and share their own adventurous visions they hope to complete someday. The owner and I ended up snapping pics together: mine for the Strava, his for the restaurant Facebook page. Seeing people's spark in response to my bike journey was gratifying in the sense that I may help someone finally take that leap of faith to go for their dream trip. To my benefit, I find that these types of unique, long-distance journeys help me open up to people in a way I don't typically in everyday life. Today was a day of reflection and observation, and if I were to tell the story or meaning behind each of these photos this post would take me all night to write. Feeling so lucky to get 4 more days of this.