The longest journey begins with a single step or so said Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. That may be so but a bicycle tour begins well before that first step with a lot of planning and packing. For a compulsive, got to have everything in order, personality like mine, this takes months as I reevaluate, reconsider and review nearly every detail and still screw up something. This time, on a trip to a warmer climate to test my new bicycle and to get in some longer distance rides, I managed to leave both my helmet and bicycle lock behind and beyond a reasonable means of getting them returned to me to me in time.
Fortunately, getting replacements was within my budget, so all ended well but I still gave myself a mental tongue lashing for being so forgetful. I just hope it is not a sign of my advancing years or I might wind up leaving my dentures somewhere.
Getting every necessary item for a month of riding and camping in areas where replacements are not just an Amazon click away, into the proper sized luggage for a 35 hour transit, is a big chore and I must have packed, measure and weighed my load a dozen time before being satisfied, for now. I hope this holds true until my departure.