Dear North America,I am very excited to get to know you better!Love, Dory My grand adventure starts in one day and I cannot even fathom how I got this far…JK… I know it was the amazing support of all the people around me! Thanks to my family that encourage me to do everything, all the people who have joined me in the fight against cancer by donating, and to those people who contributed to my bike and gear. I am so THANKFUL.Pre-Ride Reflections:My bike- I really struggled while shopping for my bike. It was hard to know what I was looking for with so little experience under my belt. My team gave me great information and my parents were very patient to ride from town to town with me while shopping. In the end I basically closed my eyes and picked one. I LOVE MY BIKE. I ended up buying a Cannondale and my bike is so GOOD to me!Falls- My first few times on my bike were quite silly, I basically had to relearn how to ride. My mother held me up while I practiced clipping in and out of the pettles, but it was inevitable that over the next few rides I would take some healthy falls. I usually would just forget my feet were clipped, swerve into a ditch, and slowly fall into a cornfield. I quickly learned that my favorite curse word while falling is ****.Protection- I think dealing with the elements is going to be one of the biggest challenges this summer. I went on a very cold wet and windy daylong bike ride without gloves. After that my left hand tingled for several weeks. Now my had is pretty much back to its regular self, BUT the lesson I learned is that weather is not something to play with.Fundraising- I am so thankful that I have had the experience of fundraising for such an important cause. I have never had a strong concept of money, but now I better understand that money is not useful in a box under my bed. It is better to let it go out into the world and help make it a better place… thanks, fundraising!Top 5 things I’m looking forward to:5. One back pack of positions4. Sight seeing3. Making it to my family in San Francisco2. Being a nomad1. The great unknown (EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!)