What: Megan and Jonathan go on a bicycling adventure.

When: Officially, it started Saturday, October 11.

Where: Black Hawk, SD to Los Angeles, CA

Why: To mark our marriage ceremoniously with a physically (and we expect, emotionally) challenging first adventure. Why biking? Well, one of us had a pretty good bike and some panniers. And the other one wanted a bike and the challenge of doing a hard core trip. On top of that, we both wanted an excuse to read books and attempt writing creatively.

Timing: Everyone thinks we're crazy to be bicycling at this time of year starting in South Dakota, where the country's first major winter storm - Atlas - landed itself on October 3rd.

Theme song: Megan and Jonathan have chosen "Tougher Than It Is" by Cake to kick off their trip. They feel that the lyrics, "some people like to make life a little tougher than it is," explain both their reasons for making this trip and everybody else's reactions to them – be they strangers, family, clerks at athletic stores, motel receptionists, etc. Listen to the song here.

Blog Style: humorous, reflective, a bit gonzo.