The adventure begins

Yesterday was travel day. The first leg of my flight was into DFW. I sat next to a career serviceman from Burlington NJ. I slept most of the flight but toward the end he said only 20 more hours to go. I asked where he was headed and he responded 'Iraq'. SFC Ken Lucas has served our country for 27 years. He said he might retire at 55 and start his own business. I told him about our bike shop. Ken owns a Specialized and said he had just gotten an email about the new Stumpjumper while he was home on R and R. He asked where I was headed and I told him to the Specialized Bicycles World HQ. I explained
that I was doing a charity bike ride from there to Las Vegas. My trip seemed a lot more daunting until I spoke to him. I wished him the best, thanked him for his service and said be safe. He smiled, said thanks that means a lot. He wished me luck and gave me a pearl of wisdom that means more coming from a man headed to the desert- "Hydrate". I realized then that this is only a 6 day bike ride, I will survive.