And so it begins! Starting in just 3 days I will embark on my cross country road trip. I will embark from the Sunshine State and home of Miami Florida and touchdown in the Golden State, specifically sunny Los Angeles California, a real coast-to-coast adventure.
This is my first time doing any serious touring on any motorcycle, let alone my 2008 Z1000. Like most, I've done some day trips here and there but never challenged myself to a multiple day journey. Much less, do I have experience traversing the entirety of the continental United States on two-wheels. 
If you're familiar with GV Motoring you may know that my fiancee and I did a cross country journey in the summer of 2020 in our 2000 Jeep Wrangler TJ in Solar Yellow. Much like that journey, I plan to document my travels via video, photos, and this time around - words via this blog.
The idea behind this journey starts, well, quite a while back. In reality the idea of a cross country journey in any vehicle sounded like an unattainable adventure that would require tons of money and tons of time away from responsibilities. So before embarking on our 2020 journey I didn't think I'd ever have the opportunity to do something like that. After all, we'd end up being away from home for over 6 weeks. Fortunately, I was given the opportunity and privilege to work remotely and thus gave me the freedom to take on the extraordinary journey.
That 2020 trip was absolutely life changing. With the Jeep's tractor-like personality and character, and the inexplicable experience of my seeing the vast and open American West for the first time, I knew I'd want to do it again, hitting new places and imagining all the different types of vehicles I'd enjoy such a journey on (-ahem- Porsche 911 please).
Now, while my automotive interests cast an extremely wide net, many who know me are aware that motorcycles and the unexplainable feeling they give the rider exceeds any partiality I have towards their 4-wheeled counterparts.
To put it simply, I love bikes. I love the feeling of riding, characterized by the sensation of exposure. Such an exposure that allows one to truly absorb all of their surroundings, with the ever-present sensation of alertness from the perils around them. I love the meditative state experienced while riding, where all four limbs are working symbiotically to operate a machine that should honestly not be legal for consumer purchase due to it's ruthless power - but hey that's why we love 'em.
Riding has been a dream of mine since a child, and became a reality at the age of 18 where I got my first motorcycle, a 2012 Honda CBR 250R. With zero friends who also rode, I would get on my bike on any given summer day and just go. I'd ride on highways for 2 hours, get a coffee and turn around and there was nothing better. 
I carried that sensation of wonder, exploration, and joy into my adulthood, where nearly 10 years later at the age of 27, I am about to make younger me very, very proud.
There's always a "better time" to do something wild. and while that may be the case for me, where I currently run a small business here in Miami all on my own - I can't let my dreams wait until new responsibilities and procrastination kick the can even further down the road.
With that being said, my route to California will mostly take me down I-10, as I want to avoid the northern portions of Texas and New Mexico during early March as they still experience close to freezing temperatures.
The route back, however, will have me riding what is historic Route 66 - whew am I excited! In our Jeep road trip we got to experience some of that homestead-pioneer aesthetic in Joshua Tree National Park and there is something so charming and eerie about it. As if this idealized past was abandoned without warning and remorse without a moment's notice, left to wilt and stand in the sands of the desert. 
I am extremely excited, slightly nervous, and most of all determined to make this experience one to remember. If you think this is something you'd like to accompany, and perhaps serve as inspiration for your own journey - whatever it may be, please subscribe to the Youtube Channel as I will be updating you all regularly as I travel, you can also sign up for the newsletter in the form below to keep up with blog posts such as this one!
Thank you!