Getting out of Orlando seemed impossible. By the time I left Jeff’s house it felt like I had always been there. That’s why it was so hard after I got off to two false starts.

The first day I tried to leave I got a flat within 4 miles of leaving. I stopped on the side of the road and put a patch on. Another 4 miles later I got a hole in a different spot. I was out of patches too. So I walked my bike back to Jeff’s house in frustration. I had ruined my first chance to leave.

I bought a new tube for my tire and tried to leave a second time. I got a total of six miles before my front tire got two flats. I bought two tubes and decided to leave the next day, even if I had to walk my bike to Gainesville.

So I left again, determined, and my tires held. Only the temperature quickly changed, and by the afternoon the temperature was in the 90’s. With 110 miles to Gainesville and only $2.50 left for food (I spent that on peanuts), I was in horrible spirits all day. I kept telling myself how dumb I was to be so horrible with mismanaging my money, and how it was so hot and I’d never be able to make it to Gainesville. I considered stopping on the side of the road and hitchhiking back home, or selling my bike and buying a bus ride back. It was really bad.

But I pedalled anyway, because I knew from hiking that constant effort got you somewhere. I stopped at a grapefruit farm after half the day and tried to gorge myself on grapefruit.

Only I can’t. Grapefruit is so sour. Eating more than one is impossible for me, no matter how hungry I am. So I ate one and kept another two for later. They might have to be my dinner if I don’t find an orange farm.

I got back on the bike and kept riding. I was dehydrated and hungry, and in a really negative mindset. I didn’t think of anything good, just kept pedalling and cursed myself for being so dumb. I thought about food alot.

I kept pedalling until I had done 62 miles. At that point I was dead tired, and because of my late start, it was getting dark too. I was in the worse spirits I had been in in a long time. I stopped outside of a country club at a fountain and just laid down, exhausted and fed up and starving. I looked in the fountain for change to buy myself dinner but there was nothing in it. Not even pennies. No money and no dinner and I was in the middle of nowhere.

I decided to ride backwards 4 miles and offer to wash dishes for a meal. Anything for sustenance. They didn’t have any dishes, but gave me a meal anyways. That was the best meal of my life. And also a spiritual awakening for me.

I couldn’t believe the generosity of the lady who owned the shop. Me, a smelly stranger, hungry with nothing to give, and she decides to give me a great meal and a huge coke. I realised then the power of generosity and compassion.

Her small act of giving away a meal completely changed the way I looked at the world. It helped me so much, and it wasn’t necessary at all. She had nothing to gain but she did it anyway. And because of that I had a great night and spent the entire next day’s ride (40 something miles) totally thankful and happy, but without food. That little bit of generosity made me realise what a gift it is to be able to provide happiness to others, and how much I wanted to be able to do that myself.

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Tampa and the Skatepark of Tampa drained me of a whole lot of my funds. But the open road called me. So I left for Orlando with not a lot of money left in my bank account.

Bad idea. But that was the least of my worries.

The day I left from Tampa I knew I wouldn’t make it to Orlando in one day. I left at like 1:00 and so I knew I’d be camping somewhere. Only that somewhere ended up being a reserve with a FLORIDA PANTHER that came into my camp and GROWLED AT ME.

There is nothing as scary as an F-ing panther growling at you. When you’re in the middle of the woods, alone, and it’s late at night. I heard the growl, got out, turned on my headlamp, saw eyes, and freaked. I packed up my stuff and left my camp.

Made it a few miles down the road in the dark, and decided to just camp on the side of the road. Seriously looked like a homeless dude. But whatever, it’s better than being eaten alive by a damn panther.

The next day I woke up, realised I set up camp in a spot where everyone who drove by could see me, but didn’t give have a shit, because I was alive, and on my way out of the woods and into civilization.

And what civilization it was. Orlando has got to be one of the most expensive places to live, ever. It costs $12 to skate for two damn hours there! And it takes a million hours to get anywhere because of traffic. Not where I’d want to live.

But the people were awesome, as always. I stayed with my friends from Naples, and they ended up putting me up for a while. As in a week. I wanted to skate a contest in Orlando, but it just didn’t end up happening. I ended up having to leave with them to go to another friend’s 21st birthday. Not that bad, really.

So I stayed in Orlando and skated a few different parks. The Van’s Park, which was overpriced and huge and poorly built. But fun. The Orlando parks built by Team Paine rocked, great flow and just so much speed. Not as good as the St. Augustine park, but good nonetheless.

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