You know that quote that says “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” For me, cycle touring is the classic example of that.
When you are away from home for months, or even years on end, you seldom step back and view the trip as a whole, as an epic adventure, instead, what you notice, what you remember are the multitudes of constituent parts, and in particular the things that make a difference are often the small, things.
Cycling in a skirt 