Re: First "long" ride
 

Congratulations! Sounds like you're doing everything right. I remember a lot of my "firsts", and they can be scary, but exhilarating at the same time. Like Pete Seeger used to say: "Take it easy, but take it.".

Re: First "long" ride
 

My wife just started riding after taking the MSF course, too, and she said the same thing. Watching her from my bike, it looks like she's all confidence. Then, we stop and she's shaking and like "Wow, going 50 miles per hour is so scary!" It's just a matter of time and practice. Just don't jump off the deep end. Work your way up gradually into more and more traffic and difficult situations.

And congrats on the first cruise!