November 11, 2016

If you followed my blog as I rode north from Cape Town, South Africa into Namibia, you’ll understand the quote on this awesome coffee mug that my brother and sister-in-law gave me last night.

Very, very cool. A daily reminder of a highlight of the trip.

The story surrounding this line has been told many times in the past six months, and will be told many more I’m sure. It never fails to get a laugh, at my expense. If you don’t understand such an odd quote, you can read the story here.

November 11, 2016

A friend I met while riding in Poland asked for more info on the electronics I carried with me over the past year, so I thought I’d do a quick review of the items I took, with some additional comments.

Delorme InReach GPS tracker: (5 / 5) We all know that electronics can let you down. They can quit working at the worst time, they can malfunction, they can not work as you thought they would, etc. This tracker is none of those. Of every electronic device I carried with me, this is the one that required NO maintenance (other than charging), no reboot, no complicated setup. And it is the one electronic device I would never leave home on a long journey through remote areas without. I had a Spot tracker before I bought the InReach. Yes, the initial cost is higher. And the monthly subscription fee is higher, if you use it as much as I did (they have several different levels of plans). But the ability to send and receive text messages via satellite from anywhere in the world makes it worth it. It links via bluetooth to your smartphone so you can compose messages on your phone with the qwerty keyboard, then send them using the InReach. No cell service necessary. And as demonstrated by the “Where Am I Now” button on the blog, the included mapping feature is very handy. You don’t have to pay for an annual subscription either: you can pay by the month, and unsubscribe anytime you’re not traveling, then turn it back on again. Great product. An unfortunate downside (in my opinion) is that Garmin recently bought Delorme. Hopefully they will realize that InReach is a superior product, and they won’t reduce it to the Garmin level.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS25 Camera: (4.5 / 5) This was my primary camera for a year on the road. I didn’t take a fancy DSLR or any professional-grade camera equipment, because, quite frankly, I wouldn’t know how to use it if I did. This little point-and-shoot camera worked very well, never failed, and was completely waterproof (it dangled from my wrist in the water as I swam through the Kanba Cave in Guatemala, tubed down the river at Semuc Champey, and swam through Canon de Somoto in Nicaragua). I have since switched to a fancier, more rugged Olympus TG-4, which has amazed me with the quality of the photos it takes.

Samsung Galaxy S3 mobile phone: (3.5 / 5) Ok, this is really a user-preference item and method of travel, but I’ll give a bit of my experience to help you decide what you want to do. Cell service throughout Latin America is pretty good, and free wifi is nearly everywhere. So any phone will likely work. I’ve been an Android guy for a long time, so I just took my Samsung Galaxy S3 with me when I left. It worked great all the way to Panama City, where I got caught in a torrential downpour with the phone in my jacket pocket, and it drowned. I took it apart and let it dry out for a few days, and it came back to life for about another three months, at which point I was in Argentina when it suddenly without warning decided to turn into a paperweight. Totally useless; wouldn’t power on, and I was unable to get anything out of it. I bought a similar Samsung Galaxy Prime (low end, minimal storage capacity) in Argentina, and am still using it today.

My phone acted as a multiple backup plan: backup internet access for research; backup camera for if my primary camera battery was dead or SD card was full; backup gps and map program for when my GPS was either malfunctioning or lying smashed on the floor of a motorcycle shop in Southern Chile; backup keyboard to text via the InReach in remote locations; and oh yes, it worked as a phone as well, although I almost never used it as a phone. Oh, I did use it to play my music through my headset also. Which reminds me: important note: Pandora doesn’t work outside the US, so download music to your phone, or try Spotify.

Keep in mind that the ability to buy and use local SIM cards may influence which phone you decide to take. And be sure your phone is “unlocked” so you can use other SIMs.

T-Mobile cellular plan: (3.8 / 5) There are multiple ways to stay connected while traveling in foreign countries. Many people buy a SIM card when they enter a new country, which allows them to use their phone with a local number while they are there. It’s cheap, quick, and easy, and you can buy additional minutes or data if you need it. Others, like me, use an international plan. Not all international plans are equal, so shop around. When I left home in July 2015, I signed up with T-Mobile on their international plan, which gave me unlimited text and data on their partner networks (they have a coverage map on their website if you search hard enough), and phone calls at twenty cents a minute, for about $60 a month. It worked in nearly every country in Latin America, but only in four countries in Africa. I could have just as easily left home with my Android phone and no plan, since free wifi is nearly everywhere, and used Skype or WhatsApp if I needed to call someone.

Garmin Zumo GPS: (3.5 / 5) I started my trip with a well-used Garmin Zumo that I purchased used from a friend and had used for a year on my Super Tenere. It worked well enough, but after about four months, it began to freeze up. At first, the only way I could get it to reboot was to take the battery out of it, which required a #3 allen wrench. Eventually, I figured out that you can hold the power button and the top left (I think) button down at the same time, and it will reset. The Zumo is waterproof, intended for motorcycle use, and a bit outdated compared to new, more “adventure”-based GPS units. (See below for more details on maps).

Garmin Montana 650 GPS: (4.3 / 5) After an unfortunate incident in southern Chile where my Garmin Zumo finally met it’s end, I installed a Garmin Montana. This is a bit more rugged unit, and has a camera built into it as well. It doesn’t have a lot of the “touring” motorcycle features that the Zumo had (bluetooth connection between GPS and helmet intercom for turn-by-turn spoken directions, bluetooth link between phone, GPS, and headset, ability to store music on the GPS, etc) but you don’t really need any of that stuff. In fact, you don’t really need a stand-alone GPS if you have a good smartphone and Google maps and/0r the Maps.me app.

The Montana never let me down, always worked well (except when it occasionally just shut off for no reason), and got me through three continents.

Open Street Maps for Garmin: (4.8 / 5) If you use a Garmin GPS for international navigation, you’ve probably noticed that Garmin doesn’t sell maps for some countries, and/or the maps they do sell are sorely lacking for detail. Not only that, but why would you buy maps when you can get custom ones for free? It takes a few minutes to learn to use the request form properly, but you can get maps with great details that you can load directly onto your Garmin GPS for free from OpenStreetMaps. I did buy a set of gps maps for Africa from Tracks4Africa which had good details on the smaller roads. As I mentioned earlier, Maps.me and OsmAnd are two great apps for your smartphone that allow you to download maps when you have wifi, then use them offline.

Rowe PDM60 power distribution module: (4.8 / 5) A piece of equipment that isn’t chrome, or pretty, but extremely functional. This business-card-sized box works as a circuit breaker for up to six accessory circuits, eliminating the need to have fuses all over your bike. It’s programmable for different circuit capacities (total capacity is 60 amps), and also can be set to delay powering up your accessories for several seconds after turning the key on, which allows all of the battery power to be used to start the bike first. If something trips a breaker, simply turn the key off and back on to reset the PDM60. Completely waterproof and easy to install. I have one on each of my bikes now.

Powerlet 12v outlets: (4 / 5) These are a great way to add 12v power outlets to the bike. I put one on the front of the bike that I then connected to my tank bag so I could charge my iPad and phone inside the tank bag. On the big bike, I have one at the front for the tank bag, and another below the seat, which I can use to power heated riding gear, or a passenger can use it for the same, or to charge a phone. These have the “BMW” type socket and plug, allowing for a tighter connection that just a cigarette-lighter type of plug. I never had a problem with the socket, but I did have a couple of the plugs fail.

Powerlet tank bag through-put: (4.5 / 5) This uses a SAE-type connector that allows me to have power inside my tank bag, yet quickly disconnect it for fueling or to carry the bag away. Inside the tank bag I have a dual USB connector for charging electronics.

Sena SMH10 Bluetooth Headset: (4.5 / 5) Always worked. After a year, the contacts between the headset module and the helmet mount became a bit wide, and I had to move the module around a bit to get good contact otherwise I’d lose sound in one speaker. Simple controls and easy to operate even with heavy winter gloves. The bass in the speakers isn’t great, but the newer models are better. 

February 1, 2017

Before ever leaving on my travels, my good friend Tom and I rode together across much of the western United States. On that trip, on a different, much larger motorcycle, I experienced failure of a couple of electronic accessories I had installed. We began to joke that for the “big trip”, the ultimate setup would be an air-cooled motorcycle and paper maps, thus eliminating most if not all of the electronics.

Recently Tom gave me what I consider the coolest gift ever.

60mm folding pocket sundial. SO cool.

I love my pocket sundial. I carry it everywhere. It’s fun to show people — first asking them if they know what it is, then showing them how it works. And it’s amazingly accurate.

To make it even better, it came with a gift card that read “You are the only person I know who could use this.”

Thanks Tom.

April 2, 2017

Hard to believe it was eleven months ago that I was in Tanzania, on my way to Ngorongoro Crater, a highlight of my travels. Since the National Parks in Tanzania wisely do not allow motorcyclists to ride through the parks — because I look like a large hors d’oeuvre to the wildlife (“tastes like chicken”) — I needed to find a place to leave the bike and my gear while catching a safari tour to the crater.

A popular camping spot for the safari trucks that come from further away is a place called Snake Park, just west of Arusha. Perhaps a poor choice of name for people who desire to sleep on the ground. Nonetheless I rode to Snake Park, and made a loop through the campground. There were a couple of safari trucks there, and a large lawn for pitching the many tents that safari-goers sleep in. Aside from that, there wasn’t much for amenities, and very little shade.

Okay, I find myself laughing, and mocking myself at the mention of “amenities” in Africa. There is a large chasm between the ultra-expensive safari lodges, and the places that I camp; many lodges in Africa can easily run $300 to $600US per night. That is obviously not in my budget. I generally paid around $8 a night to camp, or as much as $15 a night for a room.

Not far before I arrived at Snake Park, I passed a place on the opposite side of the road called Meserani Oasis. It was the only place for many miles that had a lot of trees, and it sat behind a walled compound. So I decided to head back a few miles and see what was behind the wall.

When I pulled up to the gate, a gentleman opened the gate and welcomed me in. I rode in and parked the bike, and was met by a mzungu (white guy) who was clearly American. It felt strange to speak to another American after so long. He told me that his mother-in-law owned the lodge, and he and his wife had moved back to Tanzania to be with Mama. I soon met Mama, a lovely woman who spoke perfect english and went out of her way to make me comfortable, even though I was the only guest at that time. Yes, she had campsites under the trees, but for just a few dollars more I could have a private room with a shared bath (and no one to share it with). So I took a room for several nights and inquired about a tour to Ngorongoro. Mama made a few phone calls and was able to book me into a safari tour that would pass by Meserani in the morning and pick me up.

Meserani is a full lodge, with a restaurant and bar, and although I was the only guest, they still cooked dinner for me each night I was there, and breakfast in the morning. I sat in the restaurant at dinner time, and spoke with Mama while she watched television. It was amusing to me that she was watching “Cops” each night…I squirmed a bit thinking that her view of Americans was from a show about redneck trailer trash criminals.

That’s when I learned that Mama had a much more complete view of my country (as did many people I met in Africa). She had another daughter who lived in the United States, and she had traveled to the U.S. to visit her.

“Where?”, I asked.

“Texas”, she replied.

“Really!? Where in Texas?”

“Near Austin.” I was nearly speechless.

“Where near Austin?”

“A small town outside of Austin.”

This was getting weird. Here I was on the opposite side of the world, in the opposite hemisphere, having dinner with a total stranger, who had a daughter living very near me. It turns out her daughter lived about 15 miles from where I was living before I left on my trip.

Before I left Meserani Oasis to head for Nairobi, I asked Mama for contact information for her daughter. She gave me a phone number, and I tucked it into my tank bag.

Mama at Meserani Oasis Lodge. One amazing woman. I haven’t even told the story about how she moved here on her own from a completely different part of Tanzania, bought this land from the Masaai, built this place on her own, and planted every one of the hundreds of trees herself. Truly an inspiration. And pay attention to the chicken in the background of the photo…it’s going to re-emerge in Texas later in this story.

Seven months later, and back in Texas, I was digging through my tank bag one day and found a small slip of paper with a phone number on it. So I called Patricia.

“Hello?”

“Hi Patricia. This is going to sound strange, but last May I was riding my motorcycle through Tanzania and I met your mother.”

“Yes. I’ve been expecting your call!”

We talked for a while, and I promised I’d stop by to meet her and her husband and kids soon.

A few weeks ago, I received a text message from Patricia, inviting me to their home for a social gathering they were having that afternoon. So I headed out, armed with photos of me and Mama.

What a great time. Patricia and John are great people, very much like Mama. Very welcoming, very down-to-earth, and with an incredible family. We had a good visit, and I promised to return and take Patricia for a ride in the sidecar.

John & Patricia. Great people. Note the chicken….look familiar? Turns out when Mama came to visit Patricia in Texas, she saw this chicken and said “I have to have one!” So when she returned to Tanzania, she had her son-in-law build her one.

Patricia and Patricio. I’ll be back soon with the sidecar!

Sitting on their back patio on a warm Central Texas afternoon, looking across the yard at a Land Rover parked in the drive, I couldn’t help but feel like I was back in Africa. Surrounded by friendly people. Ready to see what’s around the next bend.

I hope to see Mama Margaret again some day….maybe in Texas, maybe in Tanzania. In the meantime, I’ve got a great reminder of my days spent in Tanzania right up the road.

April 16, 2018

Meet Madeleine, aka Missrider. Retired teacher, long-time motorcycle traveler, cancer survivor, and self-described “Adventuress”.

Missrider, happy to finally be in warmer climes and on her XT250.

Madeleine has already traveled much of the US, and from Alaska to Panama on a much larger motorcycle. She recently left her New England home on the next leg of her RTW trip on a Yamaha XT250, which, not coincidentally, looks quite a bit like my XT250. Somehow, a friend of Madeleine’s found my blog, and passed it on to her, and she was able to use it to help prepare her XT for long-distance travel. She emailed me while I was still traveling, and we discussed setup and various tidbits.

I continue to be amazed at how people like Madeleine find my blog, and I am thrilled when they reach out to tell me about their trips and planning. I have been honored to contribute in some small way to the planning and prep for travelers like David from New York, who rode to Peru on his XT250; Shridhar from the San Francisco Bay Area, who toured Africa on an XT250; Charlie and Janet from New Zealand, who rode their matching XT250s around the world from Vladivostok, Russia west to London, then shipped them to Canada and rode across the US before shipping home from Los Angeles. There are many more XT250 travelers out there, proving that it is possible to do a Round-The-World or other long-distance ride much more economically than most think.

Madeleine had intended to leave on her trip more than two years ago, but was seriously sidetracked by a cancer diagnosis. Now, much later than planned but having kicked cancer’s butt, she is finally on her way. She serves as an inspiration to others with serious health issues: Even though her cancer treatment devastated her physically and emotionally, she remained focused on her ride, as a way of keeping her spirits up and setting future goals. She was determined that she was going to do this trip. And now she is.

I got to meet her last week when she passed through Texas on her way to the west coast and then overseas. Spending time talking with Madeleine about her bike, her route, her plans, etc was great motivation for the next leg of my travels. I always learn something from every traveler that comes through, and Missrider was no different. Even with the same bike, and her using mine as a guide for prep, she of course had her own ideas on how to do things. And after living on my XT250 for a year, I still learned a couple of handy tips from her on packing. When you carry your whole life with you on a small motorcycle, you are always learning better ways to pack as well as things to carry and things not to carry.

Me and Madeleine in front of the historic Fischer Hall in Texas, with our nearly-matching 250cc RTW bikes.

In anticipation of Madeleine’s arrival, I pulled out my XT250, which has only been ridden a couple of short times since it was shipped home from Europe in July 2016. I decided I would go through it, and make sure it was in good running order, in case I had the chance to ride with Madeleine on her way through.

I charged the battery, changed the oil, checked the air filter and replaced the spark plug. For only the third time in 32,000 miles, I checked the valve clearances, and had to adjust the exhaust valve just slightly (it was slightly tight; the intake valve was still spot-on). I decided while I had it on the worklift to do a compression test, to see just how tired the little air-cooled 250cc single was after spending nearly half of its’ time off-road and through 34 different countries on four continents.

Standard compression on the XT250 is 175psi. My XT250 currently has 170psi.

I was a bit shocked, to say the least. And amazed. This little bike just keeps purring along. I attribute the durability and longevity to several things I did along the way: first and foremost, I changed the front sprocket to a 16 tooth (up one tooth from stock), allowing the engine to not work so hard at 55mph. I also used a spark plug that was one heat range colder. I used synthetic or semi-synthetic oil every time I could find it, and always changed the oil at 3,000 mile intervals. And I did my best to not ride faster than 55-60mph, even though the bike will go faster (this is actually easier than it sounds outside of the US, as average speeds in many countries are closer to 35mph). All of these things combined have helped make this an extremely economical and reliable long-distance tourer.

I hope Madeleine’s XT out-performs mine, and she returns home with way more miles on the odometer (she has 80,000 miles on her Triumph Bonneville already, so she knows how to do it).

I’ll be checking in on Missrider’s journey regularly, and cheering her on. And I’m looking forward to the next traveler on a little bike that passes through this way.

September 21, 2018

Around 55 years ago, when Honda was just getting started selling motorcycles in the United States, they came up with a brilliant advertising slogan: “You meet the nicest people on Honda”.  The idea was to make motorcycles and motorcycling appealing to the general public: families, students, housewives, etc.

Decades later, motorcycling has come together more than ever in the United States. Thirty years ago, it wasn’t unusual for a rider on a Japanese motorcycle to pass a Harley Davidson going the other direction, and neither would wave. Today, nearly all motorcyclists wave to each other as they pass on the highways and backroads of this country.

When I returned from my long ride in 2016, I said half jokingly that I now have more friends in other countries than in the United States. I was amazed at the overall friendliness of people around the world towards a complete stranger, simply because I was “out of place”…an odd duck on a small motorcycle.

Flash back: In 2014, one year before I began my journey, I met two motorcyclists from Poland at a campground in Texas. We spoke for maybe 15 minutes. Two years later I met them again when I rode through Poland. At that time they hosted me and I spent a week riding with their friends and relatives throughout southwestern Poland. Two of the people I met in Poland were Marcin and Ela. They rode their Suzuki V-strom with me for several days.

Poland 2016. Marcin is on the far right. Ela took this photo

Flash forward: Marcin and Ela have arrived in the States and are preparing for their “Ride Across America”. We are riding together again, this time through the western US. They flew to Texas from Poland and I picked them up from the airport. They spent a couple of days with me before we all headed out.

With Ela, their first morning in the States.

Headed Out

Somewhere on the road…Arizona? Utah?

They are headed to Canada. Ela has done a great deal of research about the American West and has a list of destinations we are visiting. I am amazed and embarrassed that this young woman from the other side of the world, who is shy about speaking English, knows more about my country’s regional history than I do.

Marcin & Ela, Mesa Verde, Colorado

This might win the prize for the most overloaded GS I’ve seen since Argentina. This couple had their dog in the black bag on top of the right pannier, a Yeti cooler on top of the left pannier, huge speakers mounted in the front of each pannier, fuel bottles on both sides in the front, a Rotopax water can on the outside of the right pannier, and a Rotopax gas can on the outside of the left pannier, and just generally a lot of stuff. But hey, everyone has their own amount of “stuff” that is “right” for their needs. I didn’t even have panniers. The big yellow bag on the back of my bike is all of my camping and cooking gear and a camp chair, same as on my RTW trip. All of my clothes fit in my tank bag. That’s basically all I took.

While stopped for lunch, we stumbled onto nine more Polish riders. They were riding from Chicago to L.A. on Route 66 on Harleys. This is a very common “bucket list” item for Europeans. Wearing the “Polska” vests made it easy to connect with other Polish riders and tourists.

Canyon X, near Page, Arizona

Monument Valley, Utah

Honda had it right years ago. But in the larger examination of it, you meet kindred spirits when you travel on a motorcycle. They may not all be travelers, or even motorcyclists. Some are dreamers, some are looking back on their experiences, and some are simply curious. But they all share the common trait of friendliness…of wanting to learn your story and share theirs.

Note: This article was originally published on Connie McBride’s website simplysailing.com, which is no longer active. I am posting the article here with credit to the author.

September 14, 2015
We had only owned a cruising boat for two months. She was sitting at a local Ma and Pa marina, waiting for us to have the time and money to tackle the multi-page To Do list. We still owned a house, two cars, and literally tons of crap we wouldn’t be taking with us. I was still under a teaching contract. Cruising had never seemed further away that October in 2000 as we listened to Lin and Larry Pardey offer their advice to an auditorium of would-be cruisers. When Lin asked how many people planned to leave to go cruising in 5 years, I expected Dave to raise his hand. When he didn’t, I wasn’t surprised when he also remained motionless in response to “Three years?” I assumed this meant that we were landlocked for MORE than five years, a perfectly reasonable scenario, considering the lists clogging up my brain. So I was struck completely mute (a rarity for me, trust me) when she asked “18 months?” and Dave raised his hand. When my temporary shock-induced silence lifted, I whispered, “18 months? What the hell are you talking about?” He glanced at my worried face and asked, “Why not?” I took a deep breath to prepare myself for the lengthy explanation that I was about to spew, when my eye caught the glares from our neighbors. I vowed to continue this discussion after the seminar.

But at some point in the next few hours, Lin inadvertently supported Dave’s claim in the examples she presented and the confidence she spread throughout the room. On our drive home, Dave completed his argument with a succinct, “If we say we are leaving in 18 months, we will leave in 18 months. If we say we need five years to be ready to go, it will take us five years. I don’t have five years of the rat race left in me. We’ll be ready in 18 months.” We sailed away from land life 20 months later.
Last week Dave was reading a non-sailing blog and mentioned a post titled “The Problems with a 5-Year Plan.” I didn’t read the post, but the title started a discussion about the people we have met over the years who “plan to do what you’re going in 5 (or 10 or 15) years:” when they “finish” the boat (the boat will never be “finished”), when they have enough money (there’s never “enough” for some people), or when they retire. Some of you may be nodding your head, thinking, “Oh yeah! That’s us! Can’t wait to sail away in ____ years.” If you’re counting your departure date in years rather than months, you’re running a hell of a risk of not ever getting to follow your dreams. Here’s why.

Whatever your adventure dream may be (sailing away, RVing through the States, backpacking through Europe) there is very likely nothing preventing your following these dreams in less than two years IF you really want to and are not just talking the talk. (Which is fine, too, as long as you’re not lying to yourself or your unsuspecting spouse about the fact that you like dreaming more than doing.) Waiting for the kids to move out? WHY? Take them with you. Waiting to save enough money? Downsize, sell, go with what you have and see what happens. Waiting to get out of debt? You may find it’s easier once you get away from your normal life. Waiting for all your little duckies to be in a row? Those damn ducks are ALWAYS going to waddle around in circles, so give it up. Leave in a boat that’s not perfect, an RV with rust and dings, throw your stuff in patched backpacks and GO. A lot of the criteria that you feel MUST be met before you can begin your adventure are only necessary in your own mind. Step one is deciding that you do truly want to go, and then making it happen. I didn’t say it would be EASY to go sooner rather than later. But you are definitely more likely to GO if you find a way to go NOW.

One of the dangers of setting a “begin your adventure” goal for five years or more in the future is the likelihood of running out of steam. If you have 12 months to get a “needs some work” boat ready to sail away, you are going to have to work your butt off for those 12 months. But if you have 5 years, meh, you’ve got time. Take the weekend off. Go fishing with your buddies. Watch the game. Have another beer. (Do you see where this is going?) Five years is a long damn time to wait to do something you supposedly REALLY want to do. It’s easy to see how people just lose momentum and not only aren’t ready to go in 5 years, but NEVER get to do what they said they wanted to do.

When you have only a few months to prepare for your adventure, every waking moment is spent planning, scheming, working, dreaming, organizing, pushing toward that goal. It is always within sight, you are always almost there, your attention doesn’t have time to wander and your enthusiasm never wavers. If you put a carrot too far from a horse, he really doesn’t give a shit that it’s there at all. It’s no incentive to him. But place that same vegetable just out of his reach, and he’ll work harder than either of you thought possible.

The saddest danger of the five-year plan is that something will happen that will prevent you from EVER being able to fulfill your dreams. Relationships change: you divorce your best crew member or marry one who doesn’t share your dream. Kids grow up and aren’t quite as independent as you had hoped. Grandkids enter your life and tug your heart in an unexpected direction. Your job situation changes: you lose the cash cow that was supposed to finance the dream or you get a promotion you feel you just can’t walk away from. Your parents become ill and require more of your time, energy, and presence, or they pass away and leave you with a mess to sort through. Worst of all, is the risk of your own health deteriorating to the point of preventing you from being able to live your dream life. Or death knocks on your spouse’s door. Or your door. And poof, game over. No redos.

I’m a planner, a list-maker, an organizer, AND a dreamer. Dave says the combination doesn’t make sense because life never turns out the way you expect it to anyway. Reality never matches the plans. So why not spend more time DOING, working toward the dreams you have, setting reasonable, attainable goals, and GOING. Wherever it is you dream of going, however you dream of getting there, whatever you dream of doing, you’d better get started NOW. Waiting five years is just too dangerous.