July 15, 2016

I have several topics that I still need to post from my last year’s travels, so there will be a number of updates on this blog during my “intermission” from my journey, though they may be sporadic and random. I’m working on a “review” and rating of all the equipment I used over the last year, so those preparing for a similar trip may find more useful info while deciding what to take with them.

I’ll also do a bit more analysis of what I spent and where along the way (and a comparison between the expense of taking the 250 versus my 1200 — more than just fuel cost, it includes shipping costs, carnet costs, maintenance costs, etc). This is not intended to advocate the small bike, but rather to show unbiased numbers, and allow those with larger bikes to have accurate information on the cost of taking their bike on a similar trip.

One of my readers, Jordan in New York City, sent me this link to a Sam Harris presentation on YouTube. You may have to listen to his words more than once…or maybe it’s necessary to have lived it the way I did for the past year to really understand and appreciate how accurately he describes the experience of “living” in the present versus a daily existence focused on the wrong things.

You may find it “new age” or too much of a “feel good” talk, but if you have a desire to see the world and experience different cultures, the most difficult part for most people is letting go of the commitments to daily life. Many of these perceived commitments aren’t real once you examine them. They are simply the choices you made previously, which can be altered, adjusted, or changed completely once you commit to a different lifestyle. Taking that giant first step — the leap from being committed to a job, a mortgage, a daily routine, to being completely free of all of those things — can be frightening, until you do it and look back and realize how liberating and life-changing it can be. On the other hand, it isn’t necessary to make such radical changes if you don’t want to; you can still have these experiences and maintain much of your present existence with a little extra planning.

Dare to dream. More importantly, really dare to make your dreams a reality.

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