No Hablo Tour
For weeks I had been engaged in a mental wrestling match between what logic was telling me I shouldn’t do, and the restless need I felt to do it. I was stuck in a viscous cycle of confidence and certainty followed shortly by doubt and waffling. Wanting to do something as seemingly irresponsible, ill advised, and life altering as selling everything you own, choosing to be homeless, and riding off into the sunset is not a decision one makes lightly… or at least not a decision I could make lightly.
I knew I was losing my job, but I wasn’t just losing my job… I was losing my job during the greatest economic downturn since the great depression. Yet I had a burning desire to sell everything I owned and use the money gallivanting around the country on my motorcycle. The smart, rational, and responsible thing to do would have been to save my money and pray I found another job before it ran out.
During the height of my crisis of conviction I happened to pick up a well-worn Aerostich catalog. Normally, I don’t “read” the Aerostich catalog, I flip through it, look at the pictures of gear I can never afford, and make mental wish lists. However, on this particular occasion I happened to open the catalog to a page with the following passage:
“To be truly challenging, a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest.
“…. I’ve always wanted to sail to the South Seas, but I can’t afford it.”
What these men can’t afford is not to go. They are enmeshed in the cancerous discipline of security. And in the worship of security we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine. And before we know it our lives are gone.
What does a man need, really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat and shelter, six feet to lie down in - and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That’s all, in the material sense, and we know it. But we are brain washed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention from the sheer idiocy of the charade.
The years thunder by. The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed.
Where, then, lies the answer? In choice. Which shall it be: bankruptcy of purse or bankruptcy of life?”
That was it, I was going. I never questioned my decision again… the Aerostich catalog had changed my life. I don’t know what it says about a person when life altering decisions are made based on the words found in a motorcycle accessories catalog… but I have absolutely no doubt that I made the right choice. I’ve decided that the means the Universe found to give me that last little nudge I needed shouldn’t be judged. The message, not the messenger, is what’s important.
So now, after living my dream of wandering nowhere in particular and everywhere in general, I find myself in the very same predicament. A serious life decision is to be made, except this time everything has already been sold, I’m already homeless, and my savings account is not quite as robust as it once was. Should I save the remaining money I had budgeted for supporting my USA trip and head back into the “real world” of cubicles, recycled air, and TPS reports?… or do I cement for myself a firm foundation of financial unrest and spend the remaining money extending my trip? Again, the smart, responsible thing to do would be to save the money and head straight to the unemployment office… but, I’ve never been accused of being smart… so bankruptcy of purse it is!
On January 18th I will be heading south towards the Mexican border and I will continue riding south through Central America until I start to run out of money or I reach the Darien Gap… whichever comes first. I know I don’t have enough money to finance a trip all the way into South America and back, but I’m fairly certain that I have enough to get me to Panama and back. That means seven new countries await me and my trusty FZ6 (eight if I decide to enter Belize).
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Some quick facts about my trip:
- Like my last trip, I have no pre-determined end date, just a budget. I expect the trip to last three to six months if neither my bike nor I need anything major.
- I have no pre-planned route. This trip is about direction (south) rather than a specific destination. I’ve researched places I should attempt to avoid for safety reasons, but other than that I’m riding by the seat of my Rev-it pants.
- I’ve decided to not do any camping this time… it is largely ill-advised, especially for women traveling alone.
- I speak very little almost no Spanish. This is a sad statement given the fact that I was born and raised in California… but I have been cramming the past couple of months and I’m certain that my most used phrase will be “no entiendo.”
My goals for this trip:
- Honestly, my only goal for this trip is to not set any goals. On my cross country trip I achieved every goal I had set for myself except for one: I never made it to Alaska. Despite everything else I had achieved, I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of disappointment because I never made it to Alaska and failed to earn the Iron Butt Associations Tour Master Traveler Gold Award. This time I’m not placing any expectations on myself or my journey. No expectations = no disappointment. Although I have no official “goals,” I do have some ambitions… to ride great roads, see amazing things, meet interesting people, and learn some Spanish.
I will be taking my SPOT messenger with me again, so everyone can follow along here: my SPOT Tracks
Of course I’m also taking my laptop and camera with me so I can keep the ride report going. I’m not sure how frequently I will have an opportunity to get online, but I will try to post as often as possible. From what I’ve read, I can guesstimate that I will be able to find internet access at least every 2-3 days.
I have acquired a little handheld HD video camera for the trip, so… if uploading isn’t too terribly slow and painful, I hope to also provide some video clips this time. I have created a YouTube Channel where I will be posting all of my videos.
That sums up the nuts and bolts of the trip. Lets hope that Mark Twain was right when he said that all you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure… because I’ve got ignorance and confidence in spades!
