Still not afraid

Thanks to my dear friend Andrena for this photo. I wish we could hang out for real sometime :-).

I have about 1.5 months left with a steady, well paid job. And still no idea what I will do next. Where the money for my rent and bills will come from. And yet, I am still not afraid. Not even a little bit nervous.

To be honest, I don't even want to think about it at this point. My mind is still too occupied with my current job to be able to make the right decision. What I have started to do though, is plan my trip. I've been reading travel journals of motorcyclists. Like "All the gear. No idea" of an English woman who traveled through India. By herself. On a motorcycle she bought there after she had just gotten her license in England. I admit that my balls aren't even half as big as hers. And as much as I think that India must be fascinating and I love the hospitality of the people, I need something less crowded and a place where I don't stick out that much. And of course, a place where I can ride on roads that won't force me into a shop every other day and won't get me killed that fast.

Now I'm reading a book about a motorcyle trip across the US. That's more what I want to do. And I love how this guy writes about riding. How he describes the feeling of sitting on your bike, the road ahead, nowhere else to be. Absolute freedom. While I know that doing this trip in a car, maybe even a small SUV, would be so much more comfortable especially once I reach rainier regions and also cheaper if I sleep in the car, it would just not be the same. Nothing compares to being on the road, you and your bike, enjoying every single mile. (Haha, I sound like such a dude...). It's not so much running away from something. Quite the opposite. I know I will not only find new friends and make lots of exciting, scary, good and also not so good experiences but I will get to know myself so much better and learn how to rely on others more and ask for help. The latter will be challenging. It's so much easier to pay for a hotel, have your own room and privacy after a long day on the road instead of meeting strangers for the first time who kindly offered their guest room or couch to you. And talk to them about the trip and yourself. And worse, feel indebted to them. On the other hand, on my last trip I found myself talking to many of the Innkeepers or fellow travelers and I do feel that I have enough to offer in return for hospitality.

In a nutshell, I can't wait to finally leave and be on the road. For at least two months or for however long it will take!