Within the next year, possibly year and a half, I am going to leave, here. I want to leave for more than two weeks, but no more than one month, during a moderately warm season. I want to travel by motorcycle. I have no destination, though I know I don’t want to stay in any one place for more than 48 hours, and I don’t want to remain in Oregon. I also don’t want to have to utilize a hotel or motel, but that is negotiable.
I know that there are certain things that I don’t want to bring on my journey. They are as follows:
- A companion
- My computer
- My suitcase
I also know that there are certain things that I will bring on my journey. They are as follows:
- My backpack
- A tank bag (A small bag that fastens to the fuel tank of a motorcycle)
- A small tool kit
- My iPhone
- Two changes of clothes, not including the clothing and riding gear I will be wearing upon departure
- A tooth brush
- Tooth paste
- Deodorant
- A digital camera
- A journal
- My Headphones
- My wallet
- My knife
- A flashlight
- My sleeping bag
There are of course logistics I have to consider before I embark on my journey.
To start with, there are the financial issues. I will not be leaving with the intensions of not returning, thus I will have to make preparations for what I am leaving behind and will ultimately come back to. I will be taking a month off from whatever work I will be doing at that time, so saving enough scratch before the journey will be neccesary. I will have to make sure my rent for that month is paid, my credit card bills get paid, my cell phone bill is paid, and my utilities are taken care of. That covers the finances I will be leaving behind.
As for the trip itself, I will need to save enough money to cover fuel and food, “lodging” money for camping or a motel or some other place I may need to pay for to stay at, alcohol money for any bars and taverns I visit, money for small miscellaneous items like batteries, and an amount for emergencies such as motorcycle repairs or medical needs.
I mentioned that I would not be working during my journey, so making preparations with my place of employment could also prove to be an obstacle, but, I’ll cross that road when I come to it.
There are also relationships to deal with: my family, my friends, and my girlfriend. My family would miss me, but they would understand. My friends would again miss me, but probably less so if I leave the keys to my home behind, and allow them to sleep there on drunk nights when driving home is not an option. My girlfriend would be the difficult relationship to deal with. She would no doubt find it odd that I want to leave alone, for a month, by myself, and she would miss me, as I would also miss her; tremendously. That’s not to say I wouldn’t also miss my friends and family, but those relationships are easier to depart from for upwards of a month; a romantic relationship is generally more difficult to leave for long periods of time, as it is usually with a person who you see more often than anyone else. I’m sure she would understand though, once I gave her my reasoning, and assured her it had nothing to do with her in particular.
And it doesn’t. I am not avoiding anyone, per se. I am, rather, avoiding everyone.
I’ve traveled to many parts of this country, but always with people and with an agenda and with a destination. I want to see things I have never seen before, and I want to see them by chance, I want to experience them naturally, and I want to learn from them organically.
I don’t want to have to answer to anyone. Not forever, just for upwards of a month; I would like for every decision I make to be uninfluenced by anyone else.
I want to leave behind as many material things as possible. I am a very material person, and I think it would do me well to leave as many of my materials behind. I will bring my iPhone because I would like to be able to call my family, friends, and girlfriend whenever I please, and let them know how I am doing, and find out how they are doing. It also contains maps, and the ability to blog and Twitter, which I would like to be able to use on my journey.
I have a lot of planning left to do, and even more money saving before this desire of mine becomes a reality, but it’s going to happen. And it’s going to be fantastic.
