Everyone has something in life that they want to do. You want to speak Japanese. You want to learn to fly a plane. You want to climb Kilimanjaro.
Many people like to state this want, but usually the ratio of wants stated to wants actually achieved is quite low. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, because we only have a set amount of time in the day and we have to prioritize. So most people state many more wants than they ever hope to achieve.
A friend of mine once told me that of all the people she knows, I was most likely to actually go through with all the crazy things I said I wanted to do. If I said I wanted to spend at least a year traveling overland through eastern Africa, she believed me. And that’s exactly what I did after graduation.
Yesterday, I crossed a major bridge for another one of my wants. A couple of years ago, I decided I wanted to learn to ride a motorcycle. So I did, from a friend in Ethiopia. Then I started thinking about the possibility of riding a motorcycle from London to southern Africa, via West Africa. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it (for a variety of reasons). So I got my motorcycle license, I talked to everyone and anyone about long overland trips for advice, and I started to accumulate gear. Saturday, I bought my first bike.
I am now the proud new owner of a KLR 650. I got it used for a good price not too far from Cambridge (with the help of a friend who told me everything I need to know about buying a used bike and registering it etc. in the UK). I have the whole year to play around on it, before I try to convince people to come with me on yet another ridiculous trip through western Europe and West Africa. I want to move back to Africa (Kenya or Zambia probably), but I want my own set of wheels this time. And what better way to have them than to drive them down there myself?
October 20, 2010 at 10:15 am
Nice Bike, come to think of it i never really came to a position were i would be satisfied of the things that i wanted before, as time goes and after i have achieved what i wanted i wouldn’t be that satisfied or impressed so as always i would think of something else or more challenging to go for and start working on it. anyway goodluck with your trip and as you said it kindof sound crazy but also fun…. enjoy your trip 😀
October 20, 2010 at 9:16 pm
Two of my friends are also going to be traveling the world via motorcycles. They are researching info now so I think you guys should connect. They are both awesome and definitely here to play.
Send me an email and I’ll make introductions and good luck!
October 21, 2010 at 4:02 am
you sure that’s a good color?
October 21, 2010 at 11:09 am
i like the color! partially because my favorite color is green. and partially because the brighter the bike is, the more likely people are to notice me (and thus not hit me)!
October 21, 2010 at 4:46 am
That’s going to be a long ride on a 250cc offroader :p
However, talk about timing. I just bought my first bike as well!
October 21, 2010 at 11:10 am
it’s a 650cc 🙂 which is quite a bit better.
that’s awesome! what’d you get? and do you want to bike through western europe / west africa with me? we can have a repeat of addis to nairobi!
October 21, 2010 at 8:40 pm
I see a bike like that on the road and I kind of expect it to be ridden by Kermit The Frog. People will confuse you for a traffic control device!
October 23, 2010 at 2:42 am
Jackie I’d love to go on this want with you! *Putting on my serious face and going used bike shopping* (oh, but i need a bike licence–>lesson first!)
October 25, 2010 at 10:02 pm
i will come if i get this sidecar