All good in theory, I know... How do I go about doing this? To be honest I still don’t know, there is so much in the air. Yet I have come a long way. After looking at weather, alternate transportation, logistics, goals and timing ( oh yes its always the timing that messes you about), I decided that Dallas (Denton) to New Orleans would be my journey.
The weather anywhere else ie through Missouri, Tennessee, Arizona and so many other places could see some times that would stop progress, something I cannot afford. It would also require so much more expertise and equipment something I am time-wise and financially insufficient to properly change. Australia is cold, but not icy nor snowy. Not all back roads would be safe with a bike loaded up with weight and me being traveling solo on.
Alternative transportation was found in Amtrak, with most of their trains being able to accommodate transportation of bikes. This runs via the path I am intending to take, so if bad things go down I will not be entirely stranded and require excessive funds to rectify. I was also apprehensive of how I would get my bike to LAX cheaply, to send it on its way to its new home in Oz. Once again found in a 48hr Amtrak journey that I have booked already.
Logistics are still worrying, as a natural hoarder, I have accumulated various pieces of memorabilia and as I once was a nimble backpacker, am now a traveling version of Imelda Marcos (shoes accumulate so quickly). Getting my bike and required equipment to its starting point have been sorted through my roommate being a Texas local and taking the bike back during Christmas break. One of my headaches averted, cheers John. But with the rest my valued possessions, of which my mum calls ‘crap’ back home, I could lug that on my poor bike. So I devised a strategy to fly to LA and find somebody who could hold it for me in LA and not pawn it out, I could have just shipped it there but going to LA will be just as cost-effective and heaps more fun. I’ll still have too much weight, so I must get to the scales and send back what I need to via international postman.
Time will tell with other logistics, such as how reliable Google Maps will be in planning out my bicycle route? This may be blind faith, but google knows everything so it surely cant send me down a road where I may potentially damage my bike, get robbed or perish... Can it? I have only been explained the synopsis of the movie Deliverance, but please guide me well god and google maps.
The other one of where I will stay, its exciting but daunting. Exciting in the sense I want to be staying in amongst the heart of a local place seeing how its heart beats, but daunted in the sense of how to approach it. If you have any suggestions please comment or send me a message (go on a more sensible trip will be appreciated but not really considered).
The equipment is also a major concern, I am not a bike mechanic, never have been apart from changing tires (such a major skill)? Is the equipment that I have purchased online quality and able to perform its function. Will I even get that equipment? Well that may be sorted after stressful online ordering. I saved a ridiculous amount of money but processing was so poorly handled and communicated with my order. 3 weeks after I gave them my Aus credit card details they inform me they must ship it to this billing address, so I arranged a friend’s credit card of which they took the details and then didnt charge out the order. Then after giving them the card a 2nd time, there was no confirmation and I rang up again, this time the lady telling me I had to put through an entire new order. They finally put through my order with one sweet lady and she put expedited my shipping for free. I think I may have aged worse than a crack addict, jokes aside I want my order! Sorry for my little consumer review rant but seriously.
So many other things still up in the air but you can only plan so much, the rest you need to change accordingly.
I have spent 5 weeks down in San Anton region, where I was welcomed and cared for by the Lammerts. I turned 18 whilst I was down there and also wisened-up to how limited we really control in our lives. This doesnt mean I dont try and control things, I learned that you need to position yourself in the right flow and then work with that and take what comes. “Pffft he is talking crap you say”, you are probably right but it makes sense to me. So my goal is to see the Lammerts again, along with the good people in La Grange and Austin. I love Texas, there are stark differences yet similarities with Australia more so than other states I guess. Louisiana is unknown to me, but I guess my primary objective is to go down there and help Troy of ‘Swamp People’ find ‘red eye’ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KzeYrjfN9s). I can hear the Bayou carrin mah nemm.
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