England

When Will You Be “Ready”? 

June 2010, two weeks until departure. As a master of procrastination, I have, yet again, managed to stare through a computer monitor all day, sipped through gallons of tea and still don’t feel ready to leave. It’s my first ever bike tour and, in my defence, I am unsure whether cycling around the world is something you can ever prepare for. From the comfort of a suburban family home in central England it’s hard to imagine the November climate of Uzbekistan or barren landscapes of the Peruvian Andes, let alone know how to prepare for them. Beneath a giant map of the world labelled with visa requirements and rough dates of arrival, my attempts to equip myself for adventure lay scattered across the floor. A stove that burns anything from the cheapest diesel to jet fuel, a water filter that could purify a swamp and a tent so small and light I wouldn’t notice if I accidentally inhaled it. And can I use them? No. I am the man I have always avoided being; I have all the gear and no idea. 

The First Step is the Hardest 

Although, in having the equipment and still a couple of weeks before leaving, I at least have a fighting chance of survival. As with every aspect of this adventure so far, the learning curve plotted a huge mountain to climb before the first pedal stroke has even been made. In the year it took to get to this point, I had to get a job, learn it and leave it, meet amazing people and leave them, I learned how to write a website from scratch, publicise myself, coordinate media and raise sponsorship; none of which I could have achieved 12 months ago. Physical preparation seems like the easy part, essentially buying things and getting fit, however, if mental preparation exists, I don’t know if it is something I will ever completely grasp. A willingness to jump in at the deep end and the faith that it will work out don’t lead to a good night’s sleep. Whether mental preparation is a retrospective piece of imaginative storytelling I am yet to find out, but I’ll only understand what’s required by putting myself in the situation and learning through it. 

Enjoy the Moment 

As friends call and visit to check on my progress, we sit drinking tea and discuss the merits of burning Naphtha over Kerosene. Nodding along, I have no idea what they are, where you get them or how you would make fire out of them if I was given some. But in sharing a brew and a laugh, in being human, I ease my mind and enjoy the moment. In the years to come I’m quietly confident that I will have much greater memories of the cups of tea shared with friends and strangers than I will of camping stove fuel.