The Lead Up to a big trip...

Of course, the question that gets asked is: "are you getting excited by the big trip?'

Aaaah...well, yes sort of....... but not really!

Many of you who are travellers and guides know that preparing for trips is just part of your trade, its what you do, and the success of your next venture depends on preparation. You think through all of the various scenarios - what will be required? Then you think again, do I really need it? Can I carry it? will it just slow me down? Then you think, do I need anything at all, i mean Aboriginal people just had a woomera, some spears and a nulla nulla or bundi stick. Everything else is just consumer gumf you have been convinced is essential by magazines devoted to selling you the latest and greatest!

Then you take a deep breath - and write a list.
Then you lose the list, have to write another one and its the same- but different.
Maybe repeat that a few more times, until you you end up with a list you work off.

The lead up to a trip becomes a series of lists that you just tick off.
You know that there is something good about to happen, you know that it should be exciting. But there is no excitement because you are a slave to list. Just have to keep ticking off the tasks and soon you run of boxes to tick.

Then, and only then can you let a realisation take over that this is going to be just a little bit awesome!

So this is a bit of a test blog.
Its not meant to be published but will probably appear briefly online before I delete it.
If you know me, I am a bit of a poor correspondent, but I will try be better, really i will!

If you know me, you are probably aware that we are about to depart on 6 months of travel around Australia.
Our family of 4 is going to drive away from our stable, pleasant and relatively successful life on Sydney's Northern Beaches and live on the road for a while. Our life will be simpler, less structured and a more natural.
Yes we are driving a Turbo Diesel 4WD for over 40,000km - but I still reckon we will consume less and experience more than if we stayed in the suburbs. The whole point is that a life based on doing the same thing without pause or question will one day require a pause and it will be questioned and found to be lacking.
So, take a pause, step back and ask questions.
Or perhaps just hang out and enjoy