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It’s been a moment since my last post. I am very sorry for my silence. It was not intentional, but – to my defense – a lot has happened, not just in my life, but between my ears as well.
If you have read any of my posts before, you would know that I am becoming increasingly fed up with my current circumstances. Not only am I reasonably stuck in a dead-end job, but crime levels and the political attitude towards them here in South Africa really, really sucks. There is a definite limit to how positive a single person can be, and I am fast reaching it.
On top of that, I have been told that my dreams are “not realistic”, and then I had to hear how I should tone down my expectations, because… well… life!
That pretty much made me feel worse than local politics and the war in Europe. Because I can’t think in terms of “tick lists”, even though I have lots of them in my life. Mostly for others, I must admit. I would be all over the place without them and most people tend to frown on that type of behavior.
So…
While I am on leave from work right now and have had more than a month to reassess my life, I realized that what I am doing is not making me happy. Not only do I really not want to return to my job, but I need to find something to do that would actually make me want to get up in the morning, until such a time as I can reasonably quit! (Ya, I know. Reasonably. It’s a swear word. A long one.)
I also had a long, hard think about my goal to move to Europe. Is it really as unrealistic as people tell me it is? Do I need to reimagine the whole idea to make it fit into others’ narratives? Or is it – just perhaps – not completely crazy enough for me to fully engage? Hmmm? After all, if I want to pull others along with me, they need to WANT to come, don’t they?
Well, queue the Internet, and the bucket list that I’ve had since I was twenty-three. That was way before bucket lists became as fashionable as they are now, and mine is simply called “things to do before it’s too late”. I looked at some of the outrageous dreams that I had created for myself and realized that while some of them have reached their expiration date, others are much more doable today than they were twenty-three years ago. It’s just a matter of doing them!
And then I found a YouTube post by Brendon Burchard, in which he unequivocally states that S.M.A.R.T. goals are LAME, because they limit people’s thinking to what is “possible”, and do not make room for visionary thoughts and goals. And that not only described me to a tee but also made me realize that there might be more to goal setting than I have always been taught. After all, the person who taught me to set goals was extremely left-brained and analytical and also told me repeatedly to not set my sights too high. Not that I ever listened.
It’s two months to my next birthday, and I am not much closer to my Portugal goal than I was when I first formulated the idea in April. To begin with, I still don’t have a passport or a NIF number and my house is also still a mess – unpainted and the floor a disaster! Also, I found some other dreams that I am not quite ready to shelve yet, even though they might clash with going to Portugal. In terms of expenses, definitely, but also as far as time and safety concerns go. I still want to overland through Africa, traveling from Cape Agulhas to Ras Ben Sakka, and then extend that journey into Europe. Yes, I can probably end in Portugal, as I had originally imagined, but why stop there?
Instead, what I would like to do is to document a journey from the Cape to Kyiv! As far as I know, it hasn’t been done yet. Mostly because of the high costs involved in crossing some of the borders within Africa (The DRC/Congo crossing comes to mind, with its massively expensive ferry ride over the Congo river!) but also because most overland trips are made from Europe to South Africa, not the other way around!
Why?
I have never had any problems doing long overland trips, and as a child, most of our family vacations involved RVs (caravans) and camping. The distance would be a challenge, but it would definitely not be an uneventful journey, and there would be ample opportunity for me to establish myself as a travel blogger/YouTuber. Obviously, I will not be doing it solo. That would be suicide on many levels. Instead, I am actively considering taking a Ukrainian war vet along for the ride. A male one.
Yes, I am a bit selfish. I want someone that can actually be an intelligent companion, but I also need a travel partner with acute situational awareness, combat skills, and field medical training. Physical strength would not be unappreciated, either.
Romance? I don’t know. It would be a “mail order” situation to begin with. I have a decent amount of Ukrainian and he would probably have some English, so we won’t have too many communication problems, but it’s a massive cultural bridge to cross and a long distance to cover if we don’t get along. That really scares me more than the sheer costs involved in purchasing the truck, turning it into an expedition vehicle, and taking off into parts unknown with someone recently met. On the other hand, you never know…
How?
It’s extremely simple, very complicated, and ridiculously expensive, but the long and short of it is that I want to purchase a military surplus truck cab/chassis, put a habitat box on its back, buy the required documenting and communications equipment, do the paperwork, find a suitable travel partner and then hit the road.
Visas are a costly exercise. Not only would I need to apply for every single document in advance, but not every country has the same requirements and tariffs. No fun.
Crowdfunding the trip is definitely my first option, but I trust that it will start paying for itself about halfway through, by way of YouTube monetization and Patreon Subscriptions, and also by way of merchandise sales. If not, I shall be in deep, deep trouble. Sponsorships are definitely an option, but only if the products are good and something that I would actually use. No use plugging something I don’t believe in. Been there, done that.
As for communications, I shall rely on SpaceX and Starlink for the Internet. According to their website, it’s not reliable in Africa yet, but I reckon that would have changed by the time I am ready to travel. My mom would be happy.
What happens afterward? When all is done?
I doubt that this would be my last road trip. I believe in cost-per-use and definitely plan to get a lot of use from my truck. I may even extend my journeys into Asia, Australia, and the Americas, and go to see other parts of Africa. All duly documented, of course. And I might even settle down somewhere, on a patch of land. You never know.
In the meantime, I shall watch lots and lots of YouTube Videos and see how other people do it. Some trips may very well be solo ones, even if this one isn’t, and I am sure that I can learn a lot from other people’s experiences.
Because life is too short to be bored.
