bluesativa

So you're in your mid 20's, you've been slaving away fixing hot tubs for 12 hours a day in the frozen, windswept Canadian prairies all winter often getting soaking wet in -30 celcius weather (-40-60 with windchill), but you have a bit of money stockpiled. Summer comes and the long days make you wonder if there isn't more to life. You used to be a fun guy, but now you only work and smoke weed, making just enough appearances outside of you're hazy bubble to make yourself appear interesting on Facebook. What happened? You used to be adventurous. You used to take big risks for big rewards. You used to do something that scared you every day. You used to be COOL, man...

Soon this train of thought evolves into guilt. There's people back home on the west coast without decent jobs. There's kids in Africa who don't have any weed...

You walk outside and light a smoke (you only ever used to smoke when you were REALLY drunk), look up at the stars, and say from the bottom of you're heart to no particular higher power "Thanks. Seriously. This is pretty good. I'm full. I just drank a tasty micro-brew and ate a BLT with extra bacon, and now I'm enjoying a particularly satisfying coffin nail. I don't know how this ends, but if I'm just destined coast along like this then fair enough...

Then the unexpected happens...

Something answers...

"That's your excuse? Destiny? A BLT and a cigarette? Hey cheeseburger receptacle, I have news. You've grown a gut. Someday you're gonna DIE. People with a fraction of your resources are doing amazing things right now and they're feeling bad for you, man.

Newsflash, it's not you're lot in life that counts, it's what you do with it. If you can't think of 1 thing you want to do and then go do it, you're going to get re-incarnated as a mentally handicapped snail."

Well, I've always hated when people say "newsflash", but whichever verbally abusive god (or lesser deity) had contacted me was absolutely right. I could waste no more time.

Oh, right, I've been talking about myself this whole time, unless you too are living through a quarter-life crisis.

I quit my awful job, and moved my things back to the coast. I obtained a plane ticket to Scotland, bought a hennessy hammock, bought a sleeping bag, and gathered my bicycling gear.

It was going down...

So here I am. Scotland. I'm hanging out with family on the Isle of Skye which is probably the most beautiful place I have ever been to. Next week I'm going to drive back to Edinburgh and buy a used bicycle and panniers. I will then pick up any parts that i deem need replacement and point myself in the direction of Africa. I don't expect to make it there, but I sure hope to have a good time aimlessly wandering as only a hobo with a couple grand on a credit card can do.

So that's it. I'm here now so it's on like Donky Kong, so to speak (please don't speak like that), and I'll soon be on my way.

Oh yeah. I've never done this before. At all.

I can camp in the bush. I can fix my own bike. I can get limited amounts of money out of the magic money box.

...but can I do THIS...

I'm not sure. I've stealth camped before, but almost exclusively in places that were pre-determined and well planned minus a couple of exceptions.

Anyhow wish me luck guys and gals and any pointers are appreciated. I'm going to keep posting on this forum when I get opportunities along the way, so as we say in Canada, let's Giv'r.