Bad Calls With Good Results

From 7/21:

Saturday night.  Kids are in bed.  Laundry is done.  Kitchen is clean and I’m rewatching Long Way Round.   I read something in the book version: “If you are planning a transcontinental trip, allow at least 1 year to plan.”  One year left, check.  I am going stop writing right now and pick a date for leaving…stand by…  Monday, September 16, 2013.  Holy shit.  I just picked the day that I will be leaving on this trip.

Do you know what the best part about this trip is?  The passion I feel around doing it all.  Let me explain.  Over the last few years, I’ve been losing the will to do dumb shit.  Meaning that the words ‘fuck it that’s too much trouble’ or ‘fuck it that’s too dangerous’ have been way too easy to say. 

When I was 28, I bought a pop-up camper that was 300 dollars, ‘needs work’.  My buddy Jeff and I rebuilt that son of a bitch from scratch.  It took us 5 months of evenings and weekends. 

It looks innocent but it drinks blood.  Credit goes to Jeff for the picture.

We stripped it down to the frame and rebuilt every piece based on the original design.  I spent the next 5 years tweaking and adding to it.  My only regret during the first few months is that I paid more attention to the camper than I did to my wife.  I could have handled that part much better.  I’m taking great care to make sure that doesn't happen again with this trip…but I digress.

My family spent at least 15 weekends a year in that dangerous piece of garage art. 

It survived losing a wheel at 70MPH, being stolen (and recovered- hats off to the FiveO on that one) and my repeated attempts to burn it down with bad wiring, worse campfire etiquette and general bullshit that probably belonged on the Jack Ass show.  My point to this rant is that the decision to buy that piece of shit was probably the dumbest one I’ve ever made.    

It remains one of the best things I’ve ever done and one of my best friends is still using the bloodthirsty bastard.  The 'now' me would have said, No that’s too much work.  The 'then' me didn’t give a shit. 

Remember the scene from Gattaca where Ethan Hawke’s character finally beats his brother in a swim race across the bay?  He says “That’s the difference between you and me Vincent.  I never saved anything for the swim back”.

Only does 'one-way' swims

I’m not saying that this is a good full-time philosophy but being able to go balls-to-the-wall, damn the consequences, every once in awhile….is mighty.

I feel mighty again.  This trip is a wet dream.  It’s expensive, ill-advised and wonderful.  To hell with the obstacles, fears and demons.  They all ride bitch seat on this one.