This is the last post before retirement. After this I begin my two-wheeled journey – my Transition Tour.
The maps are now well inked, the hard stops are marked. All that is left is to pack and fuel. I’ve chosen my first paperback companion. I will, of course continue to refine the smaller details until the moment I depart; like how many pairs of underwear should I pack, or do I actually need (you don’t want to know the answer).
Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley is the first paperback companion. I’ve read this before and consider the opening pages to be some of the best writing ever. I am excited about reading this while actually traveling. I considered Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, but it seemed too obvious. A good book, the right book, is critically important.
As I have previously posted, I spent some time exploring India. Back then, there were no digital options, no Internet. Books were de rigueur and trading up at traveler stands was the method. These stands were everywhere. I read a lot of classics this way; Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, Crime and Punishment, and every Tom Robbins book I could get my hands on.
I miss those days. Is convenience killing society?
We now have instant access to everything. We live in echo chambers of our own bias. When options were limited, and finite, one was forced to read a broader spectrum of books as a result. For me, the better loved, the more dog-eared the book, the more inclined I was to grab it.
I am packing light. My bike is small. Although the Triumph Bonneville has done numerous documented long-distance tours, there is an art to packing one not rigged with panniers and storage racks. You can see (in the posted picture) my bike has only small saddle bags, and no racks. It also holds limited fuel.
The Transition Tour will begin this week. My first stop will be a quick lunch in Kingston. Here I hope to see Kaoru at Cha Cha Tea. Then straight to Emerald Coffee in Hamilton, where an acquaintance has just opened an initially quite successful coffeehouse. From there? There is a plan, but it will reveal itself as circumstance, opportunity and the road dictate. One thing for certain though, coffeehouses and friends (old and new) are to be central to this entire journey. That, and refining my business model for execution upon my return.
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This weekly post will continue to be pushed. You can also go to the Transition Tour page on my site to follow along with posts I will not be pushing.
