Quit my job... gone riding through the Americas

[LovinglivingAdventuring]

Hi there,

I’ve said, that’s enough. And so I am off. 20 Countries. 40,000 miles. 18 months. Let’s do this. *This is my introduction.

Like all of my posts, I plan for all of these posts to be “two-track.” I’ll post up a “cliff notes” video as well as a more detailed writeup.

Here’s the cliff notes 5-minute video if you prefer not to read or are pinched for time:




And here's the writeup:

My name is Brent Carroll and I am from Chesapeake, Virginia.



I am taking on North, Central, and South America on my motorcycle, solo. I left Virginia at the end of April, 2016 and intend to share this trip with you in words, pictures, and videos.

About me... I have always had a passion for adventuring and seeing the world. While I have been lucky to travel all over the world and see it from above and below in the Navy and on vacations, I have not experienced it from a motorcycle. I feel I have missed the people, the culture, and myself in previous journeys. More importantly, perhaps, is I have never had the feeling of control, being in charge of my own time. That is what I am seeking.



First, after a fine career in the Navy for 20 years, and then working as a civilian for the US Coast Guard for almost nine years years as an engineer, and finishing my PhD, I feel I have worked hard, and cared deeply about the people that I worked with and the work I did. I am just 47, but...

I want to see and experience the world in a new way while I can - which means NOW! My Dad passed away when he was 51! That alone is enough motivation for me to realize life is too short.

When everything is said and done, I also want to point back to some chunk of my life that was completely under my own terms, doing what I want, going where I want to, truly getting to know the world in which I live, and not worrying about... anything, really, and not waiting until retirement or when I am not physically able to do this. I strongly feel the urge, and need, to do this now, to see the world for what it really is.

So... having said that, and perhaps the more "pure" reason I want to do this is that I believe that the world is full of good, purposeful, and striving people, and that everything we hear distorts our world perspective in really negative ways. I want to challenge that really negative dogma and share my experiences with the world on this blog and in social media.



Erstwhile, I have come to know that riding a motorcycle is the purist form of therapy possible, and that you get to see the world while riding all the better. You get feelings, sensations, smells, and experiences riding a motorcycle you simply cannot get on a vacation or in a car. You are not watching the scenery go by, you are in the scenery.

I am an engineer and I like to attend to every detail if I can, so here and throughout, I might seem anal, but that is just me - I like attending to details. What this really relates to for you and my story is planning. As much as I'd like to just point the motorbike in some direction and then crash after a long day's ride (find a place to sleep, that is) wherever I can, I like to plan ahead a bit. I'm sure at some point, I'll find some happy medium between meandering and planning.

Any-hoo - I left Virginia in the spring of 2016, and plan to first travel north to Newfoundland, cross Canada, head up to Alaska, and then follow generally the Pan-American Highway in its entirety all the way south through Patagonia to the southern tip of South America. And then... turn around and head back to Seattle. I think I will cover about 40,000 miles with my meandering.



So, how can I do this? Yes, that's also a common question. No, I am not independently wealthy. How can anyone walk away from a good-paying job and all their possessions and venture out into the world on their motorcycle? For me, well... I retired from the U. S. Navy so have a lifetime annuity that essentially covers my trip. I also have savings, no debts, and a wonderful better-half who understands and supports my dreams. I am probably unique in this way.

But, I do plan to land in Seattle once this is all done and resume a productive, working life. But for now, I just don't want to worry about that.

So, off I go. I do have a few generic, overarching goals for my trip, though:

Live life - see, smell, and suck in all that the world has to offer - take my time

Meet and chat with as many people as possible; capture and share my thoughts about those experiences

Average no more than 125 miles a day (to rest, to see sights, to smell the roses, to reflect, and to document)

AVOID Interstate highways when I can (I think you should, too---that's not the world)

Average less than $50 per day in costs, covering fuel, lodging, food, and bike maintenance

Tent camping mostly, then hostels, couch surfing, AirBnB, and last, hotels

I really do hope that you keep in touch and say hello. I’d love to catch up with you along the road or trail.

Brent

[Grant Johnson]

Have a great trip Brent! I hope the HU Virginia sendoff made you feel very welcome in the HU Community!

[LovinglivingAdventuring]

Hi Grant,

I'll claim, and write about in full detail eventually, that several inspirational characters took part in my motivations for *doing* it. But, I will always want you and Susan to know, and I will always espouse, that you two started it all for me - you gave me my "seed."

Thanks mucho!

See you in Bracebridge hopefully!

~brent

[Roger Richter]

Hello Brent,
I have for sure you are absolutely right in meeting your goals in this personal journey, which I personally believe it will be fantastic.

I live in São Paulo, Brazil and I have some expertise traveling in motorcycle through some countries like Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Bolívia. These are amazing places and I think you gonna have good times visiting them.

Well, I also noticed you are planning to visit my country. I don't know if specifically my city, but, anyway, if you need any kind of support, please, contact me (I could send my details through the email link in your website).

I wish you the best and take care.
Roger

[Rondelli]

Look forward to following your trip, amazing continent full of amazing people, If you are in Argentina at the right time try to get to the HU meeting at Vierdma

Gino

[cerebromutante]

Woooohooooo I am in for the long haul my friend - Heading up via NY?

D.L.C.L.
@motopoet
www.themotopoet.wordpress.com

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[LovinglivingAdventuring]

Originally Posted by cerebromutante

Woooohooooo I am in for the long haul my friend - Heading up via NY?

D.L.C.L.
@motopoet
www.themotopoet.wordpress.com

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

I am up past NY now, in Maine. About to go International tomorrow! I'll be camping in Fundy National Park tomorrow night!

~brent

[cerebromutante]

Originally Posted by LovinglivingAdventuring

I am up past NY now, in Maine. About to go International tomorrow! I'll be camping in Fundy National Park tomorrow night!

~brent

Man I just missed you then. Oh well, ride on my friend and thanks for sharing with us couch surfers!

D.L.C.L.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[troppy]

G'day Brent,
Good luck with your journey, I'll be following with envy and interest!

[LovinglivingAdventuring]

OMG, I have so much to share. I've been on the road for 30 days now, finally making my way from Virginia to Newfoundland! It's been AWESOME!



This photo was taken today at L'Anse aux Meadows in the northern most part of Newfoundland. Here, the first Vikings landed in the Northern Hemisphere over a 1000 years ago. And yes, there were ICEBERGS!! It was close to freezing on the ride up from Gros Morne.

The only thing that hasn't been awesome about Newfoundland is the Internet. Newfoundland has it, but it is slow and spotty. I have another blog post queued up and ready to go once I get some wifi that will support an upload over a meg.

[cerebromutante]

Hey, Brent,

How are things? We are eager to hear of your adventure. Hope all is well

[brclarke]

He's probably too busy having fun to keep us lowly desk-slaves updated!

[LovinglivingAdventuring]

Selbyville, Delaware to Newfoundland, Canada
Heading north now and the great adventure truly begins!
As per the usual, you can choose between reading or watching, or both.

After visiting family and friends for three weeks, I found myself thinking I’d need to rush to get from Delaware to Sydney, Nova Scotia in time to catch the ferry to Newfoundland that I had booked several weeks before. And after studying the map and distances, it turned out I was right. I’d need a string of 350 mile-days to do it. This sprinting part is somewhat boring, so I’ll skip the minor details here in favor of the more detailed write up of Newfoundland below. On the way, I stopped over for the night in Binghamton, New York, Montpelier, Vermont, and then Bangor, Maine, camping in the latter.

Skipping the I-95 corridor, I rode through some incredible scenic areas of Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine including the Poconos, and the White and Green Mountains. All simply amazing!! On a friend’s suggestion, I took the Kancamagus Highway, or “Kanc,” from Lincoln to Conway in New Hampshire and it is also spectacular!

In Vermont, I also started to see my first warning signs for moose, which people seemed to talk about everywhere I went. Locals say dawn and dusk are worse as the moose, licking salt from the road, are hard to see and like to follow headlights. I only saw one, though, dead by the side of the road.
The further north I went, the daylight hours increased and the temperature decreased. I had planned to “wait out” the colder temps when I planned my trip, but still had some chilly morning starts in the 30’s, with each day ending in the 60’s.

Camping in Bangor was nice as folks got together in the campground for a bonfire and made Poutine in honor of Canada’s Victoria Day.

Poutine, my first time having it, was delicious, simply French fries with gravy and cheese!! Everyone likes French fries, gravy, and cheese, right? But, when you put them all together - Dayum!!
The ride from Bangor to the Canadian border was desolate and devoid of gas stations. And of course, I did not fill up before leaving Bangor. I coasted into a gas station finally in Calais with zero bars on my fuel gauge, and of course, my spare can was empty because I did not think I’d need it yet!! I told myself never to take off without a full tank of gas again!
This two-hour ride from Bangor to Calais was also the first time I felt really alone and isolated on my trip, both from a physical and social perspective. On this route through Maine, not only was there no one around to talk to, or cars to share the road with, but my better-half, Tracy, who I love and adore, I began to miss immensely. “Alone time” in the helmet, right? Well, we are mad about each other, and I’ve missed seeing her every day. I kept reminding myself that
I’d planned my trip to see her about every two months over the year and a half course of my trip, but on that lonely road in the backwoods of Maine, I started to worry that would not be enough. Shaking off those feelings, barely, I composed myself enough for the border crossing into Canada.
Immediately upon entering New Brunswick, I knew I was in a different place. First, everything is in metric, and as the eastern provinces are dual-language, English and French, so, too are the road signs. I enjoyed the math exercises to convert from kmh to mph as I did not switch it over on my bike. Celsius is another matter as the conversion equation is kind of jacked up, haha!
I can’t say much about New Brunswick nor Nova Scotia as I bypassed the more coastal scenic routes in order to cover miles. Making my way into Nova Scotia, I can see them off in the distance, growing every minute, large, no… huge, no… JAYSUS!! GIGANTIC windmill generators. These beasts must be 500 feet tall with blades nearly that long!! Then I see the warning signs, one reading that the crosswind (had to be a crosswind, right?) routinely gusts to over 100KMH, or 60 miles an hour! Well, it was grey, foggy, and drizzly already, so why not throw in some crosswind, too? That day, those windmills were spinning with quite the velocity, and I quickly found out why. HOLY SH*T was that the hardest stretch of hanging-on-for-my-life riding I have ever done. I think I may have wet myself, too, although I couldn’t tell because although it was cold and I was wrapped up like flesh burrito, when I finally got through it, I was drenched!
After pushing hard for four days, I made it into Sydney in time to take a couple of days off the bike and catch up with the blog. I also took care of some logistics, like doing some laundry and picking up supplies, including getting some tie-down straps for the ferry.

At this point while writing this, I am thinking I should do a separate post for Newfoundland, but, no, I’m not… It’ll just have to be a long one. I have a lot to say about my travels through Newfoundland.
The next day, one I’d been looking forward to for months, perhaps even a year, I was off to Newfoundland. The ferry runs from North Sydney, Nova Scotia to Port aux Basques, Newfoundland. At the terminal in Sydney, there are only two motorcycles in the lines of cars, mine and my bike’s twin, two fully loaded GSs, both pointing toward Newfoundland.
This is when I met Stefan, a retired surgeon from Germany, which turned out to be freakin’ righteous in so many ways.

He, too, is doing a TransCan and Panamerican run, but at a slightly different, and somewhat broken, pace. So, we had a lot to chat about right off (and he could speak English, quite well, I might add). The other great thing was I planned to show up in Newfoundland without a plan, really just winging it. Stefan, on the other hand, had put together an amazing plan, and I begged to pair up! So, my original seven-day visit grew to 11 days, which was fine by me if I could cost-share rooms and follow his plan! And his plan turned out to be AWESOME!
I spent the first night on the “Rock” in Port aux Basques in a nice Bed and Breakfast. Here, I had my first introduction to Newfies and was impressed immediately. Very nice, friendly, hard-working, and hardy are the words that sprang to mind. They seemed interested and happy that I’d come this far to visit their island, and perhaps a bit crazy to do so on a motorcycle in May! Turns out the weather in Newfoundland in May is very unpredictable, changing hourly and by the mile. One minute, it is grey, cold, damp, drizzly, and windy, and then the next minute the sun pokes through the clouds, shining warmth through your suit and onto your skin.
Speaking of windy, if you plan to visit Newfoundland, be aware there is a stretch of road on the TransCan just north of Port aux Basques that will actually shut down due to high winds – no traffic is allowed through. It’s due to the mountains acting as a funnel as winds come down from the north. Here, a sign read the max recorded wind speed was recorded at 240kmh! And I’ll bet it was a cross wind, too, haha!
The next day, I headed north along the west coast and felt like I’d stepped onto another planet.



Large granite hills with shear faces gave way to higher tabletop shaped mountains that stretched as far as the eye could see, and the road goes right between them! The Long Range Mountains, as they are called, cover the entire western portion of Newfoundland and are showcased in Gros Morne National Park about halfway up the island. The spectacular scenery made my head spin, taking it all in was a challenge as each new turn another scene would unfold before my eyes better than the last. And I had my first moose sighting, one just ambling along the highway on the shoulder.
I finally rejoined Stefan in the park where we’d planned to camp, but the forecast was calling for below freezing temperatures. Since we’d decided to cost-share rooms, the high prices became tenable so we stayed in a nice hotel in a small village along the shore, in Cow Head, after visiting the lighthouse in Rocky Harbor just before. It was clear we’d beat the tourist season by a couple of weeks as the hotel, although open, was clearly in the final stages of getting ready, with the paint still fresh smelling on the walls.
The next day, we headed to the far north of Newfoundland to a place called St. Anthony’s. A small fishing village completely isolated from the world, it seemed, before a road was built in the 50s.

We took in L’Anse aux Meadows, where the first Europeans were believed to have visited the North American continent over a 1000 years ago.

Again, we were early and the visitor center was closed “officially” but they let us in to get warm, which we needed as the temperature was about 32, which helped explain all of those building-sized white things floating by the harbor – ICEBERGS! Funny thing I learned about L’Anse aux Meadows. It is obviously a mix of French and English, but only so because the British were not too bright on this one. The original name is L’Anse aux Méduse, or Bight of jellyfish. When the Brits took over, they mistook Méduse for Meadows, it is supposed because the peninsula looks like a large meadow of peat. Haha!
We stayed two nights in St. Anthony’s and the next day booked a whale watching tour. AGAIN, we were too early in the season for whales, but we did drive-bys on dozens of icebergs, and saw sea lions and bald eagles. Coming back from the boat was the coldest I’d been yet as it was raining pretty steady and the temps were still hovering around 35F.



Our next destination was Twillingate with a stopover for one night in Deer Lake to get there. Did I mention Newfoundland is pretty damned big! It’s roughly the size of California in square miles! We chose a different route back and hit wildlife jackpot, seeing five moose and three caribou within about 15 minutes. None of them seemed to mind me stopping and taking their pictures. East of Deer Park, the land flattens out dramatically.


Twillingate is a sleepy, touristy village on the northern coast where everyone seemed to know one another. And our small bed and breakfast was filled with people from all over the world. We also saw icebergs here, but they were larger than those we’d seen up north in St. Anthony’s, taller. In Twillingate, there was an accent I had to work hard at to make out, and several expressions for which I simply gave up on. Most folks are descendants of a mix of Irish and British, which explains the accent. Still, just the nicest people!
From Twillingate, we made our way to St. John’s, or as those folks in Twillingate called it, ‘the Big City.” We rode through the low rolling hills of Dildo Provincial Park (yes, that’s how it’s spelled!) and Terra Nova National Park. The scenery again picked up as my head was on a swivel trying to take it all in. Simply amazing riding!

And St. John’s is a big city, a completely modern place compared to the older world living found in most of the rest of Newfoundland, such a contrast! Riding into the city was challenging as we arrived right around rush hour! Rush hour is something we had not seen the last couple of weeks. In St. John’s, we booked a room at the local college. They rent “Summer Accommodations,” which are just empty dorm rooms now that classes are over. Best $27 lodging ever as we had the bathrooms to ourselves as well as great wifi!
We planned two nights, so we had a day to explore. We visited The Rooms, a combination museum, art gallery, and holder of provincial archives, then next door the Basilica of St. John the Baptist.


We tried Signal Hill in the morning, but it was completely fogged in, so we tried later and were rewarded by our persistence.


Afterward we hiked 6 miles or so around Qidi Vidi Village and Lake back to the university.
The next morning, upon leaving we decided to take photos at the very end of the Trans-Canada Highway, which actually starts on Vancouver Island 4800 miles to the west.

Then, we headed to Cape Spear, the eastern most point on the North American continent. Simply breathtaking!

Our next stop heading back west was the small village of Botwood, chosen because it’s halfway across the rock and had an inexpensive hostel.

Turned out to be the best night we had on the island, a great hostel that gave a chance to chat with other folks until late at night about our travels. And the hostel was super clean, with an awesome common area, kitchen, and grocery store right across the street. Met a cool chick from Montreal there and chatted forever.

By the way, we had to head back west to Port aux Basques because the ferry from Argentia (south of St. John’s) back to North Sydney had not started yet! Again, too early!
The last night on the island found us back in Port aux Basques, where, frankly, I was exhausted! Not just from the riding, but from the total immersive experience of a beautiful place and its people.
Before boarding the ferry, we shot over to Rose Orange Village and Lighthouse just east of Port aux Basques, and that turned out to be some of the best riding we’d done on the island, definitely a must see with great twistied there and back!

We spent 11 days on the island and I would do it again in a heartbeat!
Final thoughts on Newfoundland
I think Newfoundland should be on everyone’s list. It is a place of such contrasts west to east, north to south, in climate, scenery, road conditions, but everywhere we went, the people were some of the friendliest I’d ever met. And the scenery is top-tier and ever better on two wheels where you can smell the evergreens and wet pavement going by. Moose and caribou are everywhere if you luck a chance to see them, and icebergs!! Wow! The roads are something to watch for, though, as even the main roads have potholes, with the secondary roads even worse. We encountered dirt and gravel a few times and that was only when we left the beaten track to explore the smaller villages.
Another interesting feature of almost all of the roads is a center washboard and two ruts where the cagers drive. So, you can vibrate yourself half to death in the middle or let the ruts jangle your front tire all over the place at 65MPH.
The last thing I’ll mention is the weather. We came a bit early, so most have told us, but beating the tourist season meant no crowds or heavy traffic. But, it also meant we had the most unpredictable and quickly changing weather I’d ever experienced. Although it never got below freezing, we did see some snow in St. Anthony’s, and I felt cold most of the time there. Hour by hour, and mile by mile, you just never know what to expect.
Oh, one more thing. I had planned my trip from the start to be solo. But, meeting Stefan on that pier in Sydney has changed my thinking on this. It’s good, not just from a security and financial standpoint, but having someone to chat with about the day is pretty cool, and Stefan and I got along great! I look forward to when our paths cross again down the road in California or wherever.
My recommendation: Do it!!
Lessons learned:
1. Because Newfoundland is quite expensive to travel through, I recommend ditching the restaurants and instead go grocery shopping and make your own meals, which can save you quite a bit of money.
2. I had never slept in a university dorm room nor a hostel – good accommodations for about $30USD. For now, they are my two favorite places to stay after camping. For both, I found them on booking.com.
3. Laundry. I’ve had no problem getting laundry done. I had a hotel do my laundry once with all the bedding they were washing, an AirBnB hostess let me throw in a load with hers, and then hung it all out to dry on the line, and then I managed it at a hostel for a loonie (Canadian dollar, or about 80 cents U. S. No problems, just ask.

[cerebromutante]

Wooohooo, was waiting for this uodate!

Love the videos too, awweesoomme report my friend!

[LovinglivingAdventuring]

Nova Scotia to Seattle

As I have been apt to do, here I offer a “Cliff Notes” video for those pinched for time.



After riding 12 days with my new friend from Germany, Stefan, we eventually had to part ways owing to different plans (for the time being…). We left Port aux Basques and arrived in the rain in North Sydney. The plan was to ride the Cabot Trail the following day, so we holed up in Ingonish on the east side of Cape Breton National Park for the night. My ride the following day on the Cabot Trail was disappointing, especially the east side. It was raining and quite foggy and I didn’t get a chance at all to see any of the coast. The ride on the west side, however, although rainy, was good with lots of twisties through the mountains.



I had to be in Truro, Nova Scotia that night so that the following morning I could get the bike serviced in Moncton, New Brunswick. I stopped in at Atlantic Motoplex and they had me in and out in no time.



The next several days are “transit” days, making my way to the Horizons Unlimited Meeting in Bracebridge, Ontario. So, after my service, I hot-wheeled it all day in the rain and made it to Edmunston, where I was glad to be out of the rain after finding an appropriately named hotel on booking.com.



The next night I had my first AirBnB experience in Danville, Quebec (just south of Montreal) and it was awesome! My host was Claire, a French Canadian, and she had the most amazing stories to tell about life’s philosophies on all things good. She was also a virtuoso harp player and allowed me to video one (included in the video version of this post).

Claire also let me do some much needed laundry!



Another first, the following day, was a night in a 12-person co-ed bunkroom in a hostel in downtown Ottawa. What an experience.



By the time the place was filled, there were folks from about a dozen countries chatting the night away about where they’re from and what they are doing there. This is my bunk mate Mira from Switzerland and she was flat out crazy! But, we all had a good time.



I knew I was in trouble when the bunkroom filled up with nappers about 4 in the afternoon. They all left around 10 that night to hit the town and I was gone in the morning while they were all passed out.

The only negative thing about the hostel was, I guess because of the hostel’s proximity to a homeless shelter, I had my favorite pair of gloves stolen off the bike. Totally my fault for not securing my stuff, but damn, I miss those gloves.

The following four-day weekend, I rode out to Bracebridge, Ontario to attend the Horizons Unlimited Meeting there. The ride through Algonquin Provincial Park was amazing!



Just like the other HU meetings I’ve attended, this is a cool place to be to meet fellow motorcycle adventurers and hear their stories of travel and lessons learned.



Greg, who hosted the event, I met in Virginia a few weeks back and has taken a trip similar to mine.



I also hung out with Richard, who I had also met in Virginia, and we simply had a blast all weekend.



I also met Liz Jansen (again!), who I think is just one of the best people on planet earth. She’s written several books and articles about connecting the road and spirit!



That Sunday on leaving, I paired up with Jim, who is making a run up to Alaska. He’s running a company to provide support to overlanders - Overland Quest – planning and support | get there. Interestingly, when I met up with Neale Bayley back in Charlotte, he had given me this guy’s sticker, which I had on the bike. When Jim pulled out a sticker to give to me, he was shocked to see I already had one! Small world!



After talking to several folks, I decided to go over Lake Superior and was not disappointed. Lake Superior and Sleeping Giant Provincial Parks are beautiful and the riding was fantastic!



I stayed at another AirBnB in Duluth after crossing back into the U. S. My hosts were great and they had the largest cat I have ever seen!!



Back in the U.S. now, the next several days were honestly too much for words – but I’ll try. Just utterly and astonishingly beautiful scenery, which, for an American, I am ashamed I had never visited until now!! Hugging the I-90 corridor, I started in Sioux Falls, where there are falls literally running through the town.



This was also the first day in weeks that I was hot, peeling off layers during the day and eventually having to stop for ice cream!! The next day, I rode through Badlands National Park and was again blown away! It was also hot there, too, nearly 100 degrees, as the color and shapes of the pinnacles and buttes created an oven effect. Still, it was breathtaking.



The next day, I rode through the Black Hills of South Dakota and visited two iconic national treasures, Mount Rushmore and Devil’s Tower.





Now, the next day, holy jayzus… that one day, I could never do justice for in writing. The entire day was stunning and every turn offered more and more. The day started in Red Lodge, Montana and first up was Beartooth Pass. It was cold and windy as all get out, but the riding and views were amazing!





Then, Chief Joseph’s Highway!!



Then… Yellowstone and Old Faithful!!





Then, if it couldn’t get any better, Grand Tetons! This part of Earth has to be among the most spectacular ever!!



I had intended to camp there, but it was late in the day and all the campgrounds were full. I ended up staying in Jackson, which turned out to be a huge financial mistake because it was unbelievably expensive. But, I was exhausted after this day and just had to crash quick.

The next day I rode into Idaho and swung by Craters of the Moon National Park. Totally surreal!



For that night, I reached out to Lance Gines and asked if I could stop by. He has a great family, but also an amazing dual-sport spirit that permeates the house and family.



Well, they put me up for the night and even fed me! I look forward after my trip to making it back to Boise to do some riding on my KTM350 that’s sitting in storage…

The next day, I had my sights on the Touratech Rally in Plain, Washington.



I did a volunteer stint at the front gate the first afternoon and was amazed at all the people rolling through, including Lisa and Simon Thomas, and Sandy, Terry, and Jack, the AdventureTrio. It was fun while I was there, and I know I missed a lot of cool stuff by leaving early, but I had to see about a girl, Tracy, who I’d left in Virginia nine weeks ago and was now in Seattle.



So, if you’d been following along, you know that Tracy and I decided to move from Virginia to Seattle. We left Virginia on the same day back in April with her ferrying the dog by car and me taking a bit more circuitous route by moto through North, Central and South America. It was so good to see her again and recharge y batteries in Seattle for a week before heading north to Alaska. I’ll see her again in 6-7 weeks when I get back from Alaska heading south!!

Lessons learned:

1/ I continue to find I am carrying things I don’t need, like an extra rain jacket or warm coat. The motorcycle rain jacket over my inner riding jacket are perfectly fine. Or a doggone 6-pound hatchet that I’ve only used to bang in tent stakes. Or extra clothes… I have been able to find laundry service nearly everywhere I go… I think by the time I hit Mexico in a few months, I may be down to just one dry bag, maybe just a thong… lol.

2/ Planning is still my preference. While I enjoy the adventure of just rolling in and finding a place to sleep, that has bitten me hard twice now, and they were expensive lessons to learn. I still try and plan out using AllStays and booking.com a few days out, but sometimes, schedules slip or I want more flexibility. I am better now than when I left, by I need to get better at being more flexible.

3/ My cell phone bill for Canada came in – OUCH! I thought for sure I was using my data sparingly, but the bill, even though I was on a plan for Canada, was nearly $400. I need to just let go of my dependency on ubiquitous Internet, or pay more attention to free Wi-Fi hotspots. I’ll get there.