I was pondering..... How many people end up on the road to run away from problems or go in search of a better life ?

Sure, most of us love to travel and love the experience of overlanding and all it brings with it but we usually end up where we started, as we were , with the exception of broader experiences and a fatter photo album.

Does loading up a bike and dissapering into the sunset change lifes or does it delay and bury problems which will resurface as soon as you run out of petrol money ??

I often sit here, stressed with unpaid bills and the thought of Monday morning monotony thinking would it be easier to sell up everything i own, load up the bike and see where I end up and what ill be doing.

Anyway, thought id share that with you all for no reason at all

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

You have a point when you say that maybe being on the road is a way to escape. Escape from a situation, somebody or even the police(in case you just robbed a bank!)

Maybe being on the road is not the solution itself, but is a way( from several more) to know who you are, what are you capable of and what you don´t, ,like you say most of the time you will end where you start but some will be different in you.

Cheer Up
Joe

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Jose Valdés

http://caminossecundarios.blogspot.com

Ted,
I'll be honest with you. When I left on my last trip it was because I suddenly realised I'd not really been enjoying life that much. My business was barely breaking even, I was bored a lot of the time, my feild of work turned out to be very different to how I imagined it and I realised too late that girls don't like poor, independent guys. I remembered my life as a snowboard bum, caning my money without a thought for the future, doing irrepairable damage to my knees and back, and loving every minute of life.
I never expected my trip to change my life (and it hasn't) but I had a bloody fantastic several months for the first time in years. Now its back to work for a year or so, then back on the bike for more adventures!
Lifes too short to plan for the future. Do it all now before it's too late.
Matt

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http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

you can only find what you are looking for. start to travel without any expectations. whatever you find on the road, let be them your expectations. it was what i have done. and at the end of travel i've found my self.

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ozhan u.
website under construction

Beautifuly put Ozanhu

I think for me it is about commitments, and dependents.

I don't own a house, don't have an exceptional job and only have family ties.

Once asked on a management training course "when would you like to die" I replied, "when no one is dependent on me", meaning anyone that I feel responsible for.

What stops me from travelling more at the moment are, two children, two dogs, a wife and my father (he lives with us).

When in a few years my father has gone, along with the dogs, (they're all geting old) and my kids have left home, providing me and the wife are still alive and able to, we shall travel.

I won't be running away, hiding, trying to find myself, etc. I shall be taking my experience of life, thus far , a little further.

I'll have no ties, no commitments, and no home.

Great.
Kevin

BTW 4WD traveller - I'll live from the back of my car.

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www.4x4-travel.co.uk

I suppose everyone has reasons to "Hit the Road", and in my case, I am travelling to experience travel. Have the time off school and funds. Looked at three bikes so far(I wish the Honda XR650L was a little shorter for me) as I like to do a little off roading/exploring. cheers all, rio_perros <*)*)*)*)>{

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"The only thing that needs constant adjustment on a motorcycle is, the biological linkage between the handgrips and the footpegs" <*)))>{

I am not sure why I am now on the road. I do know that I am living the dream that I been having for the past 6 years, maybe even more.

I came out of a relationship last summer and wasnt ready to get involved with anyone else. I have learnt that long term travel and relationships on the whole dont seem to mix very well. Some people can make it work, others cant. So i guess I decided to live the dream while the chance was there and see if I am ready to settle down on my return having had the opportunity to live the dream.
I had in my mind the dates and places I wanted to go to so there was nothing left to hold me back, I guess when you run out of excuses and reasons to not go then the time might be good to hit the road.

If you dont have dreams then you have nothing at all.

Ride safe

Paul

There's an old quote that I have heard. I am not sure the exact wording, nor who stated it, but it goes something along the lines of "you never see a motorcycle parked outside a psychiatrist's office.."

Today my three riding pals are going on a 30 day trip to Turkey on 3 bikes. it is a trip I pland to do with them. but life has this strange way to make you decide each day what is the most important thing to you. so here i am taking care of a business that needs me, my partner is pushing me to go live my dream. but i know it is not right. (to kind of running away). i know inside that going on the ultimate bike trip is on my plan, (kind of runnig away from all this). but the time has to be right- and i know it will.
yoni

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Dare!
My ride from Dead horse to Ushuaia 2009 is at
www.harpatka.com
It's in hebrew but lots of pics and some translation

Yoni

You have a dream partner.. My girlfriend snarls and ges upset if I mention going anywhere without her, and she doesnt like overlanding although she likes to ride.

She wont go anywhere unless she can take a hairdryer, straighteners, silly shoes and bags of makeup..

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

"The only Buddha you can find on top of the mountain is the one you carry up there" (I think something like this was in Robert Maynard Pirsig's "Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenence")

But it is the journey that really makes sense and you can enjoy it more than the things you are looking for or you are escaping from.

cozcan

I went on my recent trip (first but not the last) because I was bored shitless and running out of ideas, working a job I hated.

Coming back to the UK has been a mixed bag. On one hand it truly sucks not being on the bike every day in nice interesting countries with cheap and erm, interesting, food, but on the other hand I reckon I have a better sense of perspective. I am resuming my old post in August, but it isn't so bad: everybody speaks english; I am out of the weather; I still have to deal with petty bureaucrats but they aren't going to sting me for cash (but regretabbly aren't going to buy me lunch either....). Not to mention they will be giving me (indirectly) a new MOT for the bike, some piston rings and road tyres. Being UK based also means I get paid in the mighty Pound, which goes a hell of a long way if you think of it in Uzbek sum, a fact a never really considered before.

On the downside again I suppose I am in a lot more debt than when I left, and my (ex) girlfriend has started shagging my housemate, who promptly stopped paying rent when he started bumping uglies with my missus (big angry grrr) - but these things would doubtless be getting me a lot more pissed off if I hadn't just travelled over 20k!

I think if I had pushed it a bit harder and gone further into th eunknown then it would have had a more profound effect on me, but I am saving up for that 'life-changing trip' already, I'm sure that it's out there!

Tedmagnum- you need to know that my wife has gone through a very long "training program" I've conducted 20 years ago (well, a good idea for a new thread), teaching her that my scrach of riding a bike to the horizon, is a part in me she will have to live with. And bleave me it was hard. It started with "when will you giveup bikes" and now it is " i've seen a new bike, when will we go take a test ride" .
But you know, I know a guy that ran from all this including his girlfriend

Maa' salam

Yoni

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Dare!
My ride from Dead horse to Ushuaia 2009 is at
www.harpatka.com
It's in hebrew but lots of pics and some translation

Yoni

The trouble with any type of travel is that you always take lots of baggage with you.

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Tim ('91 R100GSPD)

The only baggage you carry should be in the panniers