Our first decent sized trip was in 2006.
I've been itching to get going again since about a fortnight after our return, and few people seem to manage the perpetual journey (and probably with many a personal sacrifice in the process) so most of us have to deal with the day to day reality of what is most people's normal life.

So no it is not sad to plan.
You can either send the intervening months and years not thinking about it, or thinking about it. I prefer the latter: keeps me motivated to save, even when the goal is sometime off.

We plan to see Kamchatka, but regrettably this won't be for a couple of years yet, so it might be 6 years between trips!!!

However, in that time, we have moved country, started renovating a flat, both started new careers and professions and got dogs, so it was never going to be quick!!

I say don't lose sight of your objective:
It is too easy to let the plan become just a dream and then just the memory of a trip you "would have liked to have done".
That is what scares me about it: I must constantly remind myself that this is a trip we will do, not just might do or want to do.

By the end of the first day on the road, and it starts to sink in, you'll know it had all been worth the wait

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Adventure: it's an experience, not a style!
(so ride what you like, but ride it somewhere new!)

Very true!!

Also one of those moments (especially if you've never done a trip on that scale before) when you think: "blimey, we're actually doing this: it wasn't just talk!!"

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Adventure: it's an experience, not a style!
(so ride what you like, but ride it somewhere new!)

There's hardly ever a right time but sometimes it's now or never.
My mate died of a massive stroke aged 37, which made me look at my own mortality and spur me on to at least go and see some places I'd only dreamed about. I was able to take a career break (thank you Merseyside Police) and my mortgage was small enough to remortgage the flat to raise the money (altho I overestimated how much I would need ) .
We set a date to leave(2nd January 2008 in time for the Dakar which never happened) and booked only the boat to Spain , and tickets for the Simmer Dim rally in the Shetlands 6 months later. After that , most of the planning was centred around me moving all my worldy goods out into my partner's house, and preparing my flat to be rented out, and sorting our innoculations, insurance etc, while he concentrated on getting the sleeping bags, luggage, etc and prepping the bikes.

When I do a second big trip, I already have the stuff from trip 1, so will save a shedload of cash there. Now I need to save up (that's the hard bit as I'm back living alone now)

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Does my bum look big on this bike?

Focus on your dreams but don't forget to live the moment, it's not as if you're in a coma is it?
And keep smiling.

I know real world practicalities impinge upon it, but my philosophy has laways been 'there might not be a tomorrow, so lets do it today.'

If I had a pound for every person that told me 'I've always wanted to do what you've done, but 'x' stops me, maybe I'll do it in the future,' I would never have to come back and work.

Birdy

I've been thinking about a major trip (first of many I hope) for a few years.

To date I have sold the house and now live in rented (that I can give up), and I've consolidated all my debts into a cheaper debt management plan that pays my creditors (something else I intend to give up when I set off!).

I have now sold my sportsbike and am looking for a tourer, but main thing is I've organised getting my pensions early next year (age 55) to provide an income while travelling.

Bring it on!!

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Live life now - you only get it once.

Hiya Bruce

2 years into 5 isn't too bad. It sort of took me ten years to get to do my big Euro trip.
Mind you, in that time I did some other shorter backpacking trips to Asia.But it took that long for me to get the cash/time/conditions to mesh right.

I think the main thing is to live day to day with that future plan as a guide. The planning is half the fun afterall.

Ed

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There's more than one way to skin a cat.

Hi Ed

Good to hear from you. January takes us one year closer - we have a couple of weeks in India booked - hopefully we will get a couple of Enfields and make mini adventure of it.

But you are right it is about getting the balance right - living for the day but keeping an eye out for the future big trip. we have at least now set an absolute final date which we will not go past - in the meantime its lots of riding/camping in the Highlands - down to Ripley etc

Chizz

I am fortunate to have done a fair bit travelling back in the 70s and 80s then a bit more getting to a few places that were on my want list in the last 12 years If I had waited maybe i would be where I am now - with a second injury to the spine that is bad enough to prevent me doing any more big trips and restricts at the moment my time on the bike - i could not even contemplate off tarmac riding presently, certainly in the near future if it doesn't improve then it could be for good. I am glad i done what I could when I could and that was lots of mid size trips to many places on 3 continents - better that than the dream of doing the big one then never getting anything done. The future for me is certainly - uncertain. , I am with Birdy today is today tomorrow may not be there.

We've been planning our trip since the Ripley HU meet of 2005. We've now got just over 2 years left of a 5 year plan. Then we cash in our pensions and use the lump sums to fund the travel. It's getting harder and harder to go to work each day but focusing on 31st March 2013 keeps me going.

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If you think you are too small to make a difference you have never spent the night with a mosquito.

hey bruce,

regarding your job, and possible lack there-of, I think you are in one of the best places on earth to start your own thing. aren't there always HIE grants for new businesses ? there are a few tour guides up there, but always room for one more. especially if you can incorporate a cracking night the (musical) boozer, rooms or camping, local routes, etc. during the winter do walking stuff in the lower hills. set up a travel bike festival thing, like that mad bloke at Glasto ?

you've got a whole 3 years to get it off the ground. less navel-gazing, please... :-)

I have a different scenario all together. My RTW trip in 2012 is part of my relocation from the US to Germany. I have already given notice, which has set the wheels in motion.

As of now, Dec. 2010, I have 16 month left to get my "ducks in a row". Reading up on travel reports of folks who have done my planned route before me, I know that 16 month is not too far out. I have had already a good 6+ month of tinkering aimlessly with various bits and gear to see what might work and what not. All the hardware is pretty much decided on.

I enjoy the planing phase a great deal. With the new year around the corner, I will set hard goals as to what I need to accomplish by the end of each quarter for the coming year (2011). This way, I can focus on specific tasks without getting sidetracked. The main objective is to have ~90% taken care of by the end of 2011. I am sure, there will be plenty of loose ends creeping up, which will have to be addressed in the remaining 4 month until departure on May 1st, 2012.

Let the games begin...

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Thomas

"Hey, ...I'm just ridin' shotgun"