Hi Michelle:

You are not alone. My story is similar - my last trip was to Tunisia in March 2020, I got caught in quarantine there & only by luck managed to get on a flight back to Canada in April 2020, having left my motorcycle behind in Tunis. I've been stuck at home in Canada since then - I'm retired, and 65 years old.

Being stuck at home greatly frustrates me because I usually spend at least 3 months each year travelling internationally - I have a motorcycle I keep in Europe for just that purpose.

But - what else can we do? The problem (the pandemic) is beyond our control.

The same strategies and outlooks on life that I learned when I recovered from alcoholism 20+ years ago have helped me cope with the restrictions imposed by this pandemic. Briefly, some of these are as follows:

One Day at a Time - We can all cope with "today", but if we start trying to cope with tomorrow and the day after that and the month after that before those days arrive, things get tough.

This Too Shall Pass - Sooner or later, either we'll get vaccinated, or this pandemic will abate, or both.

Let Go & Let God - Even if you are not religious (I'm agnostic), don't try and control things that are clearly out of one's control.

Easy Does It - Don't get too worked up about things. Treat life's problems like a dog approaches things: If you can't eat it or screw it, piss on it and walk away.

Hope these thoughts help you - they are helping me get through this lockdown.

As for visiting Tuk this coming summer, my guess is that you will be able to make the trip. Either you'll get vaccinated, or the infection rate will abate by the summer because so many others have been vaccinated.

Cheer up.

Michael

what a great thread,

I am not a wordly traveller, but I was hoping to become one somewhat before all this went pear shaped.

As I am now 55 going on 56, I was hoping to slow down a bit, take more time and see some of the planet how I had always wanted, slowly and with some thought.

I travelled quite a bit for work, europe and the US ect, but it was always in spurts, the odd 2 week vacation, and once to appease my wife we actually went for a 1 week all inclusive to Jamaica (A country I adore, but after 3 days in the "compound" I needed to get outside the "wall") and was happiest visiting places without guides and sanitised "tours".

I started watching tons of youtube (still am really) seeing places that were interesting and how folks travelled.

One day I watched a channel called "harry's Garage" take a testarossa to morocco. That was it! If you can somehow take a testarossa from the UK to Africa,I had to check it out!

You never really look at a map of the world unless something sparks you to do so, I had never thought that the African continent was something so attainable (I mean you know, but you dont really do you?),that it was something "normal" people could do!

I decided right after that episode that if this guy could take something so wrong for the task,then I could do it as well.

Covid was not going anywhere for a bit, I needed to focus on my business during this time (I work in Aviation,so my worry meter went through the roof) and my Dad was getting worse after his stroke earlier in the year, I needed something else to focus on outside of "life" if I going to make through this time without loosing my mind.

In October/November I decided to drag out a dead (no motor)4 runner that I had stashed in the back of my garage waiting for a time that I could find a purpose for it.

After 9 years parked out back, the paint looked like hell,it stank inside and who knew what would still be functional and I didnt know if this was going to be pointless or worthwhile.

I enjoy working on cars, when im really into it and focused on what I am doing, I leave the garage tired but relaxed, sort of the same as reading a book before falling asleep, it forces you to focus your attention on something other than the "noise" of normal life.

I got started and announced to everyone I knew/met that I was going to morocco (eventually) and this heap was what was going to take me there,many chuckles were obtained along with statements such as "your nuts!", "thats stupid!" "why?", and many other of the same ilk.

So I sort of doubled down with myself,and made me a promise that if the world can get a handle on Covid, I will try to be ready to go.

so when I can ,I go in the garage, and get to work, I swapped in a motor that I had in a crashed 4 runner, changed the gearbox from auto to manual,started to redo the wiring,get things/systems that have been dormant for year to wake up and start working. I feel that this has helped me to calm myself during this time,its stupidly "theraputique" and helps keep my slightly grounded.

I purchased several of Chris Scotts books (I have read them 3 or 4 times over and are on my night stand not to be moved). I have purchased paper maps and started to lay a plan of how and when ,and through this my wife has let me indulge myself on this plan. I still dont know if she will join me as she is not into adventure travel very much, but I include her until she rolls her eye's.

I dont know if this adventure will ever take place, being self employed in a small business takes a bunch of my time,along with kids/ageing parents/ageing dogs and the entire baggage of life,but just being able to plan slightly crazy things makes each day OK.

I tell everyone I speak with that you MUST have something/anything (especially in these times) that gets your juices flowing,even if only a bit.Seek that out.

I feel for all those who have lost employment,loved ones,businesses,and even homes through all this,it will take some time to heal through this,and certainly lives will be forever changed because of it. But I try not to focus too much honestly on the entire world, and try to hold my little piece of it together as best I can,helping my friends, family and employee's.

So all I can say is, use this time to reflect,make sure you know what is important to you, make room for others and be as kind as you can be right now. Planning and dreaming is free (for now)and realise when it time to ask for help,be it a hand or simply a chat.

That was way to long a reply to this thread

Cheers,

Paulo

That's a GREAT reply Paulo! Thanks for your thoughts!

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Well I have to say that I am of the same mind - when all about is madness you need to have something to work towards, a reason for putting up with the chaos of life, etc. What is exciting and a goal for you is not or everyone - and that is the wonderful thing about being human, we are all different. I am so glad it isn’t just me with this philosophy - I suspect that on HU we are not alone with that perspective.

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You will have to do without pocket handkerchiefs, and a great many other things, before we reach our journey's end, Bilbo Baggins. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you. The world is ahead.

That's a great post Paulo and reading it brightened up a miserable wet Wednesday morning. My workshed and garage are full of two wheeled projects with similar long term aims - get them rebuilt, sorted out and go somewhere interesting on them. One of them is even intended to go to Morocco (and should have been there last summer except for Covid).

As you're finding there's always a few bumps in the road between having the idea and setting off. Not just to Morocco but on any journey that takes you out of your routine. Work commitments and deadlines, family concerns, deep down worries about whether you're doing something really stupid, other people telling you you are doing something really stupid ("at your age you ought to know better" etc). You can probably add to the list yourself but take heart from the fact that there's hardly another person on this site who hasn't had to deal with all of that.

When a friend and I first planned a motorcycle trip to Morocco (51 yrs ago!!!) we were told by countless people we'd be robbed, killed, they'd never see us again, don't expect to come back, think of your poor mother, all of it psychological pressure to 'conform'. It took five years before that changed to 'oh he's off somewhere again'. Strangely, few people said 'you'll crash the bike', it was all 'you'll be set upon by 'foreigners'. Most of the people telling us that had themselves never left the country.

I once read a magazine article in which the journalist stated that 'given enough notice I'm the bravest person in the world'. He meant that he'd agree to anything if the timescale meant it didn't happen in the near future. And so it is with overland trips. It's easy to set about doing the planning, setting up the vehicle, sorting the route, the logistics etc when it's a way off but the pressure builds the closer the departure dates get. I once cancelled a trip I'd spent a year planning on the morning of departure when my wife became ill. She wasn't that bad but the delay meant I'd missed my 'window'. It can get very depressing as you see problems multiply as the day gets closer.

It's pity Covid has stopped a lot of the overlanding type events from taking place this year as there's nothing better than getting inspired from seeing what others have been doing. There are a number of Zoom style on-line events but it's not the same (imho anyway). Most of the 'value' I get comes not so much from the formal side of things - the talks, seminars etc (good though they are!) - as just meeting people in the campsites, car parks, bars, round a fire in the evenings and chatting face to face. The positivity you get from stuff like that can often be the psychological reinforcement you need to push the project through rather than giving up and 'postponing' when the pressure builds.

Stick with it, get the truck sorted and take a realistic view of what you're doing. It's a little bit like running - it takes all sorts of mental tricks to get you out of the house, it can be difficult while you're actually doing it but the rewards, both immidiately afterwards and long term, make it worth the pain. You're at a good age as well - this is what I was doing in my mid 50's :