I'm gonna put this out there... It's probably going to be long. If people care to read it, it might draw comments that I don't like or agree with but these things have been bubbling around in my mind for ages and I feel like the people in here might be able to offer some wisdom. Here it goes...

I think I've always had a bit of inner turmoil. I'm about to turn 38 and when I look at my adult years there is a common theme of moving around and travel. When I recount the places I've lived and been, people are usually impressed, some amazed or envious... But if I'm honest, some times I suspect it was all just a process of trying to escape myself. It is always the same cycle: become bored with my life, start daydreaming about some new place/adventure, plan and save, move/travel, be happy for a while, repeat.

I'm not sure if this is a common trait of many travellers and adventurers or a flaw in my person haha.

Adventure riding just upped the ante... 3 years ago I set out from Calgary on what was to become a year long, 38,000 km ride to Panama, then to Newfoundland, back down to Utah and back to Calgary. The following year was a nice 5 weeker down to Baja and back via the coast with my best bud, followed by some good 4-5 day trips around my current area of Fernie, BC more recently.

The thing is, adventure riding feels different... I absolutely love it.

But you know what else is good? Living in Fernie in a cool little house surrounded by nature, all the stuff I like to do, and being comfortable. I have the opportunity to purchase my house (which is my favourite place, I have lived) in the spring.

But you know what else would be good? Starting where I left off in Panama or Colombia and adv riding South America for a year! I find myself thinking about it constantly, watching adv vids on YouTube, checking the travel bikes for sale on HU...

But shouldn't I be saving more for retirement (I do have some)? Looking for a wife? Contributing to society in some meaningful way? I don't have some big inheritance coming my way, it's always been up to me. And although my job is great for saving good sums of money in short periods of time, I'm not sure how many years I could do it for as it involves spending most of my life away from home.

I guess I'm looking for some advice from the older, wiser members who have been through it. The people who have done the big trips and wrestled with this stuff themselves. You don't meet too many in day to day life.

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