So I leave my job December 1 2006.

I hope the nerves don’t get any worse than this. I suppose it feels like jumping off a cliff into the river below. You know you’re going to land in the water, you know the rush of exhiliration you will experience from the freedom of giving up your fear. However until you have jumped, that fear remains. I feel like I have been standing at the top for two weeks now and don’t know if I can stand six more. When I handed in my notice that was my ‘point of no return’. Like Marty McFly it’s back to the future or bust.

Having this time allows preparation for legalities like customs, registration and insurance. It boggles the mind that life is so tied up in filling out forms that it may be harder getting permission to do the trip than actually do it. Again fear creeps into the background. What if we get turned back at the border, what if we run out of money to pay for visas, what if someone catches us doing something illegal. Rationality plays no part in fear. However it can control it somewhat. I have no shortage of fear. Maybe this is a healthy thing. Until the time for action has come however, I am stuck in an extended state of panic. What do I pack, how much is too much, do I need more money, why haven’t I organised the remaining 4 months in South America?

As a perfectionist at heart, I can maintain an aloof pretence of being relaxed and calm about the trip unfolding. Yet the cold truth is sometimes I can’t sleep at night because of the stress of something going wrong. The real truth is life wasn’t made to be perfect. If we wanted everything ‘perfect’ and ‘comfortable’ we could just pay a tour company to escort us. The dirty, sad and difficult moments are always the most memorable. They had better be worth this torture!

I met a girl this week. It is one of life’s great ironies that good things come at once. When those good things are mutually exclusive.

Ladies and gents, a bit of plastic welding and one new (blue) screen later, I give you…. one very kick-ass looking CBR 250!

I’m really happy with how it came up. Took it to my parents place over the weekend, where my Dad and I give it one hell of a polish and installed the newly repaired fairing. Put a classified for it on trademe pretty much straight after we had finished, so hopefully it will sell pretty soon… after checking out the prices of other CBR 250’s around the place, I’ve decided my asking price is $5,500nz.

If your keen, flick me an email She’s done 27,500 k’s and in fantastic condition.

urrrrrg.
Air tickets have been bought. Strangest feeling ever… standing at the counter of the travel agent, 5 button pushes later and $2800 disappears into thin air. Well, disappears into some fancy bits of paper that let me on to the airplane.

I need a US Visa.
New Zealand is one of the few countries involved in the US Visa waiver program - meraning that an NZer can stay in the States for 90 days or less without needing a visa. HOWEVER, to qualify for this you need to present an air/bus/something ticket showing that you are leaving Canada, the US or Mexico within 90 days. My exit ticket is from Sao Paulo, Brazil in four months down the track…. so I don’t qualify. Josh had an excellent suggestion - that we pre buy bus tickets from Mexico to Guatamala to show the US customs people that we ARE leaving within 90 days. In the end i’ve decided that I had better cross all my tees, and dot all my lower case jays - the worst thing that could happen would be for us to get to the US and have it all turn to custard.

US Visa’s can only be applied for in Auckland. *sigh* They invlove a half an hour interview, a background check for convictions, and a finger print record… so i’m heading up for a quick roadtrip to AK in a few weeks time.

Thats all for now, peace,

Jonno

Managing my budget for this trip is like walking a tightrope… sometimes it seems everything is going great, and sometimes it looks like I’m about to fall off the edge. Rahrg.

Current fluid funds: $6000nz

- $3000nz for airfares

- $500nz for travel insurance

+ $4,500 sale of current motorbike (projected amount)

+ $2,000 saved between now and then
_________

$9,000nz

This might seem like quite a bit, but when you factor in the fact that a KLR 650 (motorbike we had pegged as ideal) will be around $4000us ($6000ish nz) after servicing etc, things start to look a little wobbly finance-wise…. hrmm. Time to start looking at my low-cost motorbike options. I have been reading this thread on the hubb with interest.

I crashed my current motorbike (don’t ask). It’s okay, but the fairings a pretty scratched up, and a few pieces broke off the front fairing. Looks like it’s going to set me back $200 or so to fix it - not something you need to think about when over half your travel fund is currently sunk into it. Balancing the tight-rope, carefully carefully.

Ticket details have just come in (inc taxes) = $3010.00

This gets me Wellington > Auckland > San Francisco, then lets me continue the ticket from Sao Paulo, Brazil, four months down the track at the end of the motorbike journey. From Sao Paulo > Munich > Frankfurt to stay with my uncle and aunt and travel around Europe from a bit, then Frankfurt > Bangkok > Auckland > Wellington. Not too bad for $3010 straight up. My original fair required that I get my ass back to San Fran from Brazil to continue my round the world ticket, a pretty daunting prospect considering the cost.

I sold my Car! Next up, my motorbike. Wish me luck,

– Jonno