Looking for something

Ever since the trip was done, I’ve wanted more.

It’s not that the trip was so wonderful that I want to recapture it. It’s that in nearly six thousand miles of riding I never found what I was looking for.

I keep thinking that it was too easy. That through all of that, there was no real challenge. The roads are all pretty much perfect. There’s no real risk of running out of gas in the United States. Breaking down? So what? Grab your cell and a tow truck will be along in a couple hours at the most. Fell down and broke your leg? No worries, even if you’re out of cell phone range a car drives by every ten minutes or so. Even driving down a dirt road through the badlands that doesn’t exist on the gps, has no towns, or any good reason for being traveled I kept encountering more cars…

So, I’ve set my sights on Africa. I’m thinking of participating in the Africa Rally put on by The Adventurists. Take a totally inappropriate motorcycle from London to Cameroon. But half of that distance is across the equally unchallenging roads of Europe, so I’m thinking that when I hit the end, I’ll just continue on down until I hit South Africa. That, surely, would be a “real adventure”.

But, I wonder if, even in traveling the length of Africa, I would discover what I was looking for. I think I would love the experience, surely, and I would find a real challenge, if nothing else, but where will I be at the end of it?

Will it be enough?

I’m worried. I’m looking for something within myself, but I don’t know what.

I think I’m looking for what’s next. The next stage of my life. Will I find that on the road? Will I find someone to share it with?

[Update] I did find it on the road, and I did find someone to share it with. See Corporate Runaways for details.