{"id":480,"date":"2011-01-25T21:27:31","date_gmt":"2011-01-25T20:27:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/?p=480"},"modified":"2011-01-30T22:52:57","modified_gmt":"2011-01-30T21:52:57","slug":"the-perfect-time-for-a-bicycle-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/2011\/01\/the-perfect-time-for-a-bicycle-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"Why 2011 is the perfect time to go bicycle touring"},"content":{"rendered":"

Time is running out.\u00a0 We all have a tendency to put off living our dreams.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The world's waiting. Don't let time run out on you. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

First we\u2019ve got to get a college degree to ensure a good job in the future.\u00a0 Then it\u2019s time to start a career and get ahead in life.\u00a0 Next comes the new car and the fancy wedding.\u00a0 Before you know it you\u2019re tied down to mortgage payments on a large house in the suburbs.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 After that comes saving for retirement and socking away money for the kids\u2019 college fund.<\/p>\n

Perfect Timing<\/h2>\n

The time to get away just never seems right.<\/p>\n

And don\u2019t kid yourself.\u00a0 The perfect time to leave \u2018regular life\u2019 and set off on an adventure will never present itself.\u00a0 NEVER.<\/p>\n

There will always be good reasons to keep doing what you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n

A job promotion on the horizon.\u00a0 A need to top up the retirement fund. An addition to the house.\u00a0 A new relationship just getting underway.\u00a0 Family commitments.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to let time slip away into a series of NEXT YEAR I\u2019LL DO THAT\u2019S <\/em>which often become I WISH I HAD\u2019S<\/em> once we hit retirement.\u00a0 Let\u2019s face it, at 65 your bicycle touring prime is long past.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m all for being responsible in life.\u00a0 Getting an education, contributing to society, saving for the future\u2014those things are important to me just as they probably are to you.<\/p>\n

Some things I don’t <\/em>believe in<\/h2>\n

What I don\u2019t buy into is the idea that we\u2019ve got to be tied down to a steady job for 40 years. I believe in taking time out.\u00a0 Getting some perspective on life.\u00a0 Slowing down.\u00a0 Finding the fulfilling and focusing on the meaningful.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re reading this blog post, then you probably live in the developed \u2018rich\u2019 world.\u00a0\u00a0 Just by chance of birth, we have enormous opportunities.\u00a0 We got the long end of the stick, so to speak.<\/p>\n

The real key<\/h2>\n

If we are content to live simply, saving money will not be all that difficult.\u00a0 I\u2019m not saying it\u2019s always easy, but it is possible in most cases.\u00a0 I\u2019ve met many people with only moderately well-paying jobs who nevertheless mange to save money for extended travel.\u00a0 Teachers, students, waiters, postal workers, auto mechanics.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know about you, but when I really, truly want something, this something has a way of happening.<\/p>\n

Of course, there can be setbacks.<\/p>\n

\"roadblock\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Back in 1995 I decided to quit my (moderately fulfilling) job with a big San Francisco bank and set off to explore the world.\u00a0 I was 28 at the time.\u00a0 Even though I was on a good career path and earning a decent salary, I had absolutely no real savings.<\/p>\n

This is not an uncommon situation for many Americans.\u00a0 Spending all that we earn (and more!) is one of our defining cultural characteristics.<\/p>\n

But suddenly, I was determined to travel.<\/p>\n

At the time, I lacked the discipline to pound out a sound budget and stick to it for a couple of years and watch my bank account grow.\u00a0 I\u2019m impulsive by nature, and at 28, two years sounded like eternity.<\/p>\n

A slow start<\/h2>\n

So I did what a lot of North Americans do:\u00a0 I went abroad to teach English.\u00a0 Not exactly adventure travel, but a pretty good stepping stone.<\/p>\n

Eventually that decision to give up a \u2018good job,\u2019 did lead to a pretty adventurous life.<\/p>\n

But not without some setbacks.<\/p>\n

An initial teaching job in Japan was a disaster.\u00a0 The company was disreputable.\u00a0\u00a0 Three months after setting off for Asia, I found myself back in the US.\u00a0 Waiting tables at the local German restaurant and living with my parents in Montana was a big step down from a corporate job in San Francisco.<\/p>\n

After a summer serving Wienerschnitzel and Apfelstuedel, I picked myself up and landed a job in Korea.\u00a0 My experience teaching English turned out to be much more successful the second time around.<\/p>\n

I taught, I learned to enjoy the simple life and, quite naturally, I saved money.<\/p>\n

After my one year teaching contract expired, I had enough in the bank to finance a backpacking trip around Southeast Asia and India.<\/p>\n

This is where travel addiction sets in<\/h2>\n

Finally I got my first taste of the freedom of extended travel.\u00a0 I loved it.\u00a0 New cultures, new ideas, new languages, new people.<\/p>\n

Of course eventually I came down from my cloud and there were more setbacks ahead.\u00a0 Worse things to deal with than having to wait tables at a cheesy German restaurant.<\/p>\n

But I think from the point I took that initial plunge and turned in my resignation at that respectable bank, I took responsibility for my life.\u00a0 I decided, in a small way, that I could live life on my terms.<\/p>\n

We can experience incredible freedoms.\u00a0 We can take off and explore the world.<\/p>\n

But in order to experience these freedoms we\u2019ve got to take some chances.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve got to be willing to step out of the box and embrace the unknown.<\/p>\n

I truly believe the freedom of a long-distance bicycle tour is possible for the majority of readers of this blog. If you\u2019re interested, that is.\u00a0\u00a0 Many aren\u2019t, and this blog post isn\u2019t for you.<\/p>\n

\"img_2760-hombori.fatima\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sure, we\u2019ve got to give up something in return.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have a beautiful home filled with lovely objects.\u00a0 I\u2019ve missed out on some important family events.\u00a0 I can\u2019t claim any impressive career achievements.<\/p>\n

What I do have is a lot of memories of incredible experiences.\u00a0 I\u2019ve camped under star-filled skies in the Sahara.\u00a0 I\u2019ve shared tea with beduins in the Sinai.\u00a0 I\u2019ve coasted through California\u2019s giant redwood forests.\u00a0 I\u2019ve cycled through the Alps and the Andes.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve got friends from around the world.\u00a0\u00a0 And, most importantly, I\u2019ve got confidence in the future.<\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n

Are you on the fence, considering a long-distance bicycle tour in 2011?\u00a0 Maybe it\u2019s time to take the plunge.<\/p>\n

\"Make<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Time is running out.\u00a0 We all have a tendency to put off living our dreams. 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