After my ride to Brisbane I am hooked hook, line and sinker on touring all over again. The earlier part of this year had taken it's toll for the worst. Not much riding, very little enthusiasm and a deep regression away from what I loved most besides my family.
The posting of videos to YouTube were just for fun and to keep friends and family updated, or annoyed, however you want to look at. But certain things that have happened over the past couple of months have helped me put things into perspective once again.
Work is not as intrusive into my life at present and I am using this time to, pardon the cliche', re-invent myself. I am over with driving and I have worked out what I want to do. When asked by someone what I really wanted to do, I thought for a moment and stated, "Ride my bike and work towards making a living doing what I love, riding my bike".
I was told in no uncertain terms, "Do it, don't try, do it". I was also told to never use the term, "I'll try. I'll try is a form of lying to ourselves and can prevent us from chasing that dream. It leads us into a form of complacency which then enables us to back out, or only try halfheartedly which we then can use to our detriment".
I thought about it for a while, you know, it's only in a way something that is worded. It can't be that important. But words do have power over us and especially when you have done something for so long it seems that it will be impossible to change. With me it was truck driving, it was easy. I always used to term, "At least it's good, I always have something to fall back on". Fall back on I did, continually. It's funny how something so profoundly used as a 'safety net' can so definitely become your 'prison'. So those days are behind me. It's now time I turn my back on, and bust out of my prison, leading to nothing but endless possibilities.
So what are my plans? Well they are exciting for me and I am still in a world of self doubt but oozing with positivity and confidence. It is up to I, and I alone to change things for the better; and will.
Firstly... I will continue doing trips. They may only be a week long or a weekend long. It's hard for a married family man, or woman, to get away on the "epic" road trip. Cycle touring isn't about the distance or the country, it is the time away. It is getting out on your pedal powered two wheeler and just going for it.
This will become a big focus for me. How to's for a family man/woman, or whole family get aways. I hope through my blogging and vlogging, website and other social media to encourage others to get out there in a family friendly, budget conscious way. I'll offer hacks, cheaper alternatives and ways that you can get out there. I have been working on some budget friendly hacks for bike packing and getting some use out of the old Merida TFS mountain bike.
Secondly... I intend on vlogging more regularly. Not just trips away like I have been, but a look into my gear, the price family gear that I have and offer alternatives for bikes, and camping equipment in general.
Thirdly... I love writing. Whether I am any good at it, you be the judge. But I plan to get stories together, along with photos (and that means lumping around my DSLR) and sending off to travel and cycling sites, magazines, etc.
Fourthly... More trips...lol
Fifth... I want to move into an area of helping people to learn how to get out there. My plan for this is to organise tours targeted at those who may never have toured before, to help them get on the bike and get going. I know for me, as excited as I was, the first time was quite nerve racking. It doesn't need to be and shouldn't be, but you can't avoid our humanness. It's the uncertainty, the unknown, the what if's that do deter people. So, what if you, as a first timer, could hook up with someone who had been down this road? What if you just happened to know of a guy that has organised a small trip so you could learn the ropes a little?
Let's face it, most cycle touring mobs focus on long trips or day trips. Other than that there are your supported rides such as those done through Cycling Orgs.
Sixth... I want to do something that means something to me. We all want a purpose in life right? What if I was to say it this way..."We all want to do the things we enjoy, and if we can help others along the way...great. More so, if we can make a modest living off it...fanbloodytastic.
I don't want to be a rich man. Bullshit you might say. Well that would be nice, but I merely just want to do what I love doing and maybe earn a small amount from it. Not a bankroll or anything, just enough to keep me doing what I love doing and help pay the bills. What's that old saying, "Do something you love and you never work a day in your life", or something to that effect.
So hopefully I can do something with the writing and make a little cash from it. Monetising my social media through advertising makes a little, very little in fact. Sponsorship, or platforms like Patreon are another way down the track once I have enough viewers and subscribers to Blogger and YouTube. Maybe also a little from guided tours, who knows?
I want to keep things authentic. I don't want to get all fancy and over professionalise things. If you listen to the podcast that I did with a great guy, Coach Jeff Smith, you'll hear how I like my little imperfections.
Ask a friend or two of mine and you'll know that I wanted to move into the cycling touring things sometime ago. But thanks to the encouragement of, not just my friends, but Jeff Smith and Graham Killoran I have been able to take more defined steps towards this.
So these are some plans for the future. Will they work, or won't they? What this holds I don't know, all I know is that I can't "not" go for it. I would rather give it my best shot and fail, than do what I have been doing for sometime, and that is living with the feeling of a life wasted, living with the regrets of not doing...
Cheers guys, and ride safe out there.
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