Pre-trip post

I'm now just a few hours away from departing upon this long awaited journey on two wheels to Argentina. The trip kicks off in Atlanta, U.S.A. where the motorcycle I'll be riding has been kept while I've been living in London this past year. In total I should be on the road for 67 days and will have ridden an estimated 20,000 miles +/- 10,000 miles when I reach Buenos Aires—it all depends on how many enticing off-route trails I find myself wandering down. It's been my experience that the real adventure lies just around that corner or on the other side of that river that I had never intended on crossing and I certainly don't intend on inhibiting my instincts from these sources of a good adrenaline rush.

Many of you have asked what inspired me to do this when I could far more easily fly down to Buenos Aires and save myself the hassle. The word hassle really brings a smile to my face especially in the context of what I know I'm about to encounter on this impeding journey. And hassle will undoubtedly come in many varieties. In previous trips, hassle took the form of a bitter undersexed middle-aged immigration agent who had nothing better to do than tear my luggage apart in search for that bootleg DVD she just knew I had purchased in Beijing, and which eventually caused me to miss my flight. Or better yet, in the form of a Bulgarian customs agent who's lack of the most basic knowledge of spices led to a night in prison for attempting to smuggle saffron across the Turkish-Bulgarian border—a culinary misdemeanor at most. Anyone who's traveled outside their home countries has assuredly experienced their own version of hassle. I'm just thrilled to see what kind awaits me in a few hours.

That's it for now... my next post will be from the road with hopefully some pics and helmet-cam footage. Please do be patient... the best footage is still many days and thousands of miles away.