Motivation

Why?

The question still hangs silently--never asked and certainly never fully answered. Today, I feel like the main character in the beginning of Never Cry Wolf: nervously re-counting his innumerable supplies for a long and uncertain winter in the Canadian Arctic. Upon realizing the sacrifices, burdens, and risks he had accepted, he wondered if his eagerness for adventure had outpaced his sensibilities.

Ask T "Why?" and you'll quickly learn that this is one of her two remaining life goals. (I was quietly alarmed at hearing this and hope she adds a few more to that list--lest she become content with an early departure.) Consequently, her outlook is much more enthusiastic and borders on exuberance.

For myself it's a necessary experience; to put into perspective how minor of a component our day-to-day lives are in the greater world. I don't intend to sound pessimistic or naive when I confess that the sheer magnitude and variation of life which exists outside of "us" (the domain of the modern western culture) is still mind-boggling to me. As much as I appreciate what we have where we are, there is so much more to the world so let's get out and experience it.

Our route is "round-the-world" by definition only. We'll skip across East and South Asia with a few destinations in East Africa and the Middle East. The selection criteria was "remote locations destined to change." Some are more remote--the Gobi Desert and Ethiopia--while others are rapidly changing--Lhasa and Dubai. The itinerary seemed linear and cohesive some time last year in the early planning stages. It also seemed like a reasonable distance given the amount of time; this remains to be seen.

So we set off on Thursday with two backpacks, two suitcases and enough personal medical supplies to operate a small but respectable field hospital. We're hoping for the best of luck. However, we suspect we'll have to divert around Tibet unless it's opened up again to foreigners at the last minute. With travel insurance in our back pocket, we'll take whatever comes. We hope that your summer is filled with exploration and adventure, wherever you may be.