So, look what I found on our Hard Drive. Sooo proud of Kerstin, there was only one situation where she was close to give up, that was when the wind exceeded the 160km/h mark. But soon she found out that´s not an option… we would be still on the Panam somewhere waiting for the wind to stop… (nice idea actually but…. no)
Category Archives: 14 – 00 Panamericana 05, 2018 – 06, 2019
Life after the journey – Good memories
How is life after a journey? So, well, not much different than before. In the beginning you focus on the important things to get back to a `normal´ situation; having a place to live, getting ready for a job, repair the motorcycles so that you are mobile again and of course seeing your family and meeting all your friends!
We were lucky and found a nice little house in Hamburg.
With a fire place, a little garden, a garage for the motorcycles and with a perfectly developed cellar, with room to work and room for guests. The motorcycle “Stammtisch AT Rhön” had invited us to its annual meeting like the other years and we looked forward to seeing them again. But then they asked if we could make a little MultiMediaVison3DExperienceSuperDuperGreatestShowOnEarth presentation of our journey at the meeting. Hmm… We had about 2.5 weeks left and we had never done anything like this before. And the worst: We have made about 47000 pictures and movies and have not seen anything of it yet… But since the interest was so great, we gave our best and made a small presentation. We had a great weekend with campfire, good stories and an organized tour together; and in the end we were glad and grateful that our presentation was well received.Maybe even they liked it, 2times StandingOvations… (Or they just have been happy that it was finally over – who knows…)
As always, the question came up, how to make such a journey … Again and again there is the statement: “I would like to do something like that, but …” We can only give the following advice:
If you are a person who feels the desire to go and discover the world, do it. There is really nothing that speaks against or what should stop you, because there is nothing to lose. You can only win. Please never forget that you are the guest in the foreign country. Even if you find processes, actions and views absurd, alien or even not logical (e.g. BorderXings in Central America). You may not know all the background, not the history of the country or natural conditions (Nicaragua BorderXing is an exception, it´s absolutely makes no sense to fill out all this papers three times… but hey, don´t complain). Observe and act with caution and care over other customs. Be open to encounter something new and also to learn new views. Most people always welcome you and only want your best. If you have a bad gut feeling, then leave the place and/ or behave calmly.
The majority of folks are afraid of losing what they currently have. A house / apartment with all the belongings, a job, relationships… Our experience has shown that finding a new home is not so difficult; even in a city like Hamburg. In our days most employers’ value experiences like these and even at an advanced age, we have always found a job. In this case, Sascha even got a Sabbatical Year approved. You do not really need most possessions. It can even be liberating get rid of things that are not really important. And for the rest there is always a solution, a storage space at friends, a warehouse or alike. The family and true friends support and help you (even if they say in the beginning “That´s crazy!” All these are no real reasons not to do it. And you should never forget, you can cancel the project any time, if you realize that it is not the right one. That’s no shame! (That´s what Kerstin said, Sascha says: “Go for it, set a target date and go for it. Do not postpone it. Set a realistic Date and off you go… again SET A DATE! Important… There is no way back ;) (ha ha ;) )
However, we have met only a few people who discovered that this lifestyle is not for them, and hey if it´s nothing for them fine, but at least they tried it! Many more people we met were so infected by the desire to travel (the travel bug) that they do not want to stop anymore :) But that’s another story…
On Kerstin’s birthday we took the opportunity to thank all the lovely people who believed in us and helped us to realize the journey. We shared some of our stories and we took them on a little journey into the past.
Every time we look at photos or remember stories, we realize how wonderful this journey was. We are glad that we had this opportunity and we enjoyed every km (you know afterwards you tend to forget how many times you asked yourself “WTF we are doing here anyhow? ;).
Of course, there is always a bit of sadness, because quickly we wish to go back again. We are still in contact with many travelers we met on the way. We have covered stages together with one or the other and we are eagerly awaiting their onward journey. We are often jealous and would like to be back on the street. But we wish you all great experiences and hope, the way one or the other passes us and we can celebrate a reunion.
Mi case es su casa!
Hasta La Vista Baby! ;)