"Radio silence allows us to disconnect from the world and reconnect with ourselves."
-Anonymous
Today I leave Kathmandu and Nepal to ride to the Tibetan border. This is truly the beginning of an adventure I've dreamed about for years. For all the planning and preparation I've done over the last months since resurrecting this trip, there are still unforeseen roadblocks and red tape that could derail me. The bottom line is I don't know what I don't know, but I'm a quick learner.
Our normally upbeat and joking team (we call ourselves The Sensational Six) was conspicuously demure at dinner last night. We are six individuals who share a dream and have jumped through hoops to realize it, yet each of us are keenly aware that none of us could have accomplished it alone and that one clerical error, misinterpretation of a comment, or mechanical error could derail any one or all of us. We've entrusted the realization of our dream with each other and as such, have built a bond.
Apologies for the demure tone here, but I've built this experience up in my head so much over the years that I'm quietly terrified that it won't measure up. We don't know what we'll face at the border, but we are as prepared as we can be and are all cautiously optimistic about the outcome.
If I go silent for a day or two, rest assured that I will be working to remove the obstacle(s) and get back on the air by any means possible and in that pursuit, I will activate tracking on my Garmin when we roll.
Wish me luck!