Let’s Talk Adventure! [Adventure]

Writing an eBay description of a beloved car is like writing an obituary for a pal that’s still alive. Flaws and strengths. Must be honest. But then you definitely must go out to the garage and crawl inside them.

Let’s not specialize in the sorrowful news, that’s the passing of my lovely 1975 BMW 2002 on to another owner. Ruby is a great car, but I’m barely driving her, and I don’t like owning things I don’t use. May she be pretty much as good for her next owner as she has been for me.

Instead, let’s concentrate on why I’m letting her go: to buy a Land Cruiser.

I’m aging and slower and dumber. I’m 32. I’m not likely to be rich or famous or wealthy or have some huge cash or be rich. But what I do have, what has become my own personal fortune, is freedom. I don’t have quite a few stuff, but I don’t have any debt. I actually have my health. (From which I withdraw at a rate of a number of whiskies-and-cigarettes-per-day.) And I actually have a role that lets me earn cash from the road.

I wasn’t planning on being at Gizmodo this long this tour. Six months, inside and outside. Nevertheless it’s been more like nine months already and I don’t see a right away result in site. I had this startup I was going to do with a pal but that died on the vine. So here I am, blogging. Which, hey. It’s an awesome gig.

But I won’t be capable to do that forever. I’ll go stir-crazy. I always do. So I’m seeking to put together the following big adventure.

Next summer I would like to hit the road. First to Alaska, to touch the pole. (And get every Palin woman pregnant. My girlfriend objects to this goal primarily for political reasons.) Then back off and around the States for a month or two, visiting a number of the places I’ve never made it to or haven’t spent enough time in. And then within the fall, down south through Mexico and on towards Argentina. The Panamerican Highway .

As daydreams go it’s a gorgeous mild one. Hundreds of usa citizens hit the overland road annually toward Central and South America . And a huge percentage of them write and blog about it. And I’m sure I’ll, too.

But inside the meantime, I’ve got slightly lower than a year of learning and experimentation sooner than me. I must greatly expand my abilities as an auto mechanic beyond my current specialities, Bolting Things On and Sandwich Spreads. I have to bone up on some more Spanish. I wouldn’t mind some type of first aid training, as the last I had was 20 years ago within the Scouts.

And I must determine what gear is important and what is a joke. I expect it truly is going to be a relatively high-tech expedition rig when all is asserted and done-I am a tech dork in any case-but the last item I need to be doing in a year is troubleshooting fritzy gear within the field. (Instead I need to try this this year.)

So first things first: Getting a truck. Land Cruisers are about as universal as a vehicle might be internationally. Capable, relatively inexpensive when used, and with a higher-than-average chance of local parts availability. Plus the old ones look fantastic. And when you can’t look fantastic within the field, where can you, really?

(I’m watching 62s and 80 Series, once you’re a truckdork and care.)

I’m particularly anticipating finding the balance between equipment to keep us running strong on the road with things that we’ll wish to, you know, live in relative comfort. I’m not Mr. 4×4, but I’ve seen loads of rigs taken out to the desert or what have you which are packed to the gills with extraction equipment, etc., leaving little room for water. I had a moment last night after I looked at my acoustic guitar, safely swaddled in its hard case, and thought, ” Obviously I’ll wish to take my guitar.” And then a little shock as I spotted that my guitar in its case would take in a massive amount of room at the back of a Land Cruiser. Should I instead strap it to the end? Mount it on the hood like an ornament? Build a different guitar trailer? Every single thing ends up being questioned and questioned again.

That doesn’t bum me out. I’ve been ditching increasingly more of my stuff over time. I already do two-week trips abroad in a carry-on-with my camera equipment. Nevertheless it’s going to be a full new level of technomading it .

I also don’t know easy methods to use a Hi-Lift jack in all its fancy multivariousness. The only real winch I’ve ever used was made up of LEGO. Most of my desert driving experience was while high and in dust storms. I’m out here in Portland, Oregon now, so there’s a variety of terrain around to practice on all winter, but I’ve got an awful lot to profit.

It’s my latest mid-life crisis and I anticipate sharing it with you all. We’ll see if I really be capable to stay heading in the right direction for this one-I’m not known for follow through in terms of life goals-but I’ve been fascinated with it heavily for no less than multiple years. I must luxury of truly with the ability to pull it off. It sort of feels wrong, in a method, to not do it. But who knows?

If nothing else, it will be amusing to observe me flail.

Illustration by Sam Spratt. Inspect Sam’s portfolio and become partial to his Facebook Artist’s Page .

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This post is tagged: beloved car, land cruiser, nine months, panamerican highway, personal fortune, usa citizens, writing an obituary