Preparing for the open road

Two days before a bicycle trip its always chaos in the Longueira household! My bike is standing pretty in the garage ready for battle, my bright yellow panniers are clean and empty airing for their load and all my spares are strewn all over.

I have just finished a remarkable book; The Pilgrimage, by Paulo Coehlo. Sadly it was not the best book I have read by the author, the Alchemist will surely remain his best piece of work, but there were some fascinating underlying morals that moved me. He is in search of a sword along the ancient road to Santiago, he has been battling inner demons for weeks on the road. He is approaching his destination and still not received or found this sword. He begins to doubt whether this trip was for anything, he becomes extremely depressed by the thought. A couple of days from the end he has a revelation, not once has he stopped and pondered what he would need the sword for and what he would use it for. He has been so lost in the idea of getting it that he has forgot to enjoy the journey and understand the process. Is this not how we treat our dreams so often in life, perhaps it is the reason we never reach them.

While focussing so greatly on what is ahead and neglecting our present time, we lose so much time and in essence...lose ourselves. I keep this thought dear to me as I embark on a mission.

The destination has been left unclear, Durban, Balito, Grey Town, we are simply open to the experience of the open road. There are lessons we will learn and sometimes its not about where we are going but rather how we are getting there. There are swords to be found along the way, what will we do with ours. Will we fight the good fight, will we return warriors, leaders and better men.

Kunjani