Packing It.

Organization is the key! Thats my mantra as the packing begins.

A list is a good way to start. The "Motorbike Excursion Packing List" is a templete I custom designed years ago and modify to meet the requirements of the adventure at hand. Seperated into four categories; BIKE STUFF, CLOTHING, CAMPING & MISC, with bulleted specific items to check off under each, the MEPL provides a fine base.

The MISC section has quickly spilled over onto another sheet of paper. Mostly due the addition of a miriad of electronic devices I must not be able to live without.

I now have a laptop computer for which I am grateful to my sister. It gives me portability to make these blog entries and easily keep in touch with folks back home. So I guess it's a good thing.

I also became the recipient of a "smart phone"! Another first for me. If I ever figure the damn thing out I imagine it'll be a good thing too. Thanks Mom & Dad! Then there is the Canon digital still camera plus the Sony digital movie camera and all the batteries, chargers and cables to operate them. Next, I talked myself into taking my little Garmin GPS unit including charger and bar-mount soft case. Can't forget the IPod and Goal Zero speaker and solar charger. Finally the sack of cables, chargers & adapters.

The plan is to fit all this into a backpack.

The Mindset of the Move!

Late in October 2011, I received the news (via the web). The longstanding motorcycle dealership in Portland, OR, where I was employed, was closing it's doors. Although not a big surprise, after almost eight years of service, a phone call would have been nice.

The motorcycle industry being what it is these days (in a general downturn), my options were limited. Having been the PDX location for  Motoquest Tours and witnessing the rapid growth the company was experiencing, I decided to reach out to them to see what transpired. I had met Phil Freeman (owner/operator) only once shortly before PMC closed. Although the encounter was brief, I was left with a positive impression! The email sent was short and to the point, letting Phil & Co. I had the skills, attributes and ambition needed to be an asset to the Motoquest team. A couple of weeks passed before I received a reply. What a reply it was! The stars must have been aligned in my favor. Phil wrote, "you are my very first choice", sharing that he had already had me in his sights for the Service Manager position! Follow-up included a couple more emails culminating with a phone conversation when the deal was sealed with a virtual handshake!

The realization slowly set in. I had about 3 1/2 months to prepare. As previously related, I found information and inspiration by reading blogs and ride reports of others. Experiencing Alaska and Atacama, and all roads in between, as lived by adventurers on motorbikes was all the allure I needed.

There was much to be considered. The fact that I've never really moved away from my chosen home town area since settling here in the late 1960s occurred to me. My family and friends absolutely entered the picture. What do I do with "Senor" the sun conure that has lived with me for 10+ years? The logistics of owning a home in absentia. One by one, I've sorted through any mental land mines that might disuade me from what has become a sense of destiny. The dice are rolled!

Two Week Countdown Begins!

All going well, March 12th at 8:34 AM, I'll be stepping off an airplane in Anchorage Alaska. If I'm lucky someone will be there to pick me up and whisk me off to my latest adventure! As a friend has so deftly described it, "You seem to have found the job which combines work and fun in a perfect way." "The job" he refers to being my new position with Motoquest Tours!

I'm heading up early to get the shop in ship-shape and prepare the motorcycles for the summer riding season. My only other time in AK was around 1960 as a small boy. We were flying to Japan via Anchorage and Honolulu so I never made it out of the airport. What I remember most was the seemingly giant stuffed Polar Bear towering over my head inside of the terminal!

My preparations have included extensive research including reading blogs and ride reports chronicling the adventures of many moto-tourists. This account will begin by sharing the thought process behind the decision to "jump into the void", leaving the security of hearth and home, then report the actual "nuts and bolts" of getting ready to make the "jump". Finally I will endeavor to provide a "blow by blow" narrative of daily occurances.

The main objective being to have a diary of sorts to document my latest life phase, it will also serve as a conduit to my family and friends. Also, I  invite any interested voyeurs out there to follow along. I welcome any input regarding any aspects of this offering, whether it be suggestions for adventure or construtive criticism on my writing style. In that regard I will attempt to live up to the standards set by others before me. I will include many photographs and pertinent links to embelish the written word.

Enjoy, and thanks for coming along for the ride!