I have just finished watching two documentaries with Ewan
McGregor and his friend Charley Boorman, about the two of them taking
months-long motorcycle trips: Long Way Round (from London east across Europe
and Asia, flying to Alaska, then across Canada and the US to New York, 20,000
plus miles) and Long Way Down (from the northern tip of Scotland to Cape Town
South Africa, about 15,000 miles). It has been so wonderful to watch them have
these great adventures.
Very inspiring and honestly I was quite sad when they
were each over. I hope they do another trip in the future.
Both adventures were turned into TV series in Britain and
books and their website is still up and running. They acquired a legion of
followers which now include me. Though Round was shot in 2004 and the followup Down took
place in 2007, things seemed very current except perhaps various global
conflicts such as the situation in Ukraine.
I couldn’t help thinking that I would have loved to have
gone along with them, yes on a motorcycle as well, when I was younger. As I
ready myself for an adventure that, while also exciting, can’t quite measure up
to theirs, I’m simply grateful that I am able to make mine happen at all. Every
part of me screams to spill the beans about the nature of what I’m about to do,
but that will have to wait a little while longer.
In the meantime, I shall bolster myself with thoughts of how
Ewan and Charley would approve.
