NomadGal's Year on the Road

Good pictures----the sequence of travel being reported is baffling to me though---I've been so some of those places but not all in the same day---'Spirit' must be enchanted somehow---a magic carpet ride?

Not sure I know what you mean! I pretty much report once I get online, so it is sequential. Maybe in the beginning because I started late on my report, I might have been referring to earlier stuff, but I don't remember. Let me know which sequence is baffling.
But who knows........ maybe Spirit is a magic carpet

Better late than never! Thanks for following me, however, you picked a slow time, got to work for a little while now!

Ahhh, two days on the job, and I am already longing to hit the road again!
I tell you, there must be something wrong with me........ oh well, I'm trying to hang in there till I have at least a grand, that lasts me about two months on the road. $1500 would be better. We'll see, it's not worth giving up my sanity for!

NomadGal, if there is something wrong with you then I have must have the same affliction.

Ben

No Esther, there is something right with you.

There is something wrong with a civilization which pushes everybody and everything else aside in the name of financial gain. The idea that we must give up all our sunrises, all those crisp spring mornings and that smell as the plants start to warm up for the day... that we should give up our time with friends, our families, our peaceful contemplation and ecstatic dancing and passion in exchange for something as meagre as money is an affront to what it means to be alive. There is a lie born of greed, stoked by people who enjoy the gains from an uninformed workforce, cowed by fear. The lie is that there is no other choice but to bow your head and pull the plow until you die, doing the things you truly live for only in the margins, if you're lucky. Some of us can see a different path.

We are made of stars. Don't ever forget that.

A sane person to an insane society must appear insane. - Kurt Vonnegut

By yourself, it doesn't make sense. If there is someone else with you or another bike nearby, like if you have two at home and that's where you are, it's the best way. Or, if someone on a bike stops to help.

You need a centre kickstand for that to work by yourself.

hey how you doing
dont feel bad i know how you feel once i started working again i could not wait till i got back on the road again i felt like i was on a leash i hate it when i cant travel :)

One of the best quotes I've seen. Money's great but it's definitely not the most important thing. Keep riding!

Haha, let's start a club!

Yep I agree, but I also know that money in our current way of live is a necessity, Spirit after all rides on gasoline, and even though I require little food, I still need to purchase it because I'm not that knowledgable about wild plants, berries and mushrooms. Still, I consider myself lucky in that I know it is only temporary, and I try to approach the work in a happy and peaceful way. It seems to work, because yesterday and today were quite pleasant and I made a lot of people happy.
Shopping might not be my thing, but seeing as I can not tell the shoppers the superfluousness of owning more than a couple of jeans, I content myself in the knowledge they they are blissfully unaware.

I hope you can get some riding in between workdays(nights)

Haha, thanks!

Yeah, unfortunately (actually fortunately) I am mostly by myself and often in the middle of nowhere, so this trick won't do my any good. Thanks for the suggestion though

I had one but took it off. It interfered with my regular kickstand, made too much noise, weighed a ton, and made my clearance way less, so I was hitting it when riding over rocky areas. I also am a bit of a wimp, and I was never able to get the bike on the stand, no matter how hard I tried.

I had one but took it off. It interfered with my regular kickstand, made too much noise, weighed a ton, and made my clearance way less, so I was hitting it when riding over rocky areas. I also am a bit of a wimp, and I was never able to get the bike on the stand, no matter how hard I tried. <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
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Had the same issue, and I'm a lot 'heftier' than you are, lol....sold it off and was glad to lose the weight....
A little 'stick' from EM fills the void for getting the back wheel off the ground when needed.
Glad you've found some income...hang in there and fill up the travel account...
Enjoy your time in the shop! :)

Ah. I fear I communicated poorly. I was trying to reaffirm your lifestyle choice.

The only way there would be something wrong with you, by letting work/money serve your life instead of the other way around, is if the lies repeated in our culture were true. Money has its place, for sure. I like buying food at the store too, it's far easier than gathering it myself even at the best of times. (Try gathering pinenuts sometime, $14/lb will look like a steal!) But still. It is good that it is temporary, and it is good that you are controlling work, instead of your work controlling you. That's all I meant to say. :) That there's nothing wrong with you, there is something wrong with society's assumptions about which things have value, and that you're courageous, not broken, for pursuing the things in life you really value instead of giving up on your dreams.

Ha! You were probably in the Keys at the same time we were if it was super windy! If you remember passing two GS/GSA's then that was us! If we didn't wave, it was because only about 5% of riders in Florida ever waved and we were getting disenchanted with not having our gesture reciprocated.

I agreed with your assessment, the Keys were kind of a letdown until we got to the very end of Key West. It was super fun however riding on a road that was only a few feet from the water!! :eek1 We never got to see the wildlife and alligators you saw, so we'll probably have to head down that way again.

Hi Esther, I just discovered your RR and read it all. I have been planning my first moto tour of Baja and your adventure has bouyed my confidence.

There are a couple things that I want to tell you about. You probably already know about them, but I have not seen any reference, so, in the off chance you don't, here they are: The first is www.couchsurfing.org It's a site that lists thousands of people with couches all over the world where you can stay for free. In your case, I'll bet that at the least, you could find someone with a back yard who would let you set up your tent. The second is www.airbnb.com. Pretty much the same thing only the accommodations range from tree houses to villas - but they aren't free. The owner sets the price - often less than a campground. Again, you could negotiate for tent space in the yard, probably very cheaply. Most accept last minute reservations.

I hope you find these useful - and that if you are ever back on the west coast (Grass Valley, CA) you will take advantage of our couch (or back yard). Rick

You posted this in the wrong thread.I think you're looking for nomadgirls thread.

Um...This is NomadGal's thread. At least it is on my computer.

I had to much turkey last night.

Yes I do remember that!! I was thinking as I saw you that it was too bad you were heading into the other direction! Ir seems that I very rarely seem to be going the same direction as other biker travelers I meet. But once in a while I do, and that's kind of cool.