Life Changing Books - Nov 14, 2015

The title says it all. I have actually read the books about a month ago, but I reckon it is appropriate to mark today as THE day, on which I have discovered, discussed and concurred with my wife on what I want to do with my life, from now on.

These are the books. I have watched the shows as well. The combined impact of the visuals and words is enourmous. It's overwhelming.

I cried reading these books. I kept asking myself, why am I so moved by these guys, their stories?
My heart raced when I read about their close encounters with deathly accidents, my heart sank when I read about the hardships they faced. Most important of all, I want to do what they did.

I suspect the idea of riding a motorcycle and disappear into the horizon has been inside me from a long time ago, despite being dormant. With this idea buried deep down without me giving myself a proper debriefing, I think, I have not been totally honest to myself, and I have not been totally happy with my life.

Yes my life is a rather comfortable one. An above average job, I have a mortgage on an old house, I have a lovely wife and some cash in my name. I have fought so fiercely for all this in the past 15 years. I am grateful for what I have and I am proud of myself. However, as time passes, I feel something is not right. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I know something isn't right.

What am I to do with my life? I can certainly go on with my job and save up more cash, pamper myself with some man toys here and there, buy my wife and myself a travel package here and there and perhaps, get a dog as well while doing all that.

But something is missing. Let's say I do all that. One find day I will find myself on the bed waiting for Lord to take me with him. If he asks me what have I done in this beautiful world of His, I wouldn't be able to answer Him.

What have I done? Just get a job and get old? I must have been kidding myself! Why o why? What am i doing, right this moment?

I began to realize that my life is not just about going to work and getting paid for it. I am here in this world, to do something for myself, to see something for myself, to experience something for myself - all in this life time. I work and I climb the corporate ladder, but who am I if all that is to be taken away from me? I would become a nobody, at an instant. But if I were to accomplish something for only me, the sense of achievement will stay long after, and the experience and knowledge gained out of it wil be useful for all situations, not just at work. Or so I hope.


But it doesn't matter really. What matters is, I think I want to see the world. I want to change my life. I want to stop this corporate life, turn a new life, go see the world, and whatever it will bring and do to me, I will be happy to accept.

I have this idea in me, and these books (yes coming back to the books finally) just light off this grenade-idea. Yes, I want to travel the world, see the world from the saddle of a motorcycle.
I want to do the Long Way Round. I want to do the Long Way Down. I might not have Ewan and Charlie's convoy, but I have my wife to fall back on, and I have my whole life to cherish the accomplishment after I complete the rides.

Yes I will have to quit my job, and it is not easy to get another job in Japan, once you voluntarily leave the job market. But this is a new leave of life, where it will bring me to I don't know, but I know where I will end up if I stay stagnant.

CK, my Long Way Round.

Happy Riding everyone.

2015 Nov 14.