Don’t forget your…chainsaw
I drove through the night; The long empty curves of the Dales bathed in moonlight, and on through sleeping towns where the light fell from the street lamps and fractured on the tarmac.
As the mist rose with the sun, I arrived at the port and am now aboard a near deserted off-season ferry. The few passengers roam aimlessly and stare into the sea like ghosts. I exist in some kind of exhausted limbo: too tired to sleep but not quite awake.
I hope to make Germany before nightfall and find a good place to sleep. On waking I think I will feel like this adventure has truly begun and so, while still in this disconcertingly swaying purgatory — complete with duty free and bar, I will take the opportunity to share a little of the preparation that I have undertaken in the last few days.
Ok, I know what you’re thinking: Where’s the kitchen sink? Well let me explain…
Perhaps you have read the articles about minimalism and living with only 100 possessions or heard songs with lines like “ the less you own the more freedom you have”..well I have, and am invariably smitten with the idea. I wholeheartedly agree that owning things like cars can bring a whole world of stress with them, especially for someone like me who lives hand to mouth most of the time.
In fact it was only a month or so a go I bought a van especially for this trip, which broke down within a week and was sold for parts losing me over £1000, which alongside a few other misfortunes, has made planning for this trip pretty stressful. It’s at these times that I long for simplicity and along with my slightly obsessive desire for everything to be neatly stowed in it’s right place makes me a prime candidate for the life of an ascetic.
But this is where some hurdles arise. I have LOTS of hobbies, all of which seem to come with an abundance of ever growing kit! Snowboards, surfboards, tai chi swords and dog rigs are all among the things that I considered bringing on this trip. Second to this, is the absolute kit-fest that is required for my job as a tree cutter. And if I am honest, I have to admit I love kit! So suffice it to say that with my split personality of minimalist and hoarder, along with a tendency to consider any decision in great depth, packing for this trip was agonizing.
So a brief explanation on why a couple of the seemingly less necessary items have been included: This trip has no deadlines*. My hope is that if I can find work while I’m in Europe (which on a rare political note I might add that I’m very happy to live in the EU), I can continue to stay in Europe indefinitely, and so this is why you will see a very stripped down selection of chainsaw gear in the pack and enough essentials to survive indefinitely on the road.
The longest stay I have planned on this very flexible journey is with one of my oldest friends Tom who I can’t wait to ride motocross bikes with at his new home in the South of France — which goes some way to explain why there is a helmet and pads in the selection.
My skateboard was nearly abandoned. I recently dislocated my shoulder whilst skating which put me out of work, and since then skateboarding has taken a back seat. But when I realised I was journeying past the famous Marseilles park I knew I would only regret not having it with me, if only for a few carves around the bowl.
And lastly, I’ll mention my photography gear. I became really frustrated lugging huge bags full of photography gear around and decided to trade it all in for the stripped down equipment list you see here. This way my camera is always with me and easily accessible. In my mind it is better to have a mediocre camera and get a shot than a huge array of pro kit that is left at home. I am yet to regret this decision, in case anyone in the photography world is considering the same.
So here I am, on the verge of a huge adventure and also of falling asleep, aboard the Stenaline’s Britannica, while below on the car deck my kit is all neatly packed into another piece of kit: The 1998 MK4 2.4TD Toyota Hilux named Jennifer who you will soon get to meet!
*I am hoping to get to the north of Finland before the snow melts — it would be a shame not to get at least a little snow time after the miserably wet winter working in Cumbria and Scotland.
N.B. Thanks for all the kind wishes and offers of support from friends and family!
