Do we, or don't we? Can we or can't we?
It started as a drunken dream while dancing. Then a birthday dinner with a tiger cake, the possibilities starting to grow and form the semblance of a plan. We started to read about Reza Pakravan and Mark Beaumont and their World Record rides through Africa. We would swap worries and plans and then it would disappear for a little while. Put on the back-burner for a moment.
I would get over-excited and tell everyone that we have this a-mazing adventure in the pipeline that WILL be happening WHEN we get all of our ducks in a row. Charlie tells nobody (and gives me the eyes during my ramblings) until the plan is certain - his approach is it WILL NOT be happening, UNTIL the ducks are all lined up nice and pretty. So, don't go telling people until it is a certainty.
And despite the tricky conversations at points, this is the reason that we work: the over-optimism powers through the doubts and the groundedness make the plans real. So that was our first route, the path we took from ambiguous maybes to the definite here where the decision is made, we have rounded up the poultry and we can say it: WE ARE CYCLING FROM THE EQUATOR TO THE CAPE.
Shit.
Best Bit: Realising we're going to ride Africa for 4-5 months
Worst Bit: Realising we're going to ride Africa for 4-5 months
