Do not think
“I’ll go as I please!”
when taking a journey.
Rather, think, “I may have some problems,”
and you’ll be free as a bird.
    — Yasumi Roan

So this it -- we are a couple of days from setting out on our months long excursion to Asia.  It hasn't really sunk in that this is actually happening, but ... I guess it is!

This sort of thing was the germ of an idea a number of years ago, but so much happened in the interim that it often seemed like a distant dream. 

We’d always been the types to enjoy shoestring travel — we did a couple of extended backpacking trips back in the 90’s, and still enjoyed that style of travel even when we had steady jobs and more money. 

We also have always enjoyed being on bikes — both as utilitarian transportation, and as a pleasant, challenging and engagingly self sufficient way to travel.  A number of years ago we resolved an extended bike trip would be something we wanted to do when we retire. We settled on our current plan relatively recently — 8-ish months in Asia, starting in Japan, then tracking through Thailand and Malaysia, then on to Taiwan and South Korea.  

There were certainly times when it seemed like this was very far away, and might not even happen.  

COVID happened, obviously, and we can all recall an extended period where it seemed like normal life was a long way off, and we had one day after the next of putting our heads down, working from home via Teams and Zoom, and just getting the day done to go on to the next one.  

Post COVID came the second trial -- Marilee's challenge with her shoulder. Marilee had sustained a serious spiral fracture of the upper humerus 14ish years ago while cycling (slowly!), and had had a sizeable plate in place since then. Around mid-2022 It started to hurt more to do the regular stuff, and did not get better with physio, stretching and exercise.  We spent a few months trying to get in to see and orthopaedic surgeon, who recommended another orthopaedic surgeon who specialized in shoulders, which took another couple of months to get in to see, who then informed Marilee that the blood supply to the humeral head had died, and her shoulder needed replacing. Not good news. 

We waited another few months to get into surgery. When the day finally came, the surgeon removed the plate only to find that the bone was not in an adequate condition for the replacement to take place.  What followed was a year of reconditioning and waiting, and working, and waiting, with the uncertainty of whether a replacement would be successful, or successful enough to do things like long distance bike touring.  

At long last, we got a date for surgery in December 2024.  That, however, was a false start, as Marilee's surgery -- even after she had gowned up and was waiting to be put under -- was delayed, as an emergency bumped her operating room and surgical team.  Two more months waiting, and the surgery finally happened in February this year (and was successful!) and Marilee has been focusing on rehabbing her shoulder since. I'm happy to report that mobility (as good as can be expected) has returned, and the shoulder now moves pain-free.  

We also both took the plunge and announced our retirements to our respective employers, effective the end of June.  Since then, what we thought would be a relaxing few months of summer has completely flown by.  We did manage to do a two and a half week shake out tour, reported here: Summer Island Hopper.  Marilee's shoulder seemed just fine throughout, and we seem good enough to go. 

Anyway, I've been trying to keep the above poem in mind over the past few weeks as we've been busily preparing for our upcoming trip. There seemed so much to do, between prepping the house for our tenants (our kids, a nephew and assorted others), getting bikes and stuff ready to go (tune ups, endless new gear decisions), and getting ourselves ready to go (medical appointments, decisions on optimal banking arrangements, ensuring the administrivia of our lives was manageable remotely, learning how to count to 10 in Japanese etc.).  I've been reminding myself that: 

• the house is in the hands of intelligent and trusted young adults who can manage if they need to move more stuff into the garage or call a plumber; 
• future you is not a complete moron -- at least, no more so than present you, and is able to cope with challenges and suboptimal gear decisions; 
• Japan and elsewhere in Asia have stores with stuff in them, you don't need to overthink what you are bringing; and 
• no matter how many to-do lists you make, something will be forgotten, and life will go on. 

I also recall the blurb in the back of the Lonely Planet Guides:  "Don't worry about whether your trip will work out, just go!" 

So here we go! We may have some problems!

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