Real-life Road Warriors

[miss_adventure]

I don't celebrate NYE, preferring to start my year at Samhain; typical Western NYE is just another night of dealing with drunks and fights, albeit on a grand scale. However, 31 December is saved for this: it marks the start of the annual Dakar Rally. The Rally, which started in 1979, is an off-road race from Europe (this year's race started in Lisbon, Portugal) through the Maghreb and West Africa to Dakar, Senegal. Racers use cars and trucks, motorcycles and quads, and self-created customized machines--there is even an American sidecar rig competing this year. The 2006 route is expected to take 15 days to complete for the serious contenders, as it is plotted to be as rugged and unforgiving as possible.

Needless to say, I want to ride this rally someday. Just finishing would be a Grand Adventure(TM). (Or because I'd have to enter as a broke privateer and because I would not be competing as a serious contender, a Grand Misadventure.)

Comments

[rhiannasilel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, maybe. I actually find driving a relaxing hobby and like my 42 mile one way commute because it gives me a chance to relax.

I sort of have this weird mobility thing where I have to drive or travel a fair amount or I start feeling out of sorts. I'm not sure why that is, but it gets worse the older I get not better so I don't think that it's a "follies of youth" kind of thing.

[miss-adventure.livejournal.com]

I start getting all uncomfortable in my skin if I can't travel, which is a reason the Job makes my skin crawl--it ties me down to a specific geographical area. I make sure I get out of town on three-day swings and on vacations, but I increasingly miss my vagabond road-punk days when i lived in my car and traveled all over North America.

[rhiannasilel.livejournal.com]

I recently watched the whole Carnivale series and it really made me long to live on the road. I never actually lived on the road, but I did move around quite a bit and used to take extensive road trips. I wish there were still travelling freak shows that I could join up with and maybe read tarot cards for a living again (did that for a few years at local Baltimore coffee shops and new age bookstores).