Oh my! only 8 weeks before we are due to leave! Some how it seems so far away, but at the same time, 8 weeks can pass in the blink of an eye. There are many things that still need to happen between now and then, and to be honest, I’m not sure how they will happen, I am just trusting that they will.
Since I last wrote the main high lights have been all to do with the motorbike going through a perpetual round of repairs. It is shocking how much damage can be done on a bike in its poultry 10,000km life. Most of the issues set up in its first 7,500km with lack of riding on the one hand and really bad riding and maintenance on the other. None the less, we are on the road to recovery, and the main thing is to keep up the mileage I do on it before we go to make sure that it is fully tested and any faults are picked up before we leave.
The big up swing in getting the bike ready has been finding the right man for the job, not only is the bike getting excellent attention, but also great modifications. I am also being well trained in the art of driving the Ural sidecar combination, and my mechanical skills have shot up to the point where I now feel confident to get my tools out on the side of the road if necessary. It would be great to fix it on the side of the road as well, so tempting fate, I would not be unhappy if that where to happen before we leave so that my handy work can be assessed and improved upon if necessary.
We may have missed much of the summer on the bike, however, we are making up for lost time and where invited over to Cornwall to meet with the Greenlight organisation that is providing support for families affected by autism. In the process we where able to experience the road for 3 nights with bike and tent, stopping in Poole on the way. I am pleased to say that both Sofia and I have prepared well both psychologically and emotionally, as the 3 days didn’t seem to feel ‘unnatural’ or awkward in anyway and where both taking a proactive stance of learning better ways of doing things. I even had to wonderful experience of extremely limited phone connection (yes Cornwall seems to have been left off the grid) and hardly a free wifi spot to hook into. On the one had it was frustrating because there is still so much to do, on the other, it was great to have the break, and focus on the job at hand of experiencing the wonderful facilities that GreenLight provide, as well making our story available to them to inspire their community. We are very much looking forward to returning with our experience under our belts.
September is now screaming to an end, and a carnet de passage application form is plaguing my mind! Visa application start at the beginning of October and we look forward to working with another Autism Wessex at the end of the October before we leave on our adventure!
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