Sat Nam Yogis! Welcome back to the next episode in our #YogicJourneyandWildGooseAdventure.
We left off yesterday having just come to the sobering reality of the enormity of this adventure and began listing out the high points we needed to grapple with in preparation. After the high points we began with the list of items we could lay our hands on and we know from experience are necessities and began laying them out in the studio. We were in trouble…there was no way this was all going to fit in the new bike and we had some gear that was either, missing, broken, or “Waaaay too Big for this trip!” I sighed dejectedly over the studio loft wall down to Amy. “Just start a list Hun. The universe will provide.” She responded. “Can you tell what I’m doing down here?”, she asked. I didn’t have to get up on the floor where I had collapsed in despair. Her exuberant excitement about the trip oozed out of her voice much like the southern drawl whe she gets like this, “I know…you’re doing the Snoopy Dance. Only because you haven’t seen the pile and the obvious holes, yet.”
Moments later Amy appeared at the top of the steps, “Holy Mackerel! That’s supposed to fit on the bike?” She was stunned to say the least.
Once we collected ourselves I began the “New Gear” list, to identify those items we either replace, buy new for this trip or need to be downsized to fit on the bike. The list included things like: a backpacking size tent (replacement for the 4 man, two bike garage tent we have been using), new stove, pots, dishes, coffee press, new day pack (old one fell apart this spring), hiking boots (to minimize space they double as bike boots), head lamps (old one died over the winter), new riding pants (Amy’s where winter pants and way too hot for this trip), an army duffle to hold it all.
The next couple of weeks were full, I had begun teaching Kundalini Yoga and Meditation on Monday evenings from 7-9pm in Irvine, Amy was pulling extra shifts and we we spending our down time prepping for the trip, starting our business, Soul Clann and Soul Clann Yoga, spending as much time as possible with our family, even snuck in an overnight trip to Yosemite with our visiting son Devon and occasionally sleeping for a few hours.
I stayed up all night Thursday August 4-5 packing and relaxing until I got it all packed in the following:
– Icon Tank Bag (hold over from my first Goose I purchased in 2006)
– gloves
– Electronics
– Snacks
– Amy’s Backpack
– gloves
– warm and rain gear
– Snacks
– hydration packs
– 2 Helmet bags
– books
– 2 pair jeans
– Hats
– Jewelry
– Gems
– Oracle Deck
– 2 reading glasses
– Soul Clann 60 Liter Canvas Duffle
– 2 yoga mats
– blankets
– sheep skin
– roll top food case
– cooler (snacks, yogi tea packs and meds)
– clothes for the 17 days
– luggage rack for bike
– Cook set
– Waterproof 40 Liter Bag
– tent
– 2 sleeping pads
– and various and assorted other things…including the kitchen sink.
When Amy got home from work Friday morning, we slept the best we had in months.
Saturday morning, Amy got home from work and we did the 1st day of our 40 Day Sadhana called Kriya for Elevation with Long Ek Ong Kars. We also completed the 1st Day of the 40 Day Stretch Pose Challenge issues by my dear friend and teacher Dev Shabad Singh. All in all we made it out the door with little to no fanfare. We had a list, we checked it before walking out the door, and again when we loaded up our SUV Hope.
The airport is only a few minutes from our house so we made it with plenty of time to spare as I parked. The home rang. “Hello!”, I said tentatively and the car got quiet, as it was the motorcycle shop the bike has been stored at for the summer calling. It turns out that with the bike sitting all summer, no trickle charger, the battery was dead. No fear, it’s been resolved and a new battery installed. I confirmed the bags and windshield were all set and we finished up. I hung up and we all breathes a deep sigh of relief…”the trip is still on!”, I said. Then I remembered, I have everything except a check to pay for the bike. So, as Amy and I checked in Mom races home to find the infamous checkbook. Thirty minutes later, Mom returned from her quest, having been stopped by every red light (save one), ran wildly through the Halls of Avalon and dug around my filing system in search of a single check. Wahe Guru Mom, you saved the day and at 11:11am we passed through security on our way east.
The #YogicJourneyandWildGooseAdventure is truly begun! Check back in tomorrow to read more as we report on #Day2 as we pick up and load the bike. Spoiler…we have a problem with Amy’s jacket. #CycleGear to the rescue we hope!
Soul Clann 