Interesting that you say that, Geza.  When I was 19 I was afraid to do much
of anything (though I did quit school and move to Washington DC and get a
job - but I was much too cautious to travel or anything).  I was very much
focused on getting my life set up, establishing myself, and - absurd as it
may sound given that I was 19 and had left college - building my resume.

I was 47 when I decided to move into the van and go on the road. By that
point I had finally more or less realized that there was more to life than
my career, that being stuck in one place and tied to a piece of real estate
was uninteresting, that owning a lot of stuff was weighing me down instead
of making me happy, and that although I enjoy most of my work, my
personality is not compatible with most of what really enables you to get
ahead in conventional career ways.  But I suppose I had to spend almost
thirty years living that life of caution and security and property to get to
where I could shed it.

I guess different folks live their lives differently!

Joy

:::-----Original Message-----
:::From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
:::Of Geza Polony
:::Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 10:28 PM
:::To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
:::Subject: Re: trips you probably shouldn't take in your vanagon
:::
:::Funny how aging changes your risk-aversion threshold. I hitchhiked
:::something
:::like 20,000 miles at the tender age of 19, alone, taking with me a
:::backpack
:::and $400 I got from the sale of a '68 Triumph Bonneville. Would I do it
:::again? Sure--next time I turn 19.  Crazy thing to do, but on the other
:::hand,
:::it's one of the best memories of my life.