Drawing a Map

Today I found a very interesting web tool, http://www.geolives.com/ it allow me to explore maps of ireland to 1:50000 scale enough to view tracks and paths. This is one of the details that for me has always been important I need to know the how to get there on a map.
So I spend most of the day drawing up the beginning of the journey, I discovered that there is a dismantled train track that crosses most of Donegal down to Sligo, which could be an excellent route to follow and stay out of the main roads. I don’t quite know what kind of condition is this track, it might be worth a while to survey the grounds. Yet I can still have a choice if the track is not practicable I can still use a variety of roads.
The brilliant thing about geolives is that it tells me exactly how long is the route and how long would it take if I go by foot this gives me a good estimate of how much time will take me. it also allow me to plan the areas where we will potentially stop for the night.
The last few days I also started feeling a bit apprehensive is I don’t do at least something every day about planning the project. It is really a strange sensation Last week was a great buzz to talk about it with a number of people and set up the site, it made me feel so close to it, it felt like it was actually happening. Yet the few days that I didn’t do much about it I felt drift away, and with it the fear of giving up.
This sensation made me think about everyday life, if I don’t do something about it every day it just goes by with a sense of giving up.
That in itself is a great discovery…

Tags: Journey, project, track, west

New Ideas

Yesterday I had lunch with Marianne Du Toit. I had mind mapped what I wanted o ask and I guess most of it was about practical matters, I was interested in understanding how to rise founds for the journey.
I have to say if I admired Marianne while reading her book, meeting her in person confirmed her genuine, inspiring, and generous character. Almost immediately I got faced with reality, often times I tend to get so carried away by my dreams and aspiration that reality gets a bit foggy.
Yet again she has been highly supportive of the project, and for that I have to thank you Marianne.

The one thing that I wasn’t expecting was the idea of self found my journey. That Idea caused me to think hard about the how am I going to make it happen. for the first time in years I’ve been driving back from Dublin to Leitrim without the company of my audiobooks, and surprisingly enough the 2 hour journey seemed so fast. so yesterday evening I spent some time reviewing my approach and visualize it on the site

Tags: Journey, project, son, track, west

Deja Vu

Another day full of excitement, I’ve seen this before, I’ve been here before. It’s the place where I get to start an engine and the engine gets into motion. It’s the place where things happen and the only one that can stop them is me….
OK enough of being cryptic. Let me explain what went on today that it was really exciting and energizing.
This morning I was fresh of enthusiasm for having set up the web site that I decided to share it with few people, just to get an initial feedback. But before I did that a thought just come to mind and I could not resist. Few months ago when I first conceived the idea of this project Rachel truly believed I was gone crazy, yet being the supportive person that she is she gave me a book as a present, Crying with Cockroaches from Marianne Du Toit. Since I started reading the book I truly believed the project was possible and I also had a compelling feeling I had to talk to Marianne. Well today I finally took the courage to find Marianne’s e-mail address and write to her and she kindly agreed to meet me. And I also got a lot of constructive feedback and support from my friends.
This is the same feeling I had before on at least tree occasion when I decide to “publish myself in the world”, to use Dawitt Jones own words, “then you never know what can happen”.
It’s up to me now to keep the this alive to completion. And I don’t mean to reach Mizen Head, in time at all costs, but just get on the bigger journey this project is all about… Love and Connectedness…
What a great day!!! 😉

Tags: Journey, project, son, track, west

Finding a route

While I always knew where we would have started the journey, Malin Head in County Donegal, I’m not familiar with the south of Ireland as much as to have an idea of where would be the arriving point. So yesterday evening I decided I’d explore google maps and define a broad map of the journey. I finally found the precise destination, Cloghane at the tip of Mizen Head in County Cork. I also defined the starting point as Ballyhillion at the very top of Malin Head. There are still a lot of question marks about the route I know that I want to cross all the counties at the extreme west of ireland, Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Clare, Kerry, Cork. Yet my idea is to stay off the standard roads as much as possible and instead use walkways and old postal ways, it is only fair for the horses to keep them on a comfortable terrain and is safer for both Matthew and I riding along ordinary traffic.

Yet again one more piece of the puzzle is laid down and journey is starting to gain a life of its own.

Tags: Horses, Journey, track, west

Setting up the website

Today is quite a big day, I’ve started setting up the site for the project. Is a big day because entering information about the father & Son project is making it real.

There are a lot fears as my mind is projecting the whole journey forward.

Yet today is a day for courage. This adventure is all about finding that courage to do something meaningful, and overcoming any apparently logical explanation why it cannot be done.

It almost an interesting combination that today is st. Valentine, this project is about love. Love for each other as human beings, love for adventure, love for the beauty of nature and love for life.

This is my first entry, the site is not yet live, but is taking shape very quickly as write on this page and with it the energy and enthusiasm is building up.

I can already see ahead some of the challenges I encounter and I’m sure there will be many I can’t even begin to fathom, yet I  know that each of these challenges will also bring new incredible discoveries, and that is what I look forward to.

Tags: Adventure, father, Journey, project, son, track, west