Following the flow…

Is a few days that I’m resisting the temptation to write in this blog, I’m not quite sure of the real reason, I guess is that lingering fear this might be too big a project.

At the week end I followed Oriana suggestion and I checked out the Long Riders Guild. It is indeed an incredible resource, I contacted the founder and I got immediate reply and support. I’m sure that despite my journey is not up to the Guilds standards they will be a significant source of information and help.

I began reading some of the incredible stories of riders around the world that accomplished incredible adventures and for a moment I allowed myself to dream what an exciting life style that can be. “One journey at the time Fabio” I keep telling myself, but hey dreams are for free. Turning them into reality is great fun 🙂

In the last couple of weeks I have been noticing a significant change in Matthew’s mood and manner of interaction with others. A very positive one, he is much more approachable and open to others than ever before. It is great to see him like that 🙂 I have great hopes for our journey and I have the impression that he is starting to get involved.

I’ve been receiving a lot of very useful suggestion and advice from a lot of colleagues and friends and I’m starting to keep a record of things I have to put into action.

Maybe I also identified a possible suitable horse, but I will need to ask its owner if they will be willing to let me use it.

A piece of the Puzzle at the time and I’m sure the big picture will take shape… 😉

Tags: Adventure, Journey, project, son

The First Act of Kindness

Wow, on monday I send an e-mail to 800+ people announcing this journey. My heart was racing so fast that I had to get out of the house for a very long walk after that.
When I came back There was a lot of e-mail in my westrack inbox and for a minute I panicked “I wont be able to respond to them all!” I thought to myself. While I’m teaching communication I’m not that good at keeping in touch as I would like to.

Yet every single message I received was incredibly supportive and gave me a huge amount of courage to keep going.

After a while a thought started to form “Have I been sendimg out the right message? I’m wonder how many people will take up the challenge of a random act of Kindness?” I don’t know If I have sent the right message out but today I opened one mail and here it was ;-)) the very first Act of Kindness.

Thank you to Lucinda and Simon Boucher for making a donation to the Temple Street Children Hospital in Dublin. While I haven’t yet met Lucinda I know Simon since just over a year and you could always trust him in being the one to lead the way.

Thank you again guys.

Tags: Journey, project, track, west

The big Day

Yesterday was the big day I set for myself to send out the announcement via e-mail to all the people I know. It was quite tense, and part of me kept pushing it forward. And when I finally found the energy to do so technology had to spoil the day by making it difficult, I’m still wondering if it was technology or me. After sever attempt I decided to go to bed a bit disheartened a bit relieved. So here is a new day, and with it a new resolve to make this project work, and take the next step work. I’m considering split the mighty 800 plus mailing lis in 8 smaller ones and see what happens. At times I wonder how can it become so hard to use such a simple technology like e-mail. Well I better get going. I’ll update this post later this evening.

Tags: father, project, son, track, west

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

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