Day 10: Live update – Odometer 18251km. Now on my home run back to Sydney. Rather disappointed that I couldn’t allocate the time for a visit to Kings Canyon, but I’ve visited the Northern Territory three times in the past 2 years all on motorcycles, so I’m pretty sure that I can squeeze in an opportunity to go and see it in the near future. Goodbye for now, NT!
Rookie mistake #10: Allowing regrets to cloud up my journey. Never regret what you could or could not do. Instead, cherish the time that that you have already spent, and look forward to what is still ahead.
Naturally, we go through phases of greediness at some points in life. Whether that be in money, social power and influence, material possessions or food, it is much more of a case of how often and to what degree, rather than whether you do engage in it. When it comes to travel, we all want to try as many thing as possible, and visit all the attractions that come to your way as you move from destination to destination.
As noted in my previous post, there’s only so much that we can do with the amount of time that we have available. That is, unless you don’t have a job to go back to. For the rest of us, time isn’t on our side, because money is also not in our favour. With the 12th highest cost of living in the world, Australians in general spend 11 months of the year living life around their work commitments to be able to afford a decent standard of living. For the remaining 4 weeks of annual leave, we have the freedom of doing whatever we wish, with the crumbs of savings that remain after all our inescapable expenses are met.
As a result of these constraints, it is up to us to allocate our time and money on activities that we feel will bring the greatest sense of fulfilment. Money is the kindling which makes a sustainable fire possible. The fire is the activity that we wish to pursue within the time we can spend. We try to put as much of our available kindling to the fire that we wish to feed to the time we have in our journey.
An enjoyable journey is one that disregards regret over things that are either done or have never become reality. As much as we want to do all the usual touristy things that our favourite Instagramers constantly throw at us with their most exotic experiences, we can’t simply accept every single opportunity that approaches us. Being able to be decisive with our choices will ultimately strengthen our ability to remain levelheaded and be fully aware in situations where there is a greater likelihood to make the wrong decisions in the heat of the moment.
As practitioners of philanthropy would claim, moderation is the key to a fulfilling life. Maybe one day, when I become a wealthy man, I can enjoy the liberty of spending as much time and money to my desire as one who is unencumbered by the idea of wastefulness and needless extravagance. But it’s not normal to have everything so readily available to us. Human nature dictates that we inadvertently become overtly hedonistic and narcissistic when we have too much of a good thing. Moderation brings a balance of healthy equilibrium within our souls.
Regrets about what I had not done in my road trips pale in comparison to those that relate to my own well-being when I eventually return to the reality of life. The significance of my financial responsibilities back at home is of the greatest priority. I must always remain in focus to keep in line with what my limits are in terms of how much money I can spend, and what level of risks I can take without endangering my ability to return to work and continue to sustain my bank balance.
Basic Statistics for the day:
- Route: Yulara, Curtin Springs, Erldunda, NT/SA Border (Stuart Highway)
- Total distance: 440km
- Range of temperature: 16°C to 35°C
Expenses for the day:
General map route:
DAVE'S VIEWPOINT 