Enter the Voodinator

Hey hey and welcome to the first edition of My Big Phat DJourney!

I'm going to be using this blog both as a travelogue to keep all of my loved ones informed and envious of my worldwide adventures, and also as an outlet for my thoughts on subjects as diverse as love, politics, science and the human condition. So in other words I'm going to re-write my favourite articles from the week every Friday and publish them (shurely shome mistake?!).

It's a conceit of mine that I can put some of the concepts that amuse and excite me into an enjoyable online readable and learn a little about myself and the written word as I do so.

So, while I might need to talk about LRG clothes or Intel processors from time to time, or to get a little too worked up about how a particular device will 'change humanity forever', I'll also be touching down in locations like Miami, Hawaii and New Zealand and giving you the palm-tree pornography we Brits love so much.

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Right now I'm lying on a relatively uncomfortable mattress (which is on a bed I might point out) at my parents house tapping away at my Dell Inspiron 11z. Despite the substandard touchpad this lime green 11-incher has proved to be a great buy and i wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone that can be bothered to carry an external mouse. I use a Bluetooth one from Microsoft which has three advantages: no wires, no dongle, and it doesn't use up a USB port.

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Pretty much as soon as I decided the dates for my expedition I knew that one part of my life would have to change: I could no longer be surrounded by a range different uber-specced out desktop PCs, one per region of my work area or task. No, I would have to have just one computer. And, to be fair, I have adapted relatively well.

The truth, ladies and gentlemen, is that I'm missing my clothes a lot more.

You see, to go travelling I moved 97% of my possessions into a warehouse somewhere in the South-East of England - and while it's been good conditioning myself to survive from the contents of a 60l back pack (and I'm not very strong so a minimally packed one at that) I have to say that the limited clothing choices are starting to grate. When did I become such a tart? Probably about ten years ago ;) It's very strange to lock up a big ol' wooden crate containing ALL YOUR STUFF on a Thursday night and have it whisked away before you even get up again the next day. Strange, but the feeling of liberation easily compensates for the surreality. There is definitely some kind of satisfaction in knowing your entire life fits into a large wheely-suitcase.
I guess this would be a good point to big up the Osprey Meridian bag (http://www.ospreypacks.com/Packs/MeridianSeries/) which is now my best friend and only constant companion - it's quite a piece of engineering and I highly recommend Osprey to anyone considering a new backpack.

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On a more serious note though I am majorly excited about my upcoming departure. Just eleven days away now! The upcoming period seems to be both a yawning chasm of time that contains almost nothing of note schedule wise and a frantic scramble to see those nearest and dearest to me and close the final holes in my plan(s) of action. Checklists have now become almost as tedious as the torrent of advice that pours forth from friends and family whenever the subject of my trip comes up - sadly both are invaluable so I am compelled to take note. I started getting self help (e)books today as I plan on a lot of self-improvement while I'm away - I'll come back a king of communication, master games-man, physical genius, musical messiah! At least with a few more chords under my belt and a couple more notches on the travel sleeping bag.

Tomorrow I must find: music theory books, walking shoes and more MP3s.

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I'd like to conclude this first post by stating that although the reasons for me leaving where I was are complex enough to be an epic post in their own right, this blog represents my commitment to a new life and 1000% more success and happiness in future - and may even be a strand of that new emotional and physical prosperity. To all of you reading this...cheers!