I guess I am feeling slight anxiety, and that’s maybe because I’ve never done this thing before, never gone on a trip with just a bike, a hammock, and a few clothes. It’s a bit of an endeavour, but that’s what it is supposed to be, an endeavour. I've never done this, so why not? Maybe I will learn something important during this trip, maybe I will meet some interesting characters, maybe I will realise something I’ve never realised before. But to be honest, I cannot live this linear life that most people live. Where they settle in a city, get a job, find some friends, and basically do the same shit every day, it’s not me. I want to explore, see new things, challenge my perspectives, and this “linear life” doesn’t give me that.
So what has been up for the last few days? Well, I started sleeping outdoors like at the beginning of the week, one day it was my girlfriend and I, we both slept in the hammock, but it’s quite big so it fits two people. It was uncomfortable though, my back got pretty chilly during the nighttime. And my legs were a bit tight in the morning. I didn’t sleep much, but it was my first experience. We basically set up near the house, there is a mini-forest nearby so we went there. After waking up around 6 am, we just headed back home.
Then there was the day before yesterday, this was the official attempt at trying to sleep outdoors. This time it was just me. I left the house early in the day. My bike was loaded with all the equipment. I have a duffle bag on the back of the bike, where I kept the hammock, the rain tarp, and a few clothes - one outfit, some gym clothes, a towel, and a few other basic necessities. Besides this I had my backpack, it’s sort of a computer bag, but I squeezed in some food, my laptop, chargers, and the sleeping bag. It wasn’t too heavy, I could still ride the bike with ease. But I did feel like I had a bit too much.
Anyways, I travelled around Krakow on that day, just testing out the riding, and looking for spots where I can set up camp. I went down to the centre for a bit, then over to eat some Polish food, and eventually, I made it to the shopping centre, where I did some shopping. After I got some free water at Starbucks, that’s a life hacks and will save you some money while on the road, go to Starbucks for free water, hot or cold, I hear. I sat down and did a bit of work. I’m trying to hire an assistant for my design work, and also to help me market my content online. I’ve been at it for a few weeks now, but maybe I’m not paying enough - $7 an hour, I know...
I finally finished my work, and it was time to go set up camp. I found this forest near the Shopping centre. It was pretty close so it worked for me. But the only bad part was that it was near a highway, so I could hear the ambulances in the distance screeching. I set up camp, tied the hammock to the trees, and was set. It was around 9pm now, but it was light outside. I settled in, it took a bit. Kicked my feet up, rested my head, and closed my eyes. I heard some noises nearby, which unsettled my nerves. After about an hour I realised that I was in the forest, and I wasn’t the only one here. There we tiny creatures all around, wild animals sniffing for food, and other invisible things wandering these woods. I took a deep breath and told myself that it’s alright, “I would be alright”.
I awoke a few times during the night, to the cold wind which blew under my back. It made me shiver. I tried to adjust my posture several times, but it didn’t really work. I went in and out of sleep through the night. The light eventually awoke me again. I checked my watch it was 4:40. “Too early” I murmured to myself. I tried to sleep, but couldn’t. Then I heard rain above. It was slow rain. After 10 minutes or so it became faster, and faster. I felt the droplets splash on my skin and knew I had to go. The forest was kicking me out, telling me “start the day”.
I wanted to go to the gym, but the tiredness of it all stopped me. I made the decision to go back home, so that way I could prepare a bit better. I didn’t have a raincoat. I didn’t have anything under the hammock to keep me warm. I wasn’t ready yet. I spent the next night at home, just making sure I was prepared for the next time. Being home felt good though. The warmth of the bed. My girlfriend’s moody attitude. The mess in the kitchen. It all felt so familiar...