The time has come.

Maybe it’s me (it usually is), but there seems to be a lot of articles circulating these days about “Career Breaks”, “When to Leave Your Job”, “Following Your Dreams”, and so on. (I know, I know … it’s the sort of thing that makes for a midlife crisis). While this can be an appealing idea in concept, the reality is that for many (possibly most) people it’s not as easy as these “experts” would have you believe. Then again, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s as hard as the naysayers like to argue. On a side note, the comments generated by many of these articles show just how strongly some people feel about either side of the issue. And remarkably some seem completely incapable of realizing that there ARE actually two sides.

Obviously, there are few (if any) decisions in life that are right for everyone and, while it’s cliche to say so, all anyone can do is that which they believe is right for them and their situation. And so, I’m about to find out what’s right (or wrong) for me.

So now, change is coming. And coming fast.

I’m somewhat of an “all or nothing” kind of guy and so on June 26th I’m giving up my apartment, packing up some bare necessities (and a few not-entirely-bare necessities), loading them onto my bicycle and hitting the road. Destination: St. John’s, Nfld. Distance: 3,000 km.

The reaction of family and friends to this decision has been interesting – and frequently entertaining. My favourite response is the blank stare masked with a smile. This is followed by a slight pause (although, likely longer than the person realizes) and concludes with a simple, yet not entirely convincing, “That’s great.” – actually, more often it’s “That’s great?”.

I guess I’ll find out how great it is in about 2.5 weeks.

So much to do. So little time.