Alan – Page 9 – Alan Perlman

Cycling Africa with Mark Lawrence

Case Studies in the 9 to 5 alternative: No. 6

Welcome to a series of profiles on alternative lifestyles. If you think that you (or someone you know) would make for an interesting interview, drop me a line.

A couple of weeks ago, I get an email from a guy named Mark. It reads:

Hey my name is Mark Lawrence. Friday was my last day of work. I have left the corporate world. I plan to bike across Africa.

How’s that for an introduction?

Meet Mark Lawrence. Currently living in Chicago, Mark recently left his job as a banker and is currently training to cycle across Africa. Besides salsa dancing and “urban exploration,” as he puts it, Mark’s likes also include couchsurfing and languages–he speaks Spanish and is currently learning French.

When I asked Mark to provide a little background behind his decision, he wrote:

I went to school. I graduated. I got a job at a bank. I was doing everything “right”. And then it hit me; I asked myself: What do I really want to do? How do I want my life to turn out? Is what I’m doing now going to get me there? I saw many people at work that weren’t happy. They had been working there for so many years. They got their few weeks off a year and that was it. I started contemplating a million other ways of making a living besides sitting in a cubicle. This included learning French, teaching English in Asia (or elsewhere), but my mind kept wandering back to a solo bike ride across Africa.

Well there you have it. I’ll let him tell you the rest.

So, you left your job, and now you’re going to be cycling across Africa. Why?

The African continent has always fascinated me every since I was a kid. From a real young age, my grandfather would show me maps and pictures from around the world. He’d show me a figurine or something and then point out in the atlas where it was from. The photos and stories were relentlessly interesting. I wanted to go on a journey through Africa so I can see and experience it for myself. Taking a two week vacation can be tiring and expensive. Now that I don’t have to be at work, I can take as long as I want to soak in the African continent. This bike trip is not a race. It’s about doing Africa at my own pace.

Let’s talk logistics. What’s your route? How are you going to handle visas? How long will this take?

I plan to start in Cape Town and end in Cairo. No scratch that, Ill end in Alexandria. Whatever happens in between, nothing is set in stone. I’d like to spend some time in Namibia, Angola, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Malawi. Then I’d like to head through Tanzania (with a jaunt to Zanzibar), head through Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia up through Sudan and end in Egypt. I will head from the bottom of Africa to the top. This will definitely not be a straight line across the continent, but a zigzag across places as they unfold. I don’t want this to be a trip with a set itinerary where I have to be at certain points at certain times. With all the unknowns, and with such a long time frame, this would also be unrealistic. I am excited to see where the road will take me.

As for visas, countries like South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana don’t require a visa if you are staying in the respective country for less than 90 days. For other countries, most visas can be obtained at the embassy in the bordering country and will be issued within 24 to 48 hours. I don’t expect everything to go 100% smoothly, but since I have no timeline or flight home I have to catch I don’t have to worry about time delays. A visa delay might even be a good thing as it would allow me to stay meet people and have experiences I otherwise wouldn’t have had. I approximate that this trip will take about a year, but I have no way of knowing for sure. I could fall in love with a certain city or country and stay much longer. I might cycle much faster than I could have previously thought. I won’t know until I’m on the road.

How do you prepare for a trip like this, both mentally and physically?

I don’t think there is a way. I will be fueled by my excitement and passion for the experience and the journey. I have spent countless hours researching a million different topics related to this trip. I have read Riaan Manser’s Around Africa On My Bicycle. I follow cycling blogs like my former roommate who is biking from Berlin to Beijing or The Big Africa Cycle. I plan to do some practice cycling in Europe before I head to Africa, and I have some rudimentary biking “experience” down in the US. However, nothing will prepare me more than just getting on the ground and doing it.

How are you financing the trip?

I am financing the trip through savings that I have amassed over the past two years. I read and was influenced by the book Vagabonding by Rolf Potts. Rolf Potts dispels the idea that long term travel is expensive and for the rich or retired only. He advocates how long term travel can be achieved by anyone with an adventurous spirit and is actually much cheaper than you would think.

When I first started saving as much money as I could, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was saving for, but I knew that it would provide a cushion of freedom that would allow me to explore opportunities without having to be tied down to a 9 to 5 job. I had a number of ideas for what I wanted to do and finally decided on a bike trip through Africa. Every dollar I saved excited me as I knew that it I was closer to being able to “buy my freedom.” I would not have to stay in job I didn’t like just so I could pay the bills. I had successfully “bought my freedom” and decided to use it to bike across Africa. I’ve never been happier or felt more free!

Any other ridiculously awesome plans for your future?

Before Africa, I plan to do some practice cycling in Europe. The only plan I have is to visit certain friends in France. Besides that, I’d like to jaunt off and explore Europe without any particular plan, course, rhyme, or reason. I’m going to let coincidences and random events dictate where Ill head. When the time feels right, Ill head to Cape Town. I’m looking forward to taking in the world.

You can follow the Mark Lawrence’s adventures around Africa at Lifestyle Ignition. If you have any additional questions or comments, feel free to comment below and I’ll do my best to make sure he sees them!

2010 Quarter 2 Update

It has been exactly 6 months (and 6 days) since I outlined my goals for 2010. Let’s review my progress:

—FITNESS
1 mile in under 5:30.
*I’m down to 5:44! Should be able to complete this pretty soon.

Run a half-marathon.

200 squats without stopping.

25 pull-ups without stopping.
*At 17 right now, which is really pushing it.

Be able to fall into a push up from standing position, like Christian Bale in Batman Returns.
*Done!

Cycle 100 miles in one day.
*I’ve done three 35+ mile rides. Hoping to complete this goal before July 25th, when I leave on my next trip.

Be able to hold an L-position for 30 seconds.
*How people actually do this is beyond me. Seriously. I’m still trying to hold it for one second. Yep, one second.

Hold breath for at least 3 minutes.
*I’m at 2:20. This could be a funny YouTube video…

—BLOGOSPHERE
the9to5alternative.com

Redesign and rethink my vision as a blogger. Is this a travel site? A lifestyle design or business site? This needs to be cleared up.
Write at least 15 guest posts for other bloggers.
Get at least 500 subscribers.
Post consistently, at least once a week on Tuesdays. Sundays will be reserved for PMBA and case-study updates.
Develop a cost-of-traveling blog widget, an idea that I’ve been sitting on for several months.

*I’ve given up on the last two goals; posting consistently, I’ve realized, is more stressful than it should be at this point, and the cost-of-traveling blog widget is a side project I’m going to put on hold, as my plate is already full enough. Regarding my vision, I know where I’m headed, and I’ve synced up with a designer that’s going to help get me there. I’ve written a few guest posts (and have several more to write), and my current subscriber count hovers around 400.

A quick note: The goal of this blog is not to reach as many people as possible. I simply use these metrics to track my progress and stay motivated. That being said–the more people that read, the more people I can interact with and bounce ideas off of, the more fulfilling and purposeful this whole experience is going to be. I’m still trying to find my online spirit. You all have been a huge help.

nepalprints.com

Redesign and find a cheaper host.
Sell at least 5 prints.

*Part of my blog redesign will be merging my images from nepalprints.com, which has been temporarily taken down, to the new site. Don’t worry–pictures are on the way! Not sure how many I’ll be selling though…

thecurryproject.com
I set this site up to record my experiences at different Indian restaurants around the world. It could go in a variety of directions.

Write at least 20 reviews
Get at least 50 subscribers

*Right now there are 16 reviews and 10 subscribers. Big shout-out to Earl (from Wandering Earl) for stepping up and writing some killer reviews of Indian restaurants in places like Mexico, the U.K. and Australia. I’m way behind with my reviews, considering I ate in six different restaurants throughout New Zealand and Australia this past trip. Stay tuned for more curry.

—LIFESTYLE
Read at least 15 more books on the Personal MBA reading list.
*I’ve read 5, but I haven’t published a new book summary in a while. More Personal MBA reviews are on the way.

Put together a long-term goals/bucket list.
*Done! Check out the list here.

Buy a keyboard.
*My new roommate, who I will be living with in September, has one! Crossing this off the list.

Hike the Presidential Traverse in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
*Doing this in a week and a half, with Nate Damm from the way that you wander and a few other friends.

Score at least a 700 on a practice GMAT and then take the real thing.
*I decided that business school is not for me. I have a multitude of reasons, and it took me several months to come to that conclusion, but I’m happy with my decision.

Make at least $500 in supplemental income.
*So far I’ve made $332.01 from a combination of niche marketing and freelance writing assignments.

Reread I Will Teach You To Be Rich and restructure and optimize my finances.
*Done!

Track all my expenses. To the penny.
*Still on track.

Finish the 21-day No-Complaint Experiment
*I’m going to try this in Africa, during my next survey in a few weeks.

Score at least $15,000 on Jeopardy! using the Coryat method. So far my highest score is $9,600.
*Done! I try and watch Jeopardy at least a few times each week, and lucky for me, twice I have scored above $15,000. Typical Jeopardy contestants score upwards of $25,000, so just to clear things up, I’m no genius.

What goals are you working on in 2010?

New Zealand Circuit: Auckland, New Plymouth, Wellington (and Christchurch)

I’m alive!

And quite embarrassed. I’ve spent a regrettably long time away from the blogosphere. Seven weeks and some change, if you hadn’t noticed. While friends of mine were busy dodging bullets in Thailand, creating new businesses, even losing their jobs—and finding time to share their experiences—I’ve somehow managed to put my Internet life on hold. As my father says, intermittent hiatuses from technology are healthy, yet I feel like I’ve been missing out on some amazing stories and discussions in the travel and lifestyle design community, a group of folks I’ve worked so hard to become a part of over these last few years.

Thanks for sticking with me.

So, without further ado, let me jump right back in and tell you about my most recent trip to New Zealand. It’s a doozy of a post, so feel free to skip around.

Auckland: Sky Tower, Auckland Domain and Livability

As winter approaches the Southern Hemisphere, hundreds of yachts dominate Auckland’s Westhaven Marina. Auckland, nicknamed the “City of Sails,” has more yachts per capita than any other city in the world, more than 135,000 if you can believe it. An even more revealing statistic: one in three Auckland households owns a boat. But I wasn’t interested in the water. Flying in from Sydney, quick-eyed and anxious to stretch my legs, I thrust my head against the cabin window. Where are the mountains?

I imagine many first-time travelers to New Zealand (that route through Auckland) are thinking the same thing. Little did I know that the New Zealand stereotyped in the U.S.—you know, Lord of the Rings, epic mountainous landscapes, etc.—that’s all on NZ’s southern island. Auckland, and the two other cities I visited for work, are in the north.

Lack of mountains aside, Auckland has a lot to offer. According to Mercer’s Quality of Living Survey and The Economist, Auckland is one of the most livable cities in the world. With my work done and a day of sunshine to be enjoyed, I put on Vibram FiveFingers and hit the town.

I walked up Victoria Street, through Albert Park to the University of Auckland campus. Just past the campus lies the Auckland Domain, New Zealand’s oldest park. I chose my path, opting for the Centennial Walkway (over the Lovers Walk), meandering my way through wildly named forest ferns like sickle spleenwort and perching pittosporum, both of which would be great additives to any Harry Potter potion.

Because it was ANZAC Day, a national day of remembrance for Australian and New Zealand troops that fought in WWI, the War Memorial Museum inside the park was bustling with people. Three floors of New Zealand history, a nice gift shop and café, definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area.

I spent the rest of the afternoon walking through Parnell, a chic and homey suburb of Auckland proper, populated with antique jewelry shops, art galleries, paper/wool stores, a chocolate boutique and a handful of restaurants. Needing a drink, I sat down at Village Café, a Russian-owned eatery tucked under the shade of a large tree. My table is next to three people, and as I opened the menu noticed that they had already downed two bottles of wine. It was three in the afternoon. Moments later, a few sips into my cappuccino and they ordered shots of vodka, first one round, then another. They were tanked. I left them to their inebriation, giggling as I heard one of the women laugh, “they need a dessert vodka!”

I spent the evening at the Auckland Sky Tower, a 328 metres (1,076 ft) observation and telecommunications tower that houses a casino complex and several high-end restaurants. Nothing particularly “New Zealand” about it, but some great people watching. Especially at the Black Jack table. Many an Australian pissing money away that night. Many an Alan doing the same.

Auckland is increasingly cosmopolitan and, from what I gather, has a growing urban socialite scene. If you’re planning a trip to New Zealand, there’s a chance your flight will route through Auckland. Instead of immediately jetting down to the south island, it might be worth staying a few days to scope out nearby wineries and take a few walks through the park.

New Plymouth: Brownie Points, Taranaki and the Coastal Walkway

My next stop was New Plymouth, a sleepy coastal town on a piece of land that juts westward, toward Australia. Directly toward Melbourne, actually. I landed just after sunset, the city shrouded in a dull and rainy grey. I hopped into a taxi.

The driver, Rosie, was a riot. The way she phrased things, her accent, her approach to answering my questions. She either represented a different NZ vernacular or was a little nuts. Maybe a little of both. At one point, she said, “brownie points again, put them in the frying pan,” and I lost it, literally started cracking up right there in the front seat. What the heck was she talking about?

The conversation shifted to New Plymouth, also called Taranaki. Nearby, just south of the city, is Mt. Taranaki, one of the most symmetrical volcanic cones in the world. Because of its striking resemblance to Mt. Fuji, Mt. Taranaki provided the scenic backdrop for many of the scenes in The Last Samurai. While it’s a relatively easy mountain to climb in the summer, taking 6-8 hours to get up and down, it’s proximity to the coast causes rapid changes in weather. Both days I tried to climb it, I was strongly advised to stay at sea level. When I learned that 60+ people have died trying to summit, I was glad I heeded the park rangers’ advice.

With only a couple of main streets running through the center of town, New Plymouth lacks the vibrancy of larger cities like Auckland. On Devon Street, the main drag, you’ll find small cafés, restaurants and art galleries featuring the work of local artist Lee Russel. A few streets north and you’ll find the ocean. I spent a lot of my free time there, running the Coastal Walkway, a 7km sea-edge promenade, stretching almost the entire length of New Plymouth. It’s a fantastic path, and I only wish the weather was a little more pleasant during my hour-long escapades. Nothing beats running next to an open ocean. Well, maybe running in the mountains, but the Coastal Walkway was quite spectacular.

Also, for all you golf nuts out there—there are twenty golf courses within an hour’s drive of New Plymouth. Not bad for a small town. I briefly considered trying to play every golf course in New Zealand, possibly writing a book about it, but realized it would take way too long. New Zealand has oodles of golf courses.

Rosie, at the end of my five days, gave me a lift back to the airport. Questioning me about my experiences, I’ll never forget her closing remark. “For such a little place, Taranaki sure has a few wows.” I couldn’t agree more.

Wellington: Botanic Gardens, Te Papa and Beer

Wellington! What a city.

It reminded me a lot of Seattle. Cozy cosmopolitanism, hilly, totally walkable, with a friendly and funky atmosphere. One highlight was visiting Te Papa, the national museum with the only colossal squid on public display in the world. I spent an hour or two in the museum, learning about the origins of New Zealand, its wildlife and incredibly diverse ecosystem.

I also spent an afternoon running through the Botanic Gardens, a small and steep expanse of land just northwest of the city center. It’s the kind of picturesque verdant landscape I expected from New Zealand, and after spending so much time surveying prices in the heart of dense urbanism, I’m always looking for various forms of nature as an outlet. This particular botanic garden served as a pleasant oasis in that regard.

At night, I would walk up and down Cuba Street, sampling New Zealand’s various microbrewery selections. For such a small country, New Zealand has a ton of beer. I went out one night with Kenny, a geological surveyor based in Wellington, eager to show me a good time. We must have drank 6-7 different varieties at 4-5 bars. I, er, don’t remember much, other than Macs Gold, Monteith’s New Zealand Lager and Speight’s Gold Medal Ale were particular favorites. Hat tip to Kenny. Good on ya brother.

Christchurch: Networking Awesomely, Lamb Pizza and Air New Zealand

Speaking of showing me a good time, I had spoken with Colin Wright of Exile Lifestyle about trying to meet up at some point during my time in New Zealand. For those of you who don’t know Colin, he runs a boutique design and branding company from his laptop, traveling to a new location every four months as determined by his blog audience. Buenos Aires was his first stop, and I caught him at the tail-end of his time in Christchurch. When he’s finished romping around the U.S. this summer on an epic road trip, he’ll continue his jet-setting in Bangkok.

I flew down to Christchurch, my only stop in the south island, bussed into the city center and met up with Colin in front of an impressive Anglican cathedral. He toured me around town, past places like the Bangalore Polo Club and through Hagley Park.

A couple of months ago, Colin had included me in his Networking Awesomely eBook. Nathan Seaward, a Christchurch native, was also featured, so I was stoked to hear that he and a few others would be joining Colin and I for pizza and drinks at The Bicycle Thief. Nathan, interestingly enough, is the youngest pilot ever to fly for Air New Zealand, and considering how much I enjoy that particular airline, I enjoyed hearing about Nathan’s various experiences. Between the drinks, the exceptionally delectable lamb pizza and company, it was a great night. Big thanks to Colin, Nathan and everyone else I met for showing me a good time. You all are welcome in Boston anytime.

That goes for any of you readers out there.

No Regrets: Renaissance Living and a Bucket List

[photo credit to Mandi Mara]

When I was 15, all the adults I knew seemed to complain, ‘Oh, if only I’d done this or that when I was younger.’ That they had let life slip by them. I was sure that if I planned for it, I could have a life of excitement and fun and knowledge.”

On an ordinary day in 1940, John Goddard, age 15, scribbled 127 bona fide and passionate goals onto a ratty pad of yellow paper. Visit eight world-class rivers. See every country in the world. Climb 16 of the tallest mountains. Ride a blimp, glider and balloon. Teach a college course. The list goes on. By 1972, Life magazine, in an article titled “One Man’s Life of No Regrets,” revealed that Goddard had achieved 103 of his original dreams. Still alive, he’s currently deemed the “world’s greatest goal achiever.” To an idealistic (optimistically naive?) 20-something like myself, Goddard is a legend. I only hope that my life is as adventurous and fulfilling as his. Reading his goals, thinking about my own future, I’m inspired to dare great, to live a life of adventure and purpose. To become a modern-day Renaissance man. While I can’t say what I’ll be doing 5, 10 or 40 years from now, I do know that these (constantly evolving list of) goals will help steer me in the right direction:

Alan’s Life List

1. Visit 100 countries and all seven continents.
2. Complete the three legs of an Iron Man triathlon, separately:
a) Swim 2.4 miles.
~~b) Bike 112 miles.~~ [2 October 2010 / Boston, MA / 10 hr, 20 min]
c) Run a marathon.
~~3. Learn to name all 192 (or 197?) countries without using a map.~~ [25 April 2011 / Boston, MA — video clip]
4. Go to a Jai alai match.
5. Take a Parkour class.
6. Spend at least two consecutive weeks living out of a tent.
7. Complete a full P90x series.
8. Learn to do a “tree flip.”
9. Take three cooking classes. [taken 1/3]
10. Climb an 8000m peak.
~~11. Drink Yerba Maté.~~ [20 April 2011 / Boston, MA]
12. Organize at least 100 fellow bloggers to do something engaging and informative.
~~13. Attend a Toastmasters International session.~~ [June 2012]
14. Learn Adobe Photoshop.
15. Speak conversational Spanish.
16. Jump off an 80-foot cliff.
17. Build a “beverage can” stove.
18. Climb Mt. McKinley.
~~19. Go sandboarding.~~ [16 August 2010 / Swakopmund, Namibia]
20. Photograph the Northern Lights.
21. Complete a 5000-piece puzzle.
22. Take a vow of silence for at least one week.
23. Write a $10,000 anonymous check to charity.
24. Build a low-impact and sustainable business that generates an average monthly revenue of at least $1000.
25. Start a scholarship.
26. Become a certified skydiver.
27. Become a certified scuba diver.
28. Write a book.
29. Cook at least 50 recipes from foodgawker. [cooked 5/50]
30. Eat at the world’s largest restaurant.
31. Take a survival class.
32. Hear a TED presentation in person.
33. Climb Mt. Kiliminjaro.
~~34. Go to North Korea.~~ [8 May 2011 / DMZ tour in Seoul, South Korea]
35. Read the Bible. The Torah. The Qur’an.
36. Go vegetarian for an entire month.
~~37. Bake my own bread.~~ [24 April 2011 / Boston, MA]
38. Give blood.

2010 Quarter 1 Update

It has been exactly 3 months since I outlined my goals for 2010. Let’s review my progress:

—FITNESS
1 mile in under 5:30.
*I ran a 5:57 mile a couple of weeks ago. Hoping to take care of this before the next update.

Run a half-marathon.

200 squats without stopping.

25 pull-ups without stopping.
*On January 1st I could do 7, now I can do 15. Slowly making progress.

Be able to fall into a push up from standing position, like Christian Bale in Batman Returns.
*I can do it, but not as fluidly as he does in the movie. I’ll post a video to YouTube when I feel more comfortable.

Cycle 100 miles in one day.

Be able to hold an L-position for 30 seconds.
*I’ve been doing the P90X ab workouts to strengthen my core. I’ve got a long way to go.

Hold breath for at least 3 minutes.
*At 2+ minutes. Hoping to finish this soon.

—BLOGOSPHERE
the9to5alternative.com

Redesign and rethink my vision as a blogger. Is this a travel site? A lifestyle design or business site? This needs to be cleared up.
Write at least 15 guest posts for other bloggers.
Get at least 500 subscribers.
Post consistently, at least once a week on Tuesdays. Sundays will be reserved for PMBA and case-study updates.
Develop a cost-of-traveling blog widget, an idea that I’ve been sitting on for several months.

*We’re getting there! I’ve found the vision for the blog but am still trying to map it out. I’ve only written one guest post, but my FeedBurner count is up to 353. I haven’t been posting consistently. Once a week, yes, but not on Tuesdays 🙂

nepalprints.com

Redesign and find a cheaper host.
Sell at least 5 prints.

*Still working on the redesign. I’m choosing between two layouts–should be finished in the next couple of weeks. I haven’t sold any prints yet.

thecurryproject.com
I set this site up to record my experiences at different Indian restaurants around the world. It could go in a variety of directions.

Write at least 20 reviews
Get at least 50 subscribers

*This has been such a fun project! Big shout-out to Earl (from Wandering Earl) for stepping up and writing some killer reviews of Indian restaurants in places like Mexico, the U.K. and Australia. We’ve written a total of 13 posts and currently have 7 FeedBurner subscribers. Still not sure what direction to take this, but enjoying documenting my curry-licious experiences around the world.

—LIFESTYLE
Read at least 15 more books on the Personal MBA reading list.
*I’ve read 2. These books continue to be really fun to work through.

Put together a long-term goals/bucket list.
*Done! I’ll publish the list next week.

Buy a keyboard.

Hike the Presidential Traverse in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

Score at least a 700 on a practice GMAT and then take the real thing.
*I’m close…hoping to take the test this summer.

Make at least $500 in supplemental income.
*So far I’ve made $85.87. I’ll talk more about supplemental income in a few weeks.