PERCEPTION VERSUS REALITY JON HOLLIS IS ON A YEAR LONG TOUR OF THE STATES, LEARNING AS HE GOES ALONG TO RELAX INTO THE RHYTHM OF THE ROAD How did the trip across America come about? Since 2012 I started travelling a lot more and after my first solo trip to Germany in 2013 I found that I prefer riding alone. After visiting a lot of European countries I was in Bulgaria on holiday with my wife, when over a beer in a café in Varna she suggested that I should take on a longer trip as it was all I’d been talking about at the time. My father passed away when he was my age and I think that was a massive drive as it left me with the knowledge that potentially you only have a short time to achieve what you want. Was is it a ‘dream’ trip for you, and if so why? No I wouldn’t say that it is something I’d been dreaming of for ages, but the combination of good roads (I’m not <strong>into</strong> rough terrain riding), great distance and the unknown was a challenge, and it was the challenge that I wanted. I wanted a sense of achievement that no one in my personal life had experienced. At what stage in life were you at? I was 46 when the trip started and I hit 47 a week <strong>into</strong> it. I have one daughter from a previous marriage and two step children. I’m married but we don’t live together. We plan to live together again but due to some complications at home we won’t be living together for at least a couple of years, which gave me a window that most don’t get. I needed emotional backing from all. My wife, daughter, first wife and my mother were all supportive. What were your fears about the trip? Although I had no fear about the actual riding, my fears were more emotional. Missing home, friends and family being the biggest I guess. I was concerned about my bike going through customs, although the shipping company were helpful as were the US customs themselves. What were you looking forward to the most? Seeing places that I haven’t seen before. Not having a specific time limit on each destination, instead looking to be somewhere enough time to enjoy it until my internal clock said move on. What bike were you taking and why? I own a couple of bikes. A 2013 Triumph Tiger Sport and a 2008 Honda CBF1000. Originally I was going to take the Triumph, but for the two years leading up to the trip I found that I was riding the Honda more and more and after quite a few modifications I found that I preferred it. It’s old enough to be fixed by spanners and new enough to be reliable. Plus, it’s not that desirable so less chance of it being stolen. Also my mates take the piss out of it so I wanted to be stubborn and prove a point. “THE CONSTANT MOVING ON IS A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD” How long will the trip be and why that length? I have allowed one year, which gives me enough time to spend on average one week per state, but that’s not fixed, as some states I know will require more time than others. Also the Honda has to be shipped out within a year due to the American EPA laws. What planning and research did you do beforehand? I’ve travelled a lot on my bikes so packing wasn’t a concern. For me it was insurance and shipping that was the issue, plus other unknowns, so I spoke to some people that have biked somewhere further than Europe and got some advice. I needed to get a tourist visa as I will be in America for over the allowed 90 days, which was a nightmare as the website isn’t easy to navigate and took me 4 months to get it. The EPA approval for the bike was much easier. I also Googled some places to visit, but that went out of the window pretty much from day one as the locals I met were better sources of information. One issue I had was insuring the bike abroad as my UK insurance doesn’t cover it. A Facebook forum was my solution. I posted about my problem and a guy in Florida came to the rescue. Doug Wothke is a bike traveller and allowed me to use his address and gave me the company who insures foreign bikes. How did you find the trip in the early days? I was shocked at how uneasy I felt in the first two weeks. I was suspicious of people and found myself looking for any threats which I assume comes from being such a distance from home. I was also riding different to my usual style as I didn’t feel relaxed. Having my bike with me made me more settled as it was familiar, but there was still something wrong. After a week I stripped my bike and repacked. After that things started to fall <strong>into</strong> place. I must have had something on my mind regarding the bike and looking it all over settled me. What did you find toughest, and equally easiest during those first few days on the road? America isn’t generally very good for pedestrians and after a day’s riding I wanted to find motels with restaurants or food shops near by. Harder than you think. Working out fuel was tough as you have to pay prior to filling up and all I wanted was to fill to the brim. It’s surprising how good I’ve got at that now. People told me prior to leaving about the massive distances involved, but I found this easy as my journey has become a series of small trips-so it doesn’t seem that daunting. Even the vast open spaces in states like Texas leave me with awe but do not intimidate. The constant moving on is a double edged sword. I miss the stability of coming back home and crave that slightly, but it’s the anticipation of my next destination that drives me on so I know I have to put up with that negative. How have you felt yourself developing as the trip has gone on? I find that I’m less opinionated and tend to listen more. Coming here as Trump has become president has made conversations interesting. I’ve been chatting to people I wouldn’t normally, homeless etc... this took some guts initially but now I laugh at myself as people are generally nice no matter their situation. I’ve been taking photos along the way and that has made me look at things differently, so I’ve loved getting back <strong>into</strong> that hobby. Is the trip as ‘good’ as you expected it to be? If so why, if not, why not? It’s good but not what I expected. It has been predominately about the people I’ve met whereas I thought it would be about the places I would visit. How much more time do you have left on the road and what are you looking forward to the most? I have ridden 8000 miles and 11 states so far, therefore I have 39 more states to visit and due to my way of travelling I’m not sure of the mileage left. The start of my trip has been in the winter so I’m looking forward to my route not being dictated by the weather as much. Although I accept being cold, if I had the choice I would avoid freezing weather. Last question, are you glad you went? Yes. I’ve done some things that others will never get to do and seen some amazing sights. I’ve met a tonne of people but only connected at a friend level with a few and those people I value now. It’s been tough being out of my comfort zone, but the sense of achievement makes it worthwhile. Follow John’s blog at www.onyourbiketoursblog.co.uk 10 Find out more at www.getting<strong>into</strong>adventure.com
<strong>Getting</strong> off the beaten track in Texas Proving to be the right bike for the trip
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