Around the World on a Panigale

Ok guys, it's been almost two years since I originally set out on an open-ended journey across North America on my Panigale that never really ended (I'm still bouncing from city to city, still don't have a permanent residence, and my few possessions that don't fit in a backpack are still in storage). The inescapable lesson I learned along the way is as follows.

The road to enlightenment isn't paved with sensible decisions; reason is not the driving force behind destiny. Bliss will never be the end-result of routine; happiness never the end-result of habit. Only one force has the power to change life: passion. To live the life we imagine for ourselves, to become become who it is we know we truly are, we have to make a choice to take risks and act on desire.

Bliss, to me, is the thunderous rumble of a v-twin startling a murder of crows from a wheatfield into a bruised sky on a desolate road. The sight of an IT Performance Suite PowerPoint slide will never send shivers down my spine, never increase the overall value of anything in my life except my bank statement. I embrace sacrifice and am prepared for whatever struggles might come my way. If I want to find my true destiny, abandoning my career and braving what could very well be tumultuous seas is mandatory. The threat of failure is no longer a satisfactory excuse for remaining ashore.

Without an income, I intend to paint and write my way around the world, traveling to all the strange, sublime, random and glorious places my Panigale will take me. I'd much rather barely eek out a living sustaining myself with my greatest passions--motorcycles, prose and painting--than live a very comfortable life selling analytics software to Fortune 500 accounts.

My next adventure, "Around the World with an Italian Supermodel," will soon begin once I figure out the final details. Hope y'all are in for the ride of a lifetime....

Dennis....you are a phenom....

Good luck Dennis,
looking forward to reading all about it.
Tom

Dennis, you have a problem.


One that everyone of us should have!


Good luck and safe ride!!! You know this place stands 100% behind you.



Phil

If you come to Switzerland (Zurich), a warm bed, good food and drinks are provided!
And of course tools and fluids to maintain your bike.

GO GO GO! Looking forward to updates!

Until my youngest son turns 18 in 8 years, I have to live thru you in the meantime!

I'm going to be quitting my job as an IT manager, selling everything, and sailing around the world the rest of my life doing boat repair and mechanics with my tools at ports I stay.

Wow that incredible.

Ok I just figured out the true driving force behind your destiny. Imagine what your life would have been like if your girl friend didnt kick you out. You probably would be married by now, have permanent residence, not boucing from town to town and your few possessions would probably be sold and you wouldnt have storage fees. You probably wouldnt have taken the long exciting trip coast to coast on a awesome panigale and meet interesting people and see interesting places and things. You probably would have taken the trip in a RV or car and stayed in 4 -5 star hotels with your ex girl friend and meet only snobish people. Life probably would have been a little boring for you. You probably would be having a baby by now and that would scratch the next trip you planned. But!! now its full of excitement! You get to go on a world tour and do the things you set out to do. Not too many people get to do the things you do because we are tethered to a deskat our jobs job, wife and kids and that my friend you can thank your ex girl friend because she is the true driving force of you destiny!

That's great can't wait to read about the new adventures around the world...

Good luck.
May the gods grant you fair winds and following seas

ScrapperX said:

Wow that incredible.

Ok I just figured out the true driving force behind your destiny. Imagine what your life would have been like if your girl friend didnt kick you out. You probably would be married by now, have permanent residence, not boucing from town to town and your few possessions would probably be sold and you wouldnt have storage fees. You probably wouldnt have taken the long exciting trip coast to coast on a awesome panigale and meet interesting people and see interesting places and things. You probably would have taken the trip in a RV or car and stayed in 4 -5 star hotels with your ex girl friend and meet only snobish people. Life probably would have been a little boring for you. You probably would be having a baby by now and that would scratch the next trip you planned. But!! now its full of excitement! You get to go on a world tour and do the things you set out to do. Not too many people get to do the things you do because we are tethered to a deskat our jobs job, wife and kids and that my friend you can thank your ex girl friend because she is the true driving force of you destiny!

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Yeah.
On the face of it, she did him a big favour

AMEN!

Being an IT guy myself, being forced to watch people try to sell such software and everyone in the office having the perception of us being the most boring guys ever, I've already planned to spend every single weekend this summer on the bike.. i know, no big deal compared to others.. i dont care.. thats my plan for 2014.

Good luck to anyone following their passion, especially on this bike

Fair play - if you make it as far as Ireland give me a shout

Brad said:

Good luck.
May the gods grant you fair winds and following seas

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^What he said. So looking forward to it and continuing to live and learn through your graciously shared experiences.

Thanks for the encouragement, gentlemen.

Scrapper: Chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion and desire are all driving forces in life. We can all identify how each of those things have helped us or hurt us in one way or another. Most guys just go get new wives or girlfriends when it doesn't work out with another. I saw it as an opportunity. Sometimes the good things in life hold you back, and sometimes the bad things propel you forward. Call it courage or stupidity, for the first time on my life I'm willing to risk everything on behalf of my obsessions.

Gecko: I'll be taking you up on your offer, for sure!

Though I've painted all my life, vehicles were something I never a subject I spent much time on. Over the past several months I've burned through a lot of ink refining a style...got a long way to go, but here's a preview of what to expect:





Not everything is Panigale related:

Good luck, Dennis.
Thanks for sharing a great day at Sonoma Raceway Sunday. Besides your talents, I admire your courage. It was a real pleasure meeting you.
Doug

Best of luck to you, Dennis! This is really great news for us all as many have come to appreciate the craftsmanship in both your writing and photography. If I couldn't make it on a vacation and had to pick one person to go for me and report what it was like, I would be hard pressed to find anyone better suited for that role than you. You will literally have thousands of people living this adventure with you.

In fact, I'm sure many here would like to contribute to your journey. Have you considered creating a subscription-based publication detailing your adventures? Money can be difficult to come by when traveling and I think most of your readers would be more than happy to pay a few dollars a month to have access to this content and support your endeavor.

Enjoy your journey, it is something that at this point in my life I can only dream of. I respect and admire you for the trip you are about to take, many of us here dream about the trip you will embark on. Enjoy and keep us updated, good luck and keep the shiny side up

An exciting trip to be sure, I've read many of the around the world bike trips and always enjoy. I suspect you can write a great book at the end of it all.

Duck41 said:

Best of luck to you, Dennis! This is really great news for us all as many have come to appreciate the craftsmanship in both your writing and photography. If I couldn't make it on a vacation and had to pick one person to go for me and report what it was like, I would be hard pressed to find anyone better suited for that role than you. You will literally have thousands of people living this adventure with you.

In fact, I'm sure many here would like to contribute to your journey. Have you considered creating a subscription-based publication detailing your adventures? Money can be difficult to come by when traveling and I think most of your readers would be more than happy to pay a few dollars a month to have access to this content and support your endeavor.

Click to expand...

It's a great idea--and I know a lot of guys would be happy to part with a few bones to get access to it, but it's important for me to give it all away for free. I realize that not everyone can do what I'm doing. The reality is 99% of the world is either happily or miserably trapped in either a positive or a negative (or a mixed) situation. Jobs, families, careers, school, finances, etc. I realize my reports give those guys a little glimpse of what lies beyond. And whether my writing or pictures inspires them to start a new Pet Ambulance business or if down the road leads them to do what I'm doing or if it simply is a healthy respite from the daily grind, it's important that anyone and everyone can read it.

I said in my first ride report that the best way to change the world for the better is 'to focus on what we love and do what we do best. Doing what we love, swinging on swings, riding motorbikes and cuddling the people we adore has a much more positive effect on the net-happiness of the world than anything else.' I still believe that, even more than when I originally wrote it. The more people I can share everything with the better.

With that said, I can't very well continue on any sort of trip for any long-ish-duration without some sort of income. Those who want to contribute and support the trip can by purchasing artifacts from my trip--photos, original artwork, prints, short stories, poems about roses and squirrels (NOT!) and whatever other cool .... (an AntiHero Oracle? Panigale Axe?) I can dream up without being sued by Ducati. Already received an offer on my reinterpretation of da Vinci's Autopsy, so it's looking good so far.

Good Luck Dennis.

I'm glad to hear that you'll be taking another trip with your Italian Supermodel. I had an absolute blast reading all the posts about your previous journey. You my friend are an inspiration to a lot of us on the forums. All the best of luck to you and I can't wait to start reading about your new adventure.