“35 years ago….., on a sunny Sunday morning, a simple journey that became this other life began, … and I wrote my destiny with all that either came my way or left with no lasting effect other than their faded memories.

The more I research the more exciting and anxious it all becomes.  Now, in less than 8 weeks another exciting new journey will commence, I wonder how this one will write into my script!”,  this is how I could best describe  my feeling  on my facebook page today.

Among amusing true facts/concepts: we now know who or what we are now being called.  In the glob-trotting communities we are named “Over-landers”, and not Tourists or Travelers!!!    “Over-landers”  travel by own car or motorbikes – often on long  journeys – living a near nomadic life,  and visit many places that are not frequented by the so called tourists or just travelers. I can not help but feel amused , and somehow silly & special by this newly found identity and concept.

There are facts that are just as thought provoking however not in an amusing manner but more with a degree of concern. One of these is what I now understand to be “Stranded”.  Being Stranded is when one might end up in a land between two official borders. From I understand there is a “no man’s land” between some countries’ borders where neither country has you marked in or out of their territory. In other words you are in a  “no man’s land” of a few meters or some kilometers wide.  Nothing applies or rules there! It is meant to be governed by International laws but no one is there to enforce it! Literally a twilight zone of being “No-Where!”

People may have exited one country but it is uncertain if they could enter the next.

We have been gathering as much needed information as we can to be never “Stranded” as “Over-Landers” in “No-man’s lands”.   Papers, documents, copies and photocopies, international driving permits, visas’ requirements, vaccinations certifications, insurance papers, personal and car, banking details, addresses here, there, everywhere, and so much more and else that our heads hurt thinking about them.

Over-landers need a third passport! Seriously, this is not a joke , We need one for our car. There are these passport documents  called “Carnet de Passage” which some countries require if you wish to travel in them using your vehicle over-land.  Without these passports you may have visa and are free to enter but your car is not!

We discovered that the UK is one of the most expensive countries to get one of these passports for cars.  No thanks to RAC!  Monopoly of this document by only one motoring association has made the prices shoot up.  Alternative to paying the RAC a few thousand pounds is to place a bond of between 5 to 8 times the value of one’s car at a bank for one year, this runs into many £10,000s sitting in a bank account as Security Bond so that we could have a car passport. Well, we are not that rich nor is the alternative  a practical solution for us, so the RAC’s indemnity cover may be expensive, and we will lose some considerable sum by the time we get our deposit back but that is the only route that we have available to us.

From Turkey on-wards, and on to the East in Asia , in addition to all the African countries  & throughout the South Americas,  they all require this passport for the car. We can’t wait for our “carnet-de-passage”  to be sent to us.

In our home there is not much else being talked about other than “Living The Change!” and going on our journey.

It is fabulous to know that we are having so many incredible good friends who are with us in our lives as we move on.