5 Critical Things To Remember

Countdown - 26 days (blogger has been down, this shoulda been posted yesterday)

With just 26 days left before I leave, I've realized there's a few things that absolutely critical to do. Admittedly, not everyone needs to do all these as some of them may already be handled. Others are just helpful tips.

1. Get your bike paperwork in order - Make sure that your license, registration, and proof of insurance are all up to date and properly signed. This is crucial for me as I'm crossing an international border a few times. Something you probably didn't know (I didn't) is that you need a special card from you insurance company in order to qualify as proof of insurance for Canada. Your 'normal' card simply isn't good enough for the Canadien Mounted Police.

2. Get your really important paperwork in order - Perhaps my case is abnormal (wouldn't be the first time I've been called that), but my wife wanted me to have all my stuff up to date, like my will, all life insurance paperwork and any kind of living will or other arrangements in order. It's not pleasant to think about but it's important all the same. Lots of things could happen, and it's best to just have everything arranged ahead of time. I don't want my family to have to worry about handling things I should have done.

3. Get your 'also important' paperwork in order. Crossing a US border? Going to Arizona (and look Hispanic?) you'll need your passport. I've got mine. Now just gotta remember to pack it! It's worth the cost, time and effort all the way around.

4. Money - Obviously, making a trip like this alone puts me at some additional risk. So, you have to take some extra precautions. For example, I'll be taking along a pre-paid credit card with a low limit. As for cash, I'll take a long enough to get me through a couple of days if I can't use a credit card. Not a lot more than that. In this day and age, you just don't need to carry around a lot of cash.

5. Personal safety - I don't want to ruffle feathers, and frankly, I don't care about any else's views on guns, but if you feel it necessary to carry a gun (or knife) or other weapon for personal protection on a trip such as this, think hard about it. If anyone percieves YOU to be a threat, having a weapon in your possession isn't going to go in your favor. Think about the situation if cops roll up on you having a coflict with a local, even if the local starts it. You are the outsider, carrying a weapon. Why be behind the 8-ball before you can even get your side of the story out? And if for no other reason, it will save you a ton of time going through customs if you are NOT having to explain that concealed weapon. Not saying it's wrong to carry, perhaps just not smart.