In search of greener grass : riding from reality towards dreams and finding fulfilment

Destined to appeal to anyone with a passion for bikes, travel and adventure, In Search of Greener Grass is a fascinating account of the author's adventurous travels by motorbike and his life as a whole. Written with a refreshing self disparaging, dry and cynical wit, this is part handbook – Graham's journey is covered from the pitfalls of pedantic preparation to the dilemma of disposing of a bike with which Graham formed a deep bond on the way to journey's end – and part life story, full of anecdotes and life enhancing realisations collected over a quarter century of travel on and off the road. Graham's narrative is full of light-hearted but insightful observations, occasional wisdom and sporadic alcohol-fuelled inspiration. His account is a little rebellious, but generally defiant. The book describes the enlightenment he found, insecurities discovered, banter, babblings and bollocks that perhaps should have stayed inside the crash helmet. Riding east to Mongolia and then a bit further, discovering truths, doubting their accuracy and reassessing it all again. Graham rides into the semi-researched but mostly unknown, stops briefly before compulsively moving on again, deciding that contentment must be around the next corner, occasionally finding it and then missing it. "'Well, now I'm committed," I thought to myself as I'd said on a TV game show that I was going to ride a motorbike to Mongolia. I felt the fear that commitment always induces in me ; I was hoping they might have edited that bit out. Commitments are something I try to get as far from as possible, the only other constants in my life being 25 years of financial prudence, travel and motorcycle obsession. So there I was committed to going very, very far, on a motorbike, with the money I won. This might just work, I thought. Consequently I spent a winter on eBay and a spring in the garage preparing for my life on the road. Armed with a cynical humour, a strong sense of direction, a vague sense of balance, and no sense of proportion, I embarked on a 15,000 mile solo motorcycle ride to see what would break first; bike, body, or budget. I left an indifferent existence in Essex behind and headed East, looking for purpose, a new life and a new location to live it. I was in search of greener grass."--Back cover