It has been almost two years from our return and the end of  4 3 2 1 Hi-way 1 expedition, so as today is Rochelle’s Birthday, we thought that is the best time to share our new plans. What is next for us here in Overlanddiaries?  A NEW ADVENTURE  has been brewing and is about to come alive. The name of it… ” Till the Road Ends!!”   Before that though allow me to attempt to explain my version of the mindset of a 20th Century Overlander.  

I have heard the term “overlanding” defined many times, it usually involves something like nature, solitude, and a self-reliant capable vehicle. 

Like most other overlanders when planning a new expedition, we naturally seek that solitude in search of adventure. We as others , try to go where no other have ever gone, visit places and routes that are either difficult or dangerous and have not been done in the past. Is this an antisocial behaviour ,are we, as well as all those that pick this type of life, really problematic members of our society ? 

First thing first, generally speaking if not all ,most of us overlanders pick routes that are classic iconic road trips and therefore  although we think that we are doing something unique, others had pick to do exactly the same. What are we all chasing then, after all?  Is it an attempt to find solitude, and harmony in order to create a society within the society or we are just a trend of times, a bunch of individuals that pick to make an income by adding stories in Social platforms promoting a beautified alternative way of living?

 Is this last case actually real? Or all these large expensive expedition vehicles do these days, is a weekend trip down a gravel road in a line with other vehicles that at the end of the day they end up in a paying camp site. Not exactly the untamed adventurer that their social media profiles portrays.

If someone look at the overlanding community although our destinations are very similar,(our planet is not that big after all) ,each of us has picked its own unique way to travel and experience each place and the way to it.What makes those routes unique and personal for each off us, is the way we experiences them. At first site, it is true, we all seem to aim the same, a vision of stress free life who pick to live in a non conventional way. Some modern day Dreamers or Adventurers, Explorers and Rebels without a cause but at the end we are all pure adrenaline seekers ! Every single one of us see their trip with his own perspective. Each with our own particularities and points of view, we hit the road with our own purpose to do so.   

So yes, there are many different reasons why we overlanders pick to travel but we all have “the adventure of a lifetime”as our ultimate goal. With time and after a couple of trips under our belt we realise that the adventure we are looking for, is nothing more than what we make out of each moment while we are at it. At the end of each trip what we all achieve is to become wiser and more open minded. We feel more comfortable with the unknown and learn to adjust as quick as the events we face demand. The rest is just a different way of seeing things. All and all life is a journey but some of us pick not to take the guided tour to it, but rather live it on their own.

Moving into the what’s next for Overlanddiaries?

This expedition has been developing in my head for the last two years so this time we have come to the conclusion that the best way to tackle this is to take up a combination of routes and drive our vehicle through unknown lands as well as revisit places we have come across in the past and felt in love!! With my home country Greece always as a starting point, the plan is to subdivide the expedition in three smaller ones, each different and unique on their own way.

The first leg of the expedition will start in North Africa and the countries of Tunisia and Algeria  before embarking on the road trip to Europe’s most northern point ,The Nordcapp (Northern Cape) and Iceland. For the second leg we will turn our compass South as we will be participating in  The Worlds Last Great Adventure ,”The Budapest Bamako Rally” with destination West Africa. This is the worlds largest amateur rally and we are so proud to be able to participate.Of course as in a  real “Overlanddiaries way” at the end of the rally we will not just return home but  remain in West Africa for a couple of more months exploring some of the other gem countries that are there. Straight after that we will ship our vehicle to South America for the third and last leg of this expedition. This time our plan is to visit a lot of the remaining sites of the South American continent that we left out in our previous visit, as well as spend time back in our favourite ones.. Our main focus will be the Amazon basin and the coast of Brazil without this meaning that we will leave the western end of the continent unexplored. 

Another unique fixture off this expedition is that for the first time, we would not have a set up time limit. With the past two years of work’s income as a safety pillow we are not in need anymore to set up a time schedule but instead we will  let the trip unfold ,and see for how long it will go on for.      It is in our plan to allow a good amount of time (about two months) for the needed preparation as our gear had seen better days so it will need some necessary touch ups. Last but not least this is just a general plan and up to that it stops, as we have learned that to go into to much detail for something that can change as quick as it is planned does not worth the effort. After all the unknown is what we are traveling for right!!!

As our countdown to hit the road again is getting closer,  I will  conclude my thoughts and say that , the 20th century Overlander Tribe is a pioneer group of people looking for something unique. An individual manifest, an alternative way of scalping an everyday life.

If we could share one thing from our experience from  traveling the world, it’s that people are generally good and kind. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Don’t let your fear take control. Open your mind and the experience will worth it. Come along with us to the next chapter of the Overlanddiaries Adventure book, we can promise to do our best to make the chapters worth reading!!!

P.S> All the pictures you see are from our Warm Up tour in South Europe in November 2024.