Sitting at the Brisbane domestic gate 19, awaiting my first of three flights.

My first stop is Sydney, with a connection to Los Angeles. An AirBnb overnight stay in LA with another 5 hour flight to Indianapolis. I’ll be here for approximately 5 weeks, visiting \2404 race tracks across America and working in the race shop between races.

Starting with the coveted Indianapolis raceway and ending at Watkins Glen in New York. With a short return back home to sort the out the exit on the rental lease, ride my beloved Ruby and spend every minute I can with my Wonder Woman 👩😘🥂

Check in was surprisingly busy for 5am, as I had to que for international baggage connection. Security was the usual 👮‍♂️ only I got drug swabbed this time. It’s like a long magic wand with a maxi pad on it. They rub it around your sweat areas, shoes, bags and anything you own. The disposable tampon on the end goes in the machine and abracadabra! Green light ✅

So it’s now making my way to the gate. Sipping on an overpriced airport coffee ☕️ and really craving a fag 🚬 I don’t know what it is with airports. It’s like a no-mans land.

Sitting at my gate waiting, I’ve got some time to sit and absorb what’s lead up to this point. The last few weeks have been very stressful. For both of us. Rolling my business up, exiting a rental lease early, moving my entire life into storage, keeping my beautiful Wonder Woman 👩 by my side and create and negotiate a new international FIFO job/career at the same time. I do enjoy challenges. My hairline recedes like an outgoing tide each year. Which is a bonus, less wear and tear on the clippers 💇‍♂️

Maybe when I retire I could be a Midnight Oil tribute singer, I’d be a dead ringer for Peter Garrett.

Here we go...time to board 🛫

I arrive to Sydney after a brief 1.5hr flight. Nothing too eventful. I had an Indian next to me on the window seat that decided he wanted a 1/4 of mine also. Cheers mate, I’ll just fold my arms in uncomfortably for your convenience. And a mute Chinese lady to my right. Safe to assume this will be a quiet trip down.

Arrived at Sydney domestic and we head off to Gate 15 for the international connection bus to Terminal 1. Customs ask a million questions about my stay in the US, before being herded like farm animals down to the livestock connection bus 🐄 🚌 . A couple of Qantas old boys having a fag air side made me laugh, standing there yelling “Fill all the seats at the back first” Both had faces like leather handbags from the 35 years of huffing down darts 🚬 . Welcome to Sydney.

So I’ve got 40mins to get to Gate 8 for my departure. And it took about 30mins to get through border security. Stress levels rising 📈 as I’m looking at the watch, knowing that boarding will be called in 10mins. I shouldn’t have worried, as more security awaited my arrival at Gate 8. None shall pass 🧙‍♂️

2 Lines, with a security company checking passports and boarding passes. Fuck me dead, did someone Houdini themselves past border security recently?

Then I got to visit the baggage security check room. Oh fabulous. Please no finger in the bum. 👉

Thankfully it’s the Libra maxi pad wand affair all over again. Shoes off, rub me down and wait for the machine to chant “abracadabra we have a junkie” Passports checked, boarding pass checked and I’m out of there. Thankfully the boarding time is insignificant now, it’s about 20mins past it and a 100 people all standing around like stale bottles of piss waiting to board.

Huzzah the gate keeper opens and off we go. That awkward airline shuffle with baggage I’m starting to adopt quite well now.

Not long after I’m boarding and searching for my seat. 83K...right at the very back of the plane. I checked myself in using the app the night before and there was a full row vacant when making my seat choice. Boom I’ll take the window. Normally I’ll pick an aisle or a window so as to leave a seat free in the middle, which most people avoid booking. Well it paid off this time, whole row of 3 to myself 👑 the first class experience in economy! Winning 🎯

So now it’s keeping myself busy for 15hrs...I bought of a bag of snakes to eat on the plane but I finished them before we even took off. I have about $100 of junk food in the hull of this plane. 2 packs of Wagon Wheels, 4 packs of Tim Tams, 2 packs of Pizza Shapes, 2 packs of BBQ Shapes, big bag of Twisties, 2 jars of Vegemite, 2 Picnic bars and instant coffee. Precious cargo indeed.

Goodbye Sydney, Australia 🇦🇺

Stretching out over 3 seats for a nap while watching movies has been the highlight of this trip. If you ever get the chance, enjoy every minute of it. It’s a poor mans equivalent of first class travel. The envy of all the passengers in front that walk past to take that piss they’ve been hanging onto since the guy on the aisle seat started snoring next to them.

And now we have started our descent. Customs entry paper filled, items packed away and now it’s a matter of enjoying the touch down, and fingers crossed no touch ups with immigration. I’m actually glad I don’t have to rush around connecting a flight after this. Looking forward to having a walk around LA.

Customs was a breeze and now it’s time to explore. 7ish. Coffee is absolutely horrid holy shit. Worst one I’ve had in America so far, and it’s my third tour of duty.

Katie is set to pick me up via Lyft. Off to the AirBnb please.

Air feels crisp, salty and has a good vibe. I like it already.

Welcome to your AirBnb Mr Richardson. Quaint, and a little bit run down. Plenty of character, a bed that’s hard as nails and weird home feel to it. Suits me to a tee.

I met a fella named Dudley from NZ. Wiry, silver haired old fox with a razor thin ass on a Suzuki DR650 Motorcycle that he’s been touring across the states with. We got on like a house on fire 🔥

He has a good system going on, he has a bike over here and comes over every three or so months and has been touring for years. Riding for over 50 years. Not a bad way to retire I reckon.

Room with a view..

The owners here are great. The most relaxing and friendly atmosphere. I’m unpacked and not really tired as such..more the time travelled. It’s about 1030am LA time and it’s still Friday the 26th. Off to Venice Beach for a stroll and lunch. 🏖

Welcome to Venice Beach 🏖

Odd place! Very out there. A lot of homeless around, they even have little shanty homeless shelters they’ve put together themselves on the beach. I was going to sneak some photos in but the phone went flat after an hour of strolling around.

Guess who forgot their USA charge adapter 🤦‍♂️

And it doesn’t end there. Let me tell you it’s not wise to drink and pack. I have an electric charger for the toothbrush, but no toothbrush. I have disposable razors but no shaving cream. I have three apple charge cords but no micro USB cable to power my backup battery power bank.

I did get carried away with 2 bottles of wine and a bottle of limoncello..maybe just the one glass would have sufficed?

You don’t travel far before you can smell weed. Even as the cars drive by you can smell it! I’ve never seen so many billboards advertising weed delivery. Nuggclubb had me laughing in the Uber.

Walked for about an hour along the beach. People watching is always fun. LAPD was doing laps in the chopper up and down the beach too. Plenty of surfers 🏄‍♀️ young and old too. No where near the size of the swell and breakers we have at home, but then again it’s a calm day. They do have tsunami evacuation signs and shelters along the road pointing where to go 🌊

Albeit the last recorded tsunami was 1812

Lots of stalls, with art and craft and just a big street flea market. With free fleas. \240Plenty of beggars and people peddling all sorts of things. Very touristy and as always, I google “what not to do when travelling in..”

Saved my ass in New Orleans.

Oddly there was a cash ATM every 50 meters. I’d walk past maybe 4 shops, and each would have one out the front. For an hour I walked past shops with hundreds of atms. I was torn, as I needed cash but was totally put off by the bums and street peddlers. Instinct probably saved my ass again.

I found a nice kitch little cafe with beers and grilled chicken. 👌

The famous beach gym was closed for renovations so once I had very much walked the markets, I turned to the beach to walk back.

Overall it does need work. Lots of rubbish, amenities are pretty sketchy and has looked as though it’s past it’s prime. Not to worry, next time I’ll spend a bit more and travel up to Santa Monica. Might even hire a bike 🚲

Goodbye Chanoma House 🏠

Rough and lived in. Loved it.

My plan of getting to the airport three hours earlier than planned paid off. Staggering amount of people at every check in and assistance counter. With the traffic, it was at least 25mins crawling along towards my departure terminal. It is Saturday, and it’s LAX so it’s nice to be prepared for a change.

Sammy’s woodfire pizzas for breakfast. Hello calories! 👌 Been here before when I was connecting from Georgia to LA. As I was having dinner, I remember just having idle chit chat with a lady.. Im like half way through my chicken wrap that looks like a butchered pterodactyl . \240Her pizza came out, she looked at me and said “You do realise you’re going to help me eat this” Lady I’ll do my best.

So I opted for the breakfast burrito with a bowl of fruit this time. Here for 5 weeks, I can’t go too crazy or I’ll be paying for two seats on the flight home.

Waiting now at the gate, I’ve got a 6hr flight to Indy so hopefully no delays please 🙏 I’ve got wood smoked pork and chicken with Jack on ice waiting for me 🤤

Goodbye Los Angeles. In the words of the late governor, I’ll be back.

Welcome to Columbia City! What a spectacular and gorgeous place.

2.5hr ride from the airport last night was a bit of a downer, but we got home in the end. Waiting for me was a bottle of Jack Daniels, and smoky pork and chicken. The whole crew was there and it just felt awesome to be a part of it. Even the neighbour came over to meet me 🤣 Mark has a property next door, and invited me over for beers and a swim in his pond.

I kid you not lol

I’ll need to see this “Pond” first.

This is my new home for the next 5 weeks. Absolutely stunning. 8 acre block, with race workshop on site.

I’ve got a room with private shower and toilet in the loft. Joe has gone right out of his way. Hes bought a brand new bed and mattress, with a complete set of linen. Fitted it out with couches and TV, and pretty much everything I could possibly need. It’s fucking astounding.

Talk about rolling out the red carpet!

Today we ventured out to the local grocery store. 25 min drive through lush farms and beautiful homes.

I’m essentially in the middle of nowhere. It’s fantastic. Relaxing, no work stress and I’m even starting to feel human all over again.

Off to Indianapolis