Personal: My wife and I own a management consulting business that keeps me busy for most of the year—see strachan-tomlinson.com. We have three grown children—two sons 40 and 30, and one daughter 26. They keep me busy just keeping up.
Why NA Epic: This tour is a reunion for several of us who did the Orient Express in 09. Also, by beginning in the U.S. (I'm doing the U.S. portion only), it's 'right in my back yard' and ever since I traveled my lover down the U.S Pacific coast, revelled in the wilds of San Francisco, and skied in Colorado, I've wanted to return by bike.
I've also taken several, find-your-own-food, -lodging and -direction type trips with friends and missed being cared for by ever-friendly, well-informed, never-lost tourdafrique folks.
Expectations: I'm looking forward to making new friends, seeing some awesome sights and just having fun.
Biggest learning: Do not under any circumstances, no matter how great it feels lounging in the afternoon sun enjoying a mild beer-buzz, down that second beer when there's more ground to cover that day—even if a fellow fool offers to pay.
Photo: That's me channelling Marlon Brando in The Wild One. I'm still working on this.