Goal Sheet

In honor of an old friend of mine and the ex-Mauritanian President, I am going to start my blog in medias res. This may be a bit confusing at first, but I will try my best to be clear and concise. Luckily, I have the benefit of hindsight. My trip ended safely last week and I am writing this from my notes.

Travel Goals
My travel goals were very simple, straightforward, and not the least bit idiosyncratic:

• go somewhere where there are not a lot of Americans
• go somewhere where I have to speak French
• travel solo across the Sahara from Dakar to Paris
  

Therefore (using adverbs makes this next part sound more logical) I flew one-way from DC to Dakar, Senegal and bought a motorcycle*. A week or two later I found myself in the most exciting city in the world, Noukchott, Mauritania.

*profound thanks to Mathieu and Julie--more later. merci et mes homages