It’s the phase of pragmatic quandries. Summer or winter tires? What kind of kitchen things will I take along? Should I choose books or an e-reader? And do I need bug spray or antifreeze more … or, in fact, both equally?

So the core of the matter is: What awaits me on this drive up the E75? Though at second glance, it’s actually a multi-core matter (and hence state-of-the-art!).

The E75 will take me through nine different countries and to three different seas, ultimately connecting two starkly different islands—and I can’t even begin to count the number of languages spoken along the way. The cultural diversity that we’re currently fighting tooth-and-nail is enormous—in a word, it’s Europe. That which awaits me out there will be a challenge. But the important questions right now are: What kinds of footwear should I take along? And … summer or winter tires?

So once again: what does await me? No matter what it is, I’ll need to be well equipped. Even just to run this blog, I’ll need 10 different cables, 9 different SIM cards, and two different languages. And then there’s the question of the bug spray—or antifreeze, instead? While I was reading just now, I made the decision: no e-reader after all, better to take along classic books … they’re cozier, more human. You need stuff like that. Hopefully I won’t run low on reading material in the middle of Finland—Finnish bookstores aren’t really my thing.

What awaits me artistically, and how will I process it all? I’m not going to write anything about this ahead of time, because I’m not really thinking about it, either. To write it down would be to sacrifice openness, an openness that I absolutely do need—otherwise, this drive would make no sense. So I’m going to let the E75 just kind of happen; it will tell me whatever I need to know. And my head’s free, now. Free to think about my mess kit and strap-on headlamps.