Well it took a while because life got in the way, but my long-awaited encore episode of our return journey for Bolt to the Arctic Ocean is finally up!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1tCZ2ge4ko
#roadtrip #ev #electricvehicles #canada #longdistance #chevy #chevybolt #evroadtrip #youtube #series #show #quigsquest
Greg mentioned me to a random person he was chatting with online the other day.
Greg:
...my partner
Random:
Are they a guy or a girl?
Greg:
Neither
Random:
Oh, ok. But what I mean is...?
Greg:
Are. You asking what they have between their legs?
Random:
Yeah
Greg:
Me.
#dating #relationship #LongDistance #LongDistanceRelationship
Greg worked in the office on Tuesday, and then went away for his anniversary with his wife on Wednesday/Thursday.. so I haven't really been able to spend proper time with him for 3 days.
He's back home now and is going to call in about 90 minutes when he wakes up, which is fantastic and I can't wait, but also I'm still feeling so sad about missing all that time with him.
Non-monogamous relationships are hard at times, and adding long distance on to them makes them really hurt.
#NonMonogamy #relationship #LongDistance #LongDistanceRelationship
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It's our 8th anniversary on Sunday, and a huge bunch of flowers just arrived from Vanessa Pringle Floral Designs, and they're absolutely gorgeous.
I hate that we never get to have our anniversary together in person, but I appreciate that he's so thoughtful about the practical ways to help us feel closer in spite of the tyranny of distance.
Long distance is hard. Being loved by him is easy.
#relationship #dating #LongDistance #LongDistanceRelationship #NonMonogamy #Australia #UK #anniversary #flowers
I'm having thoughts about long distance relationships, and how being apart again after time together might feel more difficult for me because of my audhd.
Like, there the rsd aspect, but on top of that there's also other parts:
- I get to experience lots of dopamine while Greg is around, just from being cuddled and touched, from having him with me in person, from the sex and play, from the good food he cooks me... and a bunch of other things
- I get to actually relax and unmask to a point where I feel like myself instead of trying to juggle people's expectations of me
- I am allowed to fuck up and be forgiven
...then I get back to my own life and all that goes away again. I feel sad, but also there's this terrible feeling of not coping with life that hovers until I get back to my normal routine and remember that I am used to this struggle.
It sucks.
#dating #relationship #LongDistance #LongDistanceRelationship #NonMonogamy #Australia #UK #audhd #autism #adhd #disability #neurodiverse #MentalHealth
I hate this part of it, because it's just a thousand little good byes.
We bought milk yesterday that had an expiry date after I leave, and it was hard not to cry in the dairy aisle of tesco.
Today I balled my eyes out because he mentioned having to go into the office on Tuesday, and I leave on Monday.
I'm counting down the sleeps I have left with him (4), and the meals we'll have (13), and how many times we'll get to hang out washing together (1, maybe 2?).
I hate this part. So. Much.
Overland from Moshi to Lusaka: 2500 Kilometers South
This journey was not about comfort.
It was about continuing forward, even when the road was rough, the weather unfriendly, and energy low.
From Moshi in northern Tanzania to Lusaka in Zambia, the trip covered about 2500 kilometers by land — buses, waiting halls, border crossings, and long hours of movement.
Departure from Moshi
I left Moshi in the late afternoon heat of February 8. The bus was large but already crowded. The air inside was warm and heavy, and the road vibrations started almost immediately after departure.
At first I had space. Soon more passengers entered, and my backpack ended up on my lap. From that moment, movement meant adjustment — shifting shoulders, protecting space, balancing the bag.
The road stretched into darkness. Stops came and went.
Immigration checks in the night brought the journey to a halt. A stamp in my passport led officials to believe I had overstayed, and I had to work through the dates with them. When the error was cleared up, the bus rolled south again.
The ride was loud, uneven, and constant.
Arrival in Iringa — Rain and Recovery
We reached Iringa early in the morning. The bus station toilets were flooded and difficult to use. Someone poured liquid over my hands — I thought it was water, but it was soap. Eventually rainwater from a barrel helped rinse it off.
The hostel looked abandoned from outside but inside it was clean and calm. After the long ride, simply lying down felt like a reward.
Rain followed me through Iringa. Streets turned muddy, shoes became soaked, and nothing dried properly. I stayed two nights to recover and regain energy.
South to Mbeya
The next stage began early in Iringa. I woke up at 03:15, packed, showered, and prepared to leave. While it was still dark, I walked quickly to the Kimotco bus office and arrived around 04:20. The bus reached the station shortly after 05:00 and finally departed at 05:30, continuing through hills and long stretches of road toward Mbeya.
The ride to Mbeya was rough and slow. Seats were tight, the bus shook constantly, and hours passed without comfort.
By arrival my body was worn down. Mbeya was cloudy and quiet, with light rain hanging in the air. I first walked through unfamiliar streets toward a backpackers place I had found on the map, but when I arrived there was no hostel — only a yard with an aggressive dog behind a metal gate and no one answering. After waiting and asking nearby workers, it became clear the place did not exist anymore. With rain starting again and no energy to search further, I returned toward the bus station area and found a simple low-standard hotel nearby. I stayed there to rest and prepare for the border crossing ahead.
Toward the Border
From Mbeya I took a local bus toward Tunduma around midday. About halfway through the ride the conductor collected 5,000 TZS (≈ 1.79 €). The journey took roughly three hours, and instead of stopping outside town like before, the bus went straight to the terminal in Mpemba. From there I took a tuk-tuk for 1,500 TZS (≈ 0.54 €) to the roundabout near the border.
I arrived at the roundabout in the early afternoon and continued on foot, walking through shops and construction areas toward the border control. After waiting in line and completing exit procedures on the Tanzanian side and Zambia stamped me in with a 30-day entry. I crossed on foot into Nakonde to begin the next stage of the journey.
Walking meant noise, pressure, and constant offers from sellers and transport agents. Some followed closely. Some grabbed my arm. The only strategy was calm refusal and steady movement forward.
Crossing on foot made the transition feel very real — one step at a time between two countries.
Nakonde — Waiting Through the Night
In Zambia, buses are not allowed to travel at night. That meant hours of waiting at the station.
The building was cold. People rested wherever they could — benches, floors, bags as pillows. I found a sofa near a charging socket and stayed there.
Sleep came only in short moments. The focus was simple: keep belongings safe, keep the phone charging, wait for departure.
Eventually, while it was still dark, boarding began in the early morning.
The Long Road to Lusaka
The bus departed in darkness. Sunrise arrived hours later, slowly lighting villages, roadside activity, and the long route south.
The ride included checkpoints, short stops, and one moment when workers inspected a tire beneath my seat after a burning smell appeared.
In Mpika there was a short stop and a paid toilet. Then the road continued, kilometer after kilometer.
By the time Lusaka appeared, the journey felt both long and strangely distant.
Arrival in Lusaka
Arrival in Lusaka was quiet rather than dramatic. After getting off the bus, a driver offered to take me across the city for 100 ZMW (≈ 3.45 €). The ride was long and passed through areas that did not feel safe at night. In the late evening I reached Natwange Backpackers, where I checked in, paid 7 € per night plus the earlier 2.61 € booking fee on the online Plattform, and finally found a place to rest.
Late in the evening I found a simple meal before resting. After days of buses, waiting, and movement, a bed felt like stability again.
The journey that began on February 8 at 16:00 in Moshi reached its destination on February 14 in the late evening in Lusaka — not as an ending, but as a pause before the road continues onward.
Costs of the Journey
Food and daily meals are not included here. Only major transport and accommodation.
Tanzania
Tanzania total: ≈ 56.32 €
Zambia
Zambia total: ≈ 41.51 €
Total journey cost: ≈ 97.83 €
Reflection
This trip was not defined by scenery or comfort.
It was defined by persistence.
Wet shoes.
Crowded buses.
Waiting halls.
Border lines.
Long distances.
But each stage moved the journey forward.
And sometimes that is enough.
The road continues.
Support & Follow the Journey
If you enjoy following my overland travels and want to support the road ahead:
⚡ Lightning: [email protected]
☕ Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/rubenstorm
You can also follow along here:
🐘 Mastodon
@rubenstorm
📸 Pixelfed
@rubenstorm
Thank you for being part of the journey.
#overlandtravel #africatravel #tanzania #zambia #busjourney #bordercrossing #backpacking #slowtravel #travelblog #travelstory #overland #longdistance #adventure #lusaka #journey #blog #travel
Moment by Moment: Adventure Timeline
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