The "balls" or the "freedom"...
I don't have too many years left before I can retire from my "daytime" gig... Though he's probably half my age, Justin's enthusiasm and drive (and his energy to support it!) is a real inspiration to me. He's genuinely got me re-thinking what I might do with my time when I'm free of the crush of the Big Machine. And believe me, I maintain an ongoing interest in MANY personal pursuits.
So, to add to the sentiment expressed by Pheno in the previous post, it's not just about the memories that Justin will have to himself when this odyssey is behind him - it's also about the people he's affected along the way.
It's hard to qualify in the context of other continent-crossing expeditions gone-by. Justin hasn't been actively seeking media attention. He hasn't been looking for opportunities to grandstand his (obvious and considerable) talent. He hasn't tried to "scare-up" any kind of corporate sponsorship that he can later leverage as an endorsement for his business. There's a fire that burns in Justin's belly, and despite plenty of bragging rights, he remains humble about how he's actually accomplishing all of this. When he gets to Halifax, he'll have accumulated plenty of empirical data about his rig, and that will be very useful to him going forward with possible business endeavours.
When I consider the usually negative connotation associated with the last two words in the previous paragraph, particularly the word "business", I'm reminded of how impossibly small Justin's crossing of Canada will be in terms of its environmental impact. THAT is the Really Big Thing he's demonstrating, and yet it's easy - with the combination of Justin's charisma, the "Gear Head" interest in his rig, and the daunting logistical challenges he faces - to COMPLETELY lose sight of that.
