200'000 km
My van hit 200’000 km. Five times around this blue marble. In ten years this car never left me standing on the side of the road with some problems at three o’clock in the morning calling roadside assistance, like some I’ve seen getting towed.
Although it doesn’t have that much horsepower, which you’ll notice climbing those mountain roads in the Alps, it’s a reliable companion that always brought me home safely. Even if sometimes I had to concentrate very hard to stay awake, because during the last fifteen minutes it was so damn tough to keep your eyes open and on the road.
In the early years I listened to great music, but then I discovered that interesting interviews and podcasts are the best tool to keep me awake.
Other things that keep me awake are wildlife crossings of foxes, hares, deers and once a badger. Your pulse is skyrocketing in a split second and afterwards your eyes stay glued to the road.
One night I had a wrong-way driver (Geisterfahrer) on the Autobahn coming my way, which was not really a pleasant experience. Fortunately my drummer was driving a couple of kilometres ahead of me and called to warn me.
Two cracked windshields happened along the way and some sliding on winter roads without bumps or dents were added to the ship’s log.
And so, today I’m off to another gig with my van. Hopefully for many more years.