AROUND THE WORLD ON A BIKE
October 5, 2022
In my last post, I went into detail on my transportation logistics during my time traveling through Scandinavia. I was going to share my Scandinavian adventures in depth, but I got something a little different for you this week.
I’m a big fan of biking. I touched a little bit on my biking adventures throughout the Netherlands and Copenhagen. But my measly 45km ride through the Dutch countryside doesn’t hold a candle to who I’m about to introduce. I feel safe in saying I can count the number of people on my fingers that have accomplished what my guest has.
AROUND THE WORLD ON A BIKE
That’s right. Around the world. On a bike. Not a motorcycle. A bicycle.
My guest, Scott, embarked on a journey that took him on a 4 year odyssey from San Francisco across 5 other continents. He faced brutal physical and mental challenges pushing himself to the limits and learned invaluable lessons not only about travel, but about himself, others and the places he traveled through. About a year ago I read his book about the journey and we became acquainted through a mutual contact. I reached out to him via email to share my own travel aspirations and pick his brain about travel. A few emails later and here we are. He’s going to share with you the key takeaways of travel he learned from his epic adventure.
SCOTT’S 4 YEAR JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD
Scott, thank you for taking the time to write this up. I know you’re a busy guy so I appreciate the words of wisdom. Take it away:
HI, I’M SCOTT
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Thanks to Ethan for inviting me to write a guest blog. I hope it inspires a few people to travel, if not take up an adventure. And, for Ethan himself, I hope it inspires him to keep on going. Trust me; you won’t realize the true benefits of what you are doing until much later, maybe not until well after you return home, even though you can’t ever return home. (If that doesn’t make sense yet, it will.)
One day I asked myself a question: “If I could do anything, what would I do?” My answer resulted in a quest for happiness around the world on a bicycle (4 years, 59 countries, 6 continents). My adventures are chronicled in my book “Falling Uphill,” a tale described as having moments from pure survival to pure enlightenment.
My book was quite popular. But from my point of view, the best part of writing a book was how it helped me understand what I had both achieved (physically) and accomplished (mentally). The feedback people gave me was like a mirror to help me see my influence on the world, both good and bad.
The “Ordinary” Benefits of Travel
In this article, I want to focus on the unexpected benefits of travel. But, first, a quick recap of the ordinary benefits of travel.
A while back, I read a classic book that summed up the essence of what travel is. The book, written back in 1869, is called “The Innocents Abroad” by the great American author Mark Twain. He states: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
I think that Twain’s reason to travel is well stated, but of course, there are many more reasons. Real, purposeful travel is like a vacation on steroids. You’ll get all the beautiful views, beaches, food and culture, but you’ll also get a lot more than you can imagine and, maybe, a lot more than you bargained for.
The Unexpected Benefits of Travel
Below, I’ll summarize some ideas that could each make a chapter of a book. In no particular order, here are some of my favorite unexpected takeaways.
Surprises:
Waiting for the next surprise (unexpected benefit) is a reward. In other words, being surprised is great; knowing you will get more surprises is even better. Many years later, I am still being surprised by the lessons I learned on the road.
Life “lessens”:
Since life isn’t as much of a school as it is a playground, let’s call these life lessens, meaning things that lessen life’s burdens. Travel is full of moments that test your character and help you grow. You will learn a lot of lessens that you can get nowhere else. The unexpected benefit is more about which lessens life will give you and which lessens you will actually learn. For me, the list is very long. Two of my top lessens were learning that we, humans, are more alike than different, and that we are fundamentally good. That might sound unsurprising to the point of being cliché. I heard it a thousand times myself, but I never understood it until I hit the road.
Travel pays dividends:
The life lessons are invaluable, but what I love most about my travels is how they continue paying me back. I made a big investment in time and money, so I’m glad to report that my efforts continue to pay dividends. The dividends are the realizations of how both myself and the world work that I continue to have. For example, I had some tough days that made quitting seem like a good idea. But the experience of riding through sugar cane fields and even taking a few swings at the sugar cane with a machete gives me an appreciation for sugar and where it came from, how it is made, and even how it tastes.
Enjoying the moment:
One odd thing that happened is that my sense of time changed. For four years, I averaged about 1.5 nights in any one spot. And during the days, I traveled through a dozen villages. What happened was that the places I visited and the people that lived there were frozen in time. My grandma was fond of saying she didn’t like letting grass grow under her feet. For four years, I never saw grass grow. I never saw the cycle of the seasons, babies being born, or people growing old. I wasn’t aware of this until I returned home to Wisconsin. I thought I would be bored silly. But, riding my bicycle down the Glacial Drumlin Trail most every day for a year, I was amazed at how it changed every day and how different kinds of flowers and animals took turns throughout the season.
Memories:
What is a successful life? You might think money is the answer. Or, maybe you prefer leaving a legacy, like a business, book or a child. Those may be successes, but all you have left when you are lying on your deathbed are your memories. Memories are the things you have experienced that make you who you are. I believe experiences are the fundamental product of your life. That perspective actually makes me value even the “bad” experiences. Granted, some can be terrible, but if I live to tell the story, it’s a good one. Pro tip #1: Record your experiences before you forget. Make more pictures and journal entries than you think you will need. Pro tip # 2: Even if you forget, the experience will still become part of who you are. That’s how the brain works; it integrates experiences and throws away the fluff.
The Bike that went around the world
Emotions
Along with memories come emotions. Infinite varieties of emotions. We all crave the full spectrum of emotions. This is why we watch horror movies and ride roller coasters. But, rather than be a passive participant, why not go out and make your own!?
Inspiring others:
Meeting amazing people while you travel is a huge benefit. I was inspired by the people met. And I am genuinely surprised and honored to have inspired so many people—or so they tell me. Not only did I inspire people on the road but also back home. Some quit their jobs to travel, and some quit traveling to get a job. One of my favorite stories is meeting an 88-year-old woman that loved my adventure so much that she booked a solo flight to Bhutan. And another is about how I inspired Tom to ride a bicycle through Africa, and Tom went on to inspire hundreds more. When people I help follow their dream, I feel like I get to go along for the ride.
Cycling through Tibet
Realizing you are bigger than yourself:
When I first began traveling, I just wanted to learn about everyone else. I got annoyed by people asking me the same old question every day. It took me a long time to realize that the people I met were also on their own adventures. Even though my life seemed ordinary to me (cycling day after day can be drudgery), it was very inspirational to them. Many had never met a foreigner. These were also the people that made my trip possible. They were the ones that built the roads I traveled and fed me and housed me. I couldn’t be me without them, and they couldn’t be them without me. I recommend you look up the word “ubuntu” to learn more.
Credentials:
Having a credential like riding a bicycle around the world is like having a master’s degree in life. It’s a valuable thing to put on your resume. I’ve gotten jobs because of it. And I was honored to be a cultural Ambassador for the US Department of State because of it. You don’t have to do something as momentous as I did; any travel credits will look good on your resume.
These monarch butterflies are on their way to Mexico to hibernate for the winter. The butterflies not only know how to get to Mexico, but they know this important stopover in Point Pelee National Park, Canada. Before crossing Lake Erie, they take an overnight break here. If they didn't take a break, some might get stuck over water in the middle of the night.
Making a difference:
This is a loaded phrase because it implies your way of doing things is better than another person’s way of doing things. Missionaries often go awry in this way. That being said, I think we all want to influence the world we live in. We set goals, and we want to see them realized. My trip around the world was a lot like being a gardener; everywhere I went and everyone I met was a chance to plant a seed. Now, I get to stand back and watch my garden flourish. A literal example of this was visiting the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico and, recently, a vital migration layover in Canada. This is the most amazing migration on the planet spanning generations. It is also endangered. So, I now have my own monarch butterfly garden. I estimate I have had 100 new butterflies born in my garden. Plus, I have helped feed thousands more.
Becoming a different person:
Speaking of butterflies, I am a different person. Literally! Down to every molecule except maybe my teeth. And, even who I am, is a whole new mesh of thoughts and beliefs. This is because, like the previous example, every place I went and everyone I met also planted a seed in me.
Now it’s your turn
That was just a sprinkle of some of my favorite unexpected benefits. Perhaps, it helps you see the world a little differently. And, no doubt, you will find a whole new set of unexpected gains once you get out on the road.
