It is official!
I've ridden my bicycle 18,331 kilometers, or 11,365 miles, from Chiang Mai, Thailand, to Istanbul, Turkey, to cross the continent of Asia.
So am I like, done and stuff? I suppose so. FOR NOW. The past two years have been a life-changing adventure. I've learned so much about the world and myself, and have been fortunate enough to meet some amazing people, many of whom I hope will stay life-long friends. I wouldn't take back the past two years for anything. Couldn't I just keep going? Well, yes, technically I guess I could, but here's why I'm not:
1. My brother is getting married, and I don't want to miss his wedding. As much as I'm enjoying my nomadic lifestyle, being there for my lil bro's big day is much more important. I suppose I could just fly back to Istanbul afterwards and continue cycling, but...
2. It's getting easy. The most rewarding aspect of cycle touring is the experience gained through hardship. I don't mean just climbing the big mountains or living in uncomfortable environments, but also just dealing with new stimuli and learning from them. Well, not to be snooty, but I've learned that I can do this. I can confidently roll up just about anywhere in the world and make friends with the locals, and the thought of pedaling my steed uphill at 4km/hr for two days straight no longer seems like a big deal. Of course, there's always more to learn, but as of now, the personal growth has slowed to a trickle, so it's time to find a different path.
3. The cash flow is flowing the wrong way! Although I saved up plenty of money in my previous life, and could technically afford to keep cycling for the next 8 years or so, it's time to make some money! But don't think I'm just going to join the rat-race and become a cog in the machine; I'm going to make sure that at the very least I sell my labor for something positive and worthwhile. Which brings me to the next point.
4. I want to move on to something bigger. Although cycling cross-continent has been extremely rewarding, and I think I've probably touched other people's lives as much as they've touched mine, I'm tired doing good simply tangentially or through non-participation. And even though I've tried to incorporate a lot of volunteer activities into the past two years, those volunteer activities tend to involve pretty low-skill tasks. I think it's time to use my skill set, which I believe is considerable, for something bigger than myself, and in a direct way. I don't know if I'll return to working with refugees or elsewhere in the non-profit sector, but I want to make a difference at a higher level.
Who knows, maybe in a few years I'll take off on another bicycle trip (I've already been eyeing the Barrow, Alaska to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego route), maybe I won't. I'd also like to do some mountaineering, and a big motorcycle trip needs to happen at some point. Regardless, I don't consider this the end of adventure, rather the beginning of the next level! I just hope I can maintain this positive attitude, and not get obese (already gained 10lbs/5kgs in the month I've been back in the states) in the process!
I've ridden my bicycle 18,331 kilometers, or 11,365 miles, from Chiang Mai, Thailand, to Istanbul, Turkey, to cross the continent of Asia.
Above and below: Me dipping my bicycle in the Bosphorus, the end of Asia to make it official. The other side of the Bosphorus that you see in the photo above is Europe!
So am I like, done and stuff? I suppose so. FOR NOW. The past two years have been a life-changing adventure. I've learned so much about the world and myself, and have been fortunate enough to meet some amazing people, many of whom I hope will stay life-long friends. I wouldn't take back the past two years for anything. Couldn't I just keep going? Well, yes, technically I guess I could, but here's why I'm not:
1. My brother is getting married, and I don't want to miss his wedding. As much as I'm enjoying my nomadic lifestyle, being there for my lil bro's big day is much more important. I suppose I could just fly back to Istanbul afterwards and continue cycling, but...
2. It's getting easy. The most rewarding aspect of cycle touring is the experience gained through hardship. I don't mean just climbing the big mountains or living in uncomfortable environments, but also just dealing with new stimuli and learning from them. Well, not to be snooty, but I've learned that I can do this. I can confidently roll up just about anywhere in the world and make friends with the locals, and the thought of pedaling my steed uphill at 4km/hr for two days straight no longer seems like a big deal. Of course, there's always more to learn, but as of now, the personal growth has slowed to a trickle, so it's time to find a different path.
3. The cash flow is flowing the wrong way! Although I saved up plenty of money in my previous life, and could technically afford to keep cycling for the next 8 years or so, it's time to make some money! But don't think I'm just going to join the rat-race and become a cog in the machine; I'm going to make sure that at the very least I sell my labor for something positive and worthwhile. Which brings me to the next point.
4. I want to move on to something bigger. Although cycling cross-continent has been extremely rewarding, and I think I've probably touched other people's lives as much as they've touched mine, I'm tired doing good simply tangentially or through non-participation. And even though I've tried to incorporate a lot of volunteer activities into the past two years, those volunteer activities tend to involve pretty low-skill tasks. I think it's time to use my skill set, which I believe is considerable, for something bigger than myself, and in a direct way. I don't know if I'll return to working with refugees or elsewhere in the non-profit sector, but I want to make a difference at a higher level.
Who knows, maybe in a few years I'll take off on another bicycle trip (I've already been eyeing the Barrow, Alaska to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego route), maybe I won't. I'd also like to do some mountaineering, and a big motorcycle trip needs to happen at some point. Regardless, I don't consider this the end of adventure, rather the beginning of the next level! I just hope I can maintain this positive attitude, and not get obese (already gained 10lbs/5kgs in the month I've been back in the states) in the process!
