Q: Do you never get bored cycling alone ?
I do. But I learn to live with it. It’s when I am alone on the road, and i’ve listened through all my offline playlists, and I have no one to talk to, that the actual magic happens. That’s when inspiration and realization come out of nowhere.
Q: What do you eat ?
I like to eat Oats with Milk in the morning. Or whatever is available. I like trying local stuff, but because I eat so much i always need 2 meals which ends up being too expensive.
So I eat lots of bread, hard-boiled eggs, nuts, beans,chicken, tuna, pasta, tomatoes, bananas, peaches, chips and ice-cream when its hot!
Q: What do you enjoy the most?
In the fresh air of the morning, the first push on the pedals with a song or a good book in my ears.
Stop in some rural village and watch people around me.
The feeling of a soft bed after some days of camping.
Q: What do you enjoy the least?
The astounding noise of a truck behind you in a tunnel.
Biking under the rain.
Q: How does you typical day look like ?
I wake up in my tent around 8am. The first thing I realize is that I am actually still on this trip. Since I don’t have a shower, I splash my water bottle onto my face to wake up. My morning ritual consists of packing up my tent while listening to some french news podcast. It reassures me that the world that I know still exists.
After a bite of an overly dry bread I usually start biking half an hour to two hours, depending on how far the next city is. Morning times are best because the temperature are coolest. I stop at some market, get some milk and oatmeal, and stuff my stomach at the next coffee place where i can charge my phone. That’s when I pull out my laptop and a have an hour of “normal” activity in front of a screen. I connect to my mailbox with a hotspot and try not to procrastinate, and keep editing those videos, pictures, or blog posts.
If there is an attraction nearby, like a museum or historical place, i could see it after breakfast. Otherwise – surprise- I start biking. Usually, I don’t have a set goal for the day. I just bike towards a direction and see how far I can get. On average that’s around 70km per biking day. While I bike, I listen to many audiobooks ranging from history to spirituality, or some good classic novel. I alternate between silence, music and books. Time flies !
Because I don’t pressure myself for any daily destination, I pause at places I like. Sometimes, i’ll meet people who spontaneaously invite me to some dinner or to stay at their place. Other times, I like the feeling of a nature spot so much that I decide to set camp. If I arrive close to a city, I will start sending out requests on couchsurfing or warmshowers around 5pm to find a host. It works almost every time.. and I can rejoice myself of some company, a bed and a shower!
I usually alternate that with sleeping outside, in which case I pass a small town and get some groceries. When I shop, I have to lock my bike outside and take all valuable stuff with me. I then set up my tent just before sunset and cook my dinner. After I finished eating, I either immediately fall asleep or write in my journal about all the new things I’ve experienced in that day.
Hi! I really like your blog, it is a great resource for myself and others to learn from! I wanted to ask about £ and how it relates to your trip. Did you save a lot of money before you left? Are you working along the way? If you could explain your financial situation in a broader sense it would really help me with my own questions. Thank you!
Hi Jonathan. I will definetly write a more detailed post about the financials of this trip ! In short : I worked in a startup before and saved up a few thousand dollars by living without without paying rent, by spending the nights couchsurfing only. Making small works here and there. Using past savings, i saved a total of around $9000. I bought the equipement for $3000 and try to spend as little as I can during the trip. If I run short, I’ll take a credit on my dad.