Summer’s here – and a new adventure for 2016

Summer’s here – and a new adventure for 2016

Getting used to daily life back home, that was the theme of the past few months. Settling in a trusted environment with friends and family around me was more difficult than I thought it would be. Immediately after returning home from my bicycle journey, an overload of physical instability came over me. Stay positive, I thought, everything will be alright.

I’m now writing from a sunny Cyprus. So yes, basically everything is alright again. I ventured myself into a nice relaxing holiday with my girlfriend Lisa.

And you might think, where does that guy get the money from? That’s not a very big mystery though, I have been doing an almost permanent job for the last few months. And that’s beyond my expectations because I had planned not to work permanent for the first six months after my arrival. I got offered a dream job that I couldn’t resist. Therefore, It was also time to break the daily busy working life again.

Reinventing myself. Enjoying things in a different way. The reason why I didn’t write a blog for over a month.

That I did not blog does not mean I did not do other things.

Talk for school kids @ Tweestroom in Hendrik Ido Ambacht

I did a lecture at a primary school. And two weeks ago, it was that official time that I handed over my bicycle to the director of Marktplaats (the Dutch eBay where I bought it). Upon arriving in Singapore, I was told that Marktplaats doubled the amount I raised for the World Wide Fund for Wildlife in exchange for my bicycle.

My bicycle at Marktplaats in return for 3500 euro for a good cause, WWF

My bicycle has gained an honorable place on the Marktplaats office in Amsterdam.

I will miss him. But hey, I’ll find another second hand bicycle right?

A while back I gave my first official motivational speech. In such a speech, I wonder sometimes, what the reason is that I’ve made this journey and many others dream of it but can’t get to the point to do it? Is it a mortgage, career, interest, money or just the fear of the unknown?

How can I contribute and motivate other people to do what they always wanted to do?

When I started reading preparation material from journeys of those who did something similar, I thought that I would never do it that big. I saw barriers. But by reading more and more articles I began to understand something. Those boys and girls who cycled around the world are not superheroes. They’re just curious people, like me, looking for a fun interpretation of their lives.

The next month I will enjoy this vacation in Cyprus and some writing on my book. Here’s a sneak preview of what Lisa and I are experiencing.

Lisa on holiday in Cyprus

Broiling, surrounded by cactuses, but tasty, as relaxing and to recharge.

My adventurous friend Erwin is preparing a journey to do LeJog (southern England to northern Scotland) on rollerskates. He’s going to have a hard play out there but I think it’s a wonderful challenge that I fully support. I would like to accompany him on my longboard, a week in Northern England or perhaps Scotland? But that’s for later in September.

Check in the meantime my fb page and instagram for some pics of our holiday in Cyprus.

And above all, I hope you enjoy your own vacation!