Our friend Paul is in the middle of an epic journey. I call Paul a friend but we have actually only hung out once. We got along great, but I have learned a lot more about him and his outlook through his accounts of his current adventure and our long distance communications.
Paul is originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil. He lived here in Atlanta for a while but decided it was time to move back to Brazil. As a cyclist without time constraints, Paul applied some basic logic that probably went something like this: “What’s the best way to get from Atlanta to Sao Paulo? I think I’ll ride my bike.” Makes sense to me, although my ass hurts just thinking about a ride like that!
As I write Paul has been on the road for just over a year. He is somewhere in the desert of Peru- A loooong way from and Atlanta, and still a long way from Sao Paulo. In the year since he headed out he has lived a ridiculous number of experiences. He has seen some amazing landscapes, tasted different cultures, made tons of new friends, and partied with old friends. He’s also been stranded in Panama for a while pulling together the ferry fare to make it to Columbia, and been robbed in Quito- But, it seems like the few little glitches in the trip will become minor nuisances when compared to the tons of great times he has had!
“…so I got robbed in Quito, and, believe it or not, they managed to slash my pocket WHILE I was standing there and without me knowing it – boy did I feel like an idiot. I would say that probably the best highlights of my trip were surviving my first week of camping in the frosts on the way out of the US (after not having camped in over a decade – yeah, I was well prepared, lol), the magical transformation from the sterility of the US to the vibrant colors and sounds and street-life of Latin America (ie: arriving in Mexico), the melting pot of culture, historical sites, bohemian neighborhoods, and compolitan nature of Mexico City, the stunning blue highland Lake Atitlan, ringed by volcanic peaks and quirky villages, the unforgettable journey from Panama to Colombia across the Caribbean by a huge tallship sailboat, passing through the dreamlike desert islands of San Blas, and the raw and unspoiled beauties of Colombia – from top to bottom.”
Paul sent me a few thoughts and reflections from the road when I mentioned I was going to write a piece on him:
- “…since beginning my trip the importance of destinations has almost faded into an afterthought, whereas the peoples, cultures, and warmth of welcome of a place are by far the most rewarding part of any visit.”
- “I would also have to say that all of the best and most memorable experiences of my entire trip were when I was given the opportunity to meet new friends in one of the cities or towns that I was visiting and then discover that world through their eyes and feel like a local – so much more invigorating than guide-book exploring.”
- “…after having traveled through such austere and poverty-stricken lands for so long, I´ve learned to cherish and be grateful for the simple things, to make sacrifices, and to do for myself more than I ever had to before in my life (washing all your clothes by hand? Are you serious?). I can´t say that there aren´t still some first-world luxuries that I always long for, … but then again, I suppose they´ll be the much more rewarding once I do find them again (oh Ben & Jerry, where art thou?).”
Paul’s goal was to change his course in life and find a more fulfilling path with the epic bike trip as a rewarding, head-clearing transition. And so far, it sounds like the adventure has been a huge success.
