In 2012, a 24-year-old Polish-Canadian cyclist named Kasia Szewczyk won the Bicycle Touring Pro annual scholarship to help support her first bicycle tour. She rode from Barcelona, Spain to Istanbul,Turkey while simultaneously working on a fundraising project that brought in $10,000 for the Canadian charity “World Literacy Canada”. As Kasia puts it: “bike travel is about the journey, not the destination. It’s a reality check, and we pedal in awe of the raw and real experiences that we encounter along the way.” After completing the ride, Kasia shared her stories and experiences, culminating in five life lessons learned while out on the road:

The clock stops ticking for no one person and the road continues on into the horizon; try as you might, you’ll never quite reach the end of it. New towns always appear after an old town while on a bike tour, and no culture, country, city or person is completely the same. This is why travel really is all about the journey within; situations and environments are always changing, with adaptation the only possible answer.

“Every bicycle traveler that I have met thus far, has either consciously or without realizing it followed a singular rule when on the road: never turn back and ride the same way you came. Whether you’re lost, need water or are tired and want to rest, it suddenly becomes paramount, some force deep down within us rears it’s head and cries: ‘never turn back!’”

Kasia reflects on her bike journey: “Great feats are really a compilation of numerous, not-so-amazing feats”. A 20km ride in and of itself is not very grandiose. Repeat this 100 times, however, and you have yourself a very impressive story and bike tour. Every step in the right direction, even if it is the smallest step, propels you forward.

It’s the same principle behind the idiom: “look after your pennies and the dollars take care of themselves”. Every major accomplishment or achievement is built upon numerous small steps, eventually culminating in one very large achievement. People may look at Jeff Bezos and stand in awe of Amazon; however, people rarely think about the thousands of tiny steps it took for the internet giant to get where he is.

Don’t put off your dreams, no matter how “crazy” people may think of your idea. Go after them now and don’t keep putting things off that you’ve been wanting to do for years. Kasia notes: “when your mind is focused and your intention formulated, circumstance really does align itself with your dreams, making the seemingly impossible miraculously possible.”

If you want progress for your future and have a real desire for change, prodding things in the right direction is necessary. Many times over, Kasia was told how dangerous and irresponsible it was for a young woman to traverse Europe by bike, alone. You think that stopped her? This serves as a strong reminder that when your intentions are clear, stars really do begin to align.

Living life with a clean slate, free of expectations, is probably the healthiest way to live. Everyone’s eyes see a little bit differently, and just because a guy’s opinion of that “terrible campground” was negative doesn’t mean you’ll see that campground the same way. Kasia remarks “I challenge you to cycle and travel with an open mind and heart – it’s the only way to see the world through your own eyes.” In essence, she is saying to take all of the advice people give with a grain of salt.

Be patient. “An understanding that everything, enjoyable and unpleasant, is ultimately a finite experience, makes for a healthier outlook on life. It helps us to once again glimpse the bigger picture and recognize the details for what they are”. That long ride up the hill doesn’t last forever and neither does the descent. Neither do the sunflowers, the sunset, or a phone call from an old friend. “Experience it all in the moment, remember patience and understand that this too shall pass.”

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