Lessons From The Trail
I want to tell you about some notes in my notebook.
You see, over the summer as I cycled from one corner of Europe to the other,
I started this list.
I called it Lessons from the trail.
I noticed the first as I came into Gothenburg.
After a month of riding through the wilderness of Norway, Finland and Sweden.
I noticed something was different.
I noticed it when I couldn't fill my water from a river any more.
I noticed it when the people we passed stopped saying hello.
I noticed it when I had to lock my bike outside a shop.
Civilisation isn't civilised.
The next I don’t remember writing down.
But it helped.
Reading signposts can be useful.
The third. I remember noticing a lot.
When we stopped for lunch or camped for the night.
I noticed, there's something about a bench.
Well, it doesn’t have to be a bench but just something to lift you out the dirt.
Things didn’t always go to plan on the trip.
They usually don’t.
The difference however when you’re in the middle of nowhere, is there is no buying your way out or calling for help.
There will be problems. The trail will teach you how to fix them.
I’m lucky to be here.
I’m lucky to be here.
The next one is obvious.
Bring a full roll of duct tape.
I remember before I went away I found a flat stone on a beach not far from where I live,
It had scratched into it, “You never regret a swim”.
I think that inspired the next one, which we ended up making a rule.
Never pass a good swim spot.
We met a guy called Steve on about the 4th or 5th day.
He would clean his bike thoroughly most evenings.
We weren't as disciplined as him, but we tried as often as we remembered.
It didn’t take much to make the bike run more smoothly.
So, lube your chain.
Some dating advice from one of the many chats on the trip.
You are a hot ticket.
Believe it.
The next seems obvious.
It seems easy.
But if you are cycling every day.
It can be hard to realise how much you actually have to do it.
Eat. Eat. Eat.
Finally, I want to tell you the most extraordinary story from the trip.
My friend Max joined me for the first 3 weeks,
after that I would continue alone.
I didn’t want to go alone but it's hard to find anyone else crazy enough to cycle across a continent.
However on the very first day as we sat eating lunch looking across the Arctic Ocean with Russia merely a couple of hundred meters away. Another cyclist turned up.
About half an hour later we started cycling south with this stranger.
About 3 months later I arrived in the opposite corner of Europe with one of my best friends.
Strangers Make Great Friends.
I have made a photobook from the trip. It tells the story of an adventure, a story of a friendships and a story of a moment in time. It launched last night around pizza with friends. You can get a copy here.
Jacob.
