One Year, a Bicycle and Bravery is All it Takes to Travel the World
Entertainment Gabe Zaldivar September 24, 2014

Image via YouTube
Felix Starck had an itch to travel the world on the simplest of conveyances, his trusty bike. Remarkably, the German traveler scratched that itch, embarking on a yearlong journey across four continents and 22 countries.
Mashable’s Brian Koerber spotted the following video that teases a documentary chronicling Starck’s amazing adventure:
In total, Starck rode an astonishing 11,200 miles over the course of 365 days, which has us shaking our heads seeing as how we couldn’t stick to our New Years’ resolution of eating in moderation the entire year.
As Koerber writes, the trailer is meant to drive viewers to buy the much longer documentary Pedal the World, which captures the highs, lows and dangers of setting out like a hobbit upon the world, not knowing exactly what the day will bring.
The best part, as Mashable notes, “he will be donating 1€ for every copy sold to the World Wildlife Foundation.”
If you want to know a bit more and don’t have the time or inclination for a film, you might find The Huffington Post’s article on Starck interesting.
Suzy Strutner exchanged words with the 24-year-old on his jaunt around the globe, and he had some remarkable things to offer.
Obviously, there are some things you learn when biking in unfamiliar places, namely that meeting friends is rather easy when you are forced into human contact.
Starck offers, “Although I was traveling ‘solo,’ I spent only a handful of days alone because it is so easy to meet new people. Whether they were other travelers or locals, it didn’t really matter. It is definitely easier to get in touch with people while traveling solo, because you have to. If you don't, your trip won't be fun at all.”
Strutner reports the trip was an arduous one; writing, “His travel partner quit on him. He was overcome with pneumonia and robbed. His grandfather died while he was gone.”
But the biggest lesson gleaned from Starck may be to push on regardless of discomfort:
“The days after I left home were probably the toughest of my life. I never thought this would be so difficult for me. I left behind my perfect life, and the feeling was incredibly debilitating during those first days. Thoughts of quitting were ubiquitous. My brother, who accompanied me at the beginning of the trip, encouraged me to persevere. Together we came up with motivational games: How long can I ride on the side strip of the road? Can I make it over the bridge before the song ends? It helped immensely. I'm so happy that I kept going, because this trip made me stronger.”
Taking it one day at a time—or in this case, one bridge at a time—Starck accomplished the unthinkable and traveled unheard of distances. It took an entire year of his life and cost him a great deal in the process. However, as he insinuated to Strutner, it was all worth it. Sometimes life’s difficulties can’t diminish the amazing stuff that follows.
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