In January of this year, a short while after moving with my Iranian girlfriend in Bucharest, Romania, I got dumped by her. Her situation was much more complicated than one of the average person. She was an unusual immigrant from Iran in Romania, and that made her more exotic in my eyes. As a matter of fact, this is part of the reason why I fell in love with her.
At the moment of break up, I felt my entire world collapsing before my eyes. We had made plans for marriage and then traveling the world together, and now everything was gone. She justified her decision out of a lack of love for me that she couldn’t tell in the beginning. But it was probably more than that, that has ended our long-term relationship. So, at the moment when that happened, I needed to embark on something else, something big. I needed to start on a significant project that would restore my self-esteem, the faith in myself, and mend my broken heart. All the things which have been partially harmed by this tough moment for me.
And what crazier project than that of deciding to take off to Alaska and start biking along the longest road in the world, the Panamerican Highway down to Argentina. So I convinced a few sponsors in Romania to back my road trip with the equipment needed and started an Indiegogo fundraising campaign, and I took off into the wilds of Alaska.
Since August 5th, when I started biking near the Arctic ocean I came a long way, and I am now approaching the Mexican border. 6600 km (4100 miles) cycled through the most remote areas of North America, through the wilds of Alaska and the Yukon territory and the vast prairies of Canada to Yellowstone National Park and Canyonlands in South Utah. This has been an amazing journey and life on the road experience so far, and as I am approaching Mexico, I am getting ready for the real cultural experience. I can’t wait for the hot-blooded people and the warm weather as I have been battling with the winter for the past month or so since crossing the border in Montana, in the United States.
This journey is more than I could have expected when my girlfriend dumped me. I wake up every day in my tent with a new landscape, in a new part of the world. I get the meet amazing people that show me how humane this world can still be. Some people stop me and offer to host me for the night, some stop and hand me money in appreciation of what I do. One thing I will never forget is the day I got caught up in a terrible snowstorm in Utah. The very first family on whose door I knocked invited me in to take refuge and have dinner with them — what a beautiful moment.
I have a long way to go still - check the cool photos I took along the road. If you want to support my journey through the Americas, you can donate on my Facebook page through the donate button.
More info: Facebook
Sleeping in my tent at -10°C in Utah, USA
Cycling through the mountains
Cycling in winter conditions in Idaho, USA
Reaching the Arctic circle in Alaska
Above the clouds in the North Slope of Alaska
Arches National Park near Moab, Utah, one of the most beautiful places I have ever been through
Crossing the border to New Mexico
Canyonlands National Park, Utah, USA
Arches National Park, Utah, USA
My faithful friend
At 5574 Feet (1698 m) I crossed the border into the fifth state
The Canadian Prairies at sunset. Alberta, Canada
Cycling in the Winter time, Montana, USA
Deadhorse, Alaska at dusk
At Lake Louise in Banff National Park
