Circumnavigating planet Earth was amazing. Even before I started my trip, I became so involved in what I was going to do that the rest of the world seemed to disappear. For months, I went to bed thinking about the project, and it was the first thing on my mind when I woke up. I...
New York was one destination before last, and it was the first time I crossed routes with my previous experiences. I’d spent seven months living outside of the city a few years back, so it was lovely to relieve old memories. In the same time, as I was approaching the end of my trip, I...
Some people are motivated by achievement, others by process, others by a blend of both. But no matter what it is, everyone who pursues a dream learns many lessons along the way. I learned that if you badly want something, take some risks and ask for help, people will often help you. It happened to...
Formerly, even in the most favourable circumstances, a man needed at least a few months to cross either India or America from the west to the east coast. But technological innovations which took place in the second half of the 19th century had opened a new possibility of rapid traveling. In particular, three technological breakthroughs...
So many unexpected things happened as I roamed the world. At times either I had that weird feeling in my stomach while getting seasick when crossing the Mediterranean or East China Seas or my heart was in my mouth when the mega earthquake and the accompanying tsunami hit Japan on 11th of March, killing thousands...
Mt Fuji, a symbol of Japan, also known as Fujiyama or Fuji-san, fascinates with its cone shape and unusual symmetry. Together with Tate and Haku is considered to be one of the Japan’s “Three Holly Mountains”. As Miyamoto Musashi wrote in “The Book of Five Rings” – ‘Aspire to be like Mt Fuji, with such...
There isn’t a person on this planet that doesn’t benefit from a little outside help, and I must admit that I couldn’t have done it all alone. Maybe that’s the best thing that I’ve learnt – never be shy about seeking wisdom and help from others. Risking rejection by engaging with people who might not...
One skill I learned while travelling was the ability to happily get by with less. Having our possessions limited to what we can carry in a suitcase or a backpack is damn so liberating. It helps to focus on the amazing experience and accept things as they come. Less luxury, fewer status symbols and fewer...
Words have tremendous candlepower. Reading ‘Around the world in 80 days’ was a wake-up call I needed. It lighted my passion and blazed new trails. I still have it, both – a Polish edition that travelled with me, and its English pocket one with a price tag of 3.99 Euro on it. Without doubt, the...
Photos, logs, and notes from the journey are my most valuable memories. They remain engaging records of my quest and allow me to savor these moments on and on. I experienced things of great beauty like Mount Fuji surrounded by a blanket of clouds, or dramatic snow-covered peaks of two great mountain ranges – Sierra...