Why I Did The Cycle Trip

By cycling from Ireland to India I wanted to test my strength of will, question my preconceptions and learn. Challenges no mater how ambitious or simple, mental or physical, test your strength of character. For me, to avoid challenges due to fear of the unknown or because of difficulty, is a fatal flaw which condemns people to a self-absorbed banal life of routine. Mentally motivating oneself to push on no matter what, when tested by boredom, irritation, doubts, loneliness and fears can be more trying than any physical rigour. The body can be trained to withstand extreme climates and the strains that come with any adventure but you never know how the mind might react until it is faced with a certain situation.

Everybody, no matter what their circumstances, possesses unrealistic expectations. The mind jumbles together randomly accumulated facts resulting in often foolish preconceptions. To approach every new person as an individual without comparisons, all situations without fears or preconceptions, each new day as a chance to live my dream, is simply the only path to understanding and tolerance. I attempt to seek out the positive for surely creating unnecessary barriers due to distrust is an unjustifiable insult.

I find venturing into the unknown exhilarating. Not knowing what unusual character I may encounter or what bizarre situation I may find myself in at any point during a day instils in me the vibrancy of life. It inflates my optimism and illustrates the astonishing diversity within our world. People’s cultures and ways of life provide a much needed comparison for me with which to evaluate my own life. Without this comparison it is difficult if not impossible to evaluate if one’s life is progressing along a path towards unhappiness, slowly extinguishing dreams in favour of mere acceptance. Experience for me is the ultimate educational subject.