I have recently read Alistair Humphreys’ great book ‘Ten Lessons for the Road‘, a great manual for all people who plan a big trip any time in their life, or at least consider an adventure an option to break their everyday habits. Have a read yourself and support Alistair please, I am confident that’s a good thing to do (both reading and supporting Alistair). There are two great conclusions from the book I did make for myself: The world is not as evil as any global media try to teach us. It is essentially a great place with many welcoming individuals and a lot of humanity within, and I am more than thankful for being able to experience it. The world is a beast though, we will never tame it, but is also a great to explore yourself to make your own judgements based on your experiences, not on anybody else’s preconceptions. The second conclusion is to simplify your life to be able to make those journeys and not get tangled down by things you don’t need, reduce comfort to increase happiness. Less is much more in almost every occasion. If people in industrialised nations would live a simpler life we might not need to exploit our planet in the same way we do.

As I am planning on heading eastbound at some stage I spent most of my day yesterday with comparing the news about the events in Japan, mainly looking at different news sites around the world, as I have studied a lot on that subject at University. In addition I am not able to spent this weekend on the bike due to my recent fall, so I had time to spare in front of the screen. I hope I will be able to be out in the Highlands soon, I much prefer a weekend out in the nature than the couch potato version. First and foremost, I feel with the people affected in Japan that have lost everything, to the worst extent they have lost their lives, or are going to. I am also concerned about the events in the nuclear power stations affected, and I mistrust the coverage about it, as any media can only tell us part of the truth, however willing or unwilling they are, even if they are called BBC and The Guardian. I am also against nuclear power and I am deeply concerned, but is there anything I can do at the moment? NO. I am also disgusted about most of the German media coverage, which simply utilises those events for their own agendas, it doesn’t take a lot to identify that. And it does to no extent surprise me, so I am thankful about a more balanced journalism practised by British journalists or their New Zealand or American counterparts.

But more or less I am truly annoyed with all the people, wherever you are based, who now rapidly come up with human chains against nuclear energy, spill out their wisdom in several online forums and so forth. You are a selfish, self indulgent mess, and it doesn’t take a lot to get that. I am against nuclear energy as you, but you don’t really care about the people affected in a disaster as long as you are sitting in you’re warm living room and don’t pay too much for the energy you use. I don’t want to judge you anymore, but there is one hint: Leave your country for some time, there are even better places to live. It’s a very hard thing to do for some of you, but please explore the world. It is a great place, people will welcome you, you will make great experiences, and most of all come back with a different point of view based on your very own experiences. I did the same and will continue to do so, as it is the best thing I have done in my life so far. I am much more critical than I used to be, but I also believe in the good of people. I now try to do small bits to have a positive influence on people’s lives. Apart from writing this blog I don’t spent my days writing comments in online forums about topics that are just to complex to easily judge them. I am against the exploitation of natural resources and use my bike whenever I can, but it doesn’t make me any better. But I have fun doing it. I am still a human being, I will still pollute the world, I still use parts manufactured with nuclear power in Japan, as most of you do, even the ones that cry out very loud and put stickers on your clothes, or a badge on your Facebook profile pic. May I am mention that the server Facebook is running on might also be powered by nuclear power stations? I try to live simple, which makes me happier and other people as well. I eat as much as I need, I sometimes treat myself to something which is not essential. I prefer the stillness of a nice camp spot to a hotel room with plush beds. I prefer riding my bike to roam countries, simply because I enjoy it, and it makes me talk to people. I feel proud when I achieve something I didn’t believe I could do, I enjoy the tips from locals, I love the moments of unexpected humanity, and there have been a lot of them. But I am still far away from being any better than anyone and that’s the attitude that makes me going places. People like that, and this world would be much better if we would not life our small town lives and complain about the big town people.

Once I have explored places I can make judgements, either good or bad ones. Surely I can’t go everywhere, but I don’t want to anyway. I might have an opinion, but I wouldn’t necessarily insist it’s the right one.