Why I Chose My Route Through Europe and Africa?

Contrast. Diversity. Challenge. Soul. I think there will be a lot of all of these during my ride through Europe and Africa. Perhaps there are no two continents that better exemplify our complex world than these, with the history of colonialism and the deep scars it left, inequality, disparity, repression, yet at the same time progress, creativity, innovation, and collaboration. I chose my route through Europe and Africa to better understand the depths and realities of our world and experience for myself a greater part of the colorful, intricate, messy, but fundamentally beautiful tapestry of humanity through this journey.  

Over the past few years, I’ve had the great privilege to travel widely through Europe, experiencing the calm serenity of Finnish forests, The dramatic snow-tipped mountains of the Bavarian alps, and the gorgeous coastlines of the Italian Amalfi coast and southern Greece, among many others. Through my traveling so far, I’ve learned how much experiencing new places, cultures, and ways of life has broadened my own perspective, made me more empathetic and understanding of people different from me, and how much I’ve grown through stepping out of my comfort zone and into new adventures. I am incredibly excited for exploring more of Europe through my big trip, to see new countries and regions, and connect with people and make new friends along the way.

But, I also think the world is so big, and there is so much to be learned through experiencing more of it. So far, my travels have taken me within just two continents (Europe and North America), and Africa will be a big new leap for me. I have dreamed of traveling through Africa since I was a child. To see the amazing wildlife – elephants, giraffes, zebras, lions – and explore the expansive natural landscapes – savannas, deserts, jungles, mountains – to experience the different cultures and traditions, learn about the rich histories, and dance to the rhythm and the music. Of course, my childlike wonder of Africa has matured over the years, and I’m not naïve to the challenges of the continent – the poverty, instability, violence, and danger that are very real throughout much of Africa and certainly also on my chosen route. But through my trip I also want to break through the stereotypical view of Africa and my own biases, and experience for myself what life is really like, the diversity and complexity, the struggles but also the joys. I believe that beyond the challenges, Africa is a continent of incredible abundance and energy and life and soul, and I want to learn about and showcase these aspects through my trip.

Perhaps what excites me most about my journey and my route, though, is the people, and the opportunities to get to know people with diverse backgrounds, cultures and traditions, philosophies and perspectives, and ways of living and thinking about life. I want to approach my trip with kindness and empathy, and an openness and willingness to listen and learn, and I hope to make lots of new friends along the way. I also cannot wait to connect with many amazing organizations fighting for disability rights and accessibility during my journey, and meet with many many people across the disability spectrum, to get to know them and their personal experiences, struggles, strengths, and joys, to listen to their stories, and try as best I can to amplify their voices and showcase their raw simple humanity. I think even through the diversity of cultures and traditions, perspectives and ways of life, I believe I will come away from my journey seeing more similarities than differences, knowing there are more things that connect us than separate us, and understanding that the world is big and complex, but we’re all human, and we all fit into it equally and deserve the same rights to live fully, happy, and free.

My route will only take me through a small sliver of the world, but I know it will still teach me so much about the range of human experience and diversity of human stories across these amazing regions of our planet. I chose my route because of all that I can learn, to maybe better understand how I fit into our big, complex, and wonderful world, how I might be able to make a positive impact in my own way, and to come out a little wiser on the other side.