|
By
Scott Stoll
Date: July 1, 2006
In
one week, my girlfriend dumped me, I was fired and my best friend
eloped and left me without rent. When my life seemed empty, I realized
the irony: I was working overtime to accumulate all the material
symbols of success — things I didn’t even want, but
believed and feared I needed to be accepted and loved. So, realizing
I only had one life and one chance, I asked myself, “If I
could do anything, what would I do?”
My “impossible” answer was to ride my bicycle around
the world. I vowed to discover the mysteries of life, my true self
and the secret to happiness.
The
idea grew, and the following year I tested myself by riding across
the USA from border to border and coast to coast. After my 6200-mile
test, it took three years to save the money, plan and prepare (including
knee and eye surgery) for my global bicycle trek.
Just five days before the terrorist attacks in New York City, I
left behind everything I thought I was, and made the first small
pedal stroke of a four-year quest that covered 25,752 miles (the
equatorial circumference is 24,859.82 miles) through 50 countries
and 6 continents.
My adventures were full of more joy than suffering, but I discovered
that it was the misadventures that forged my character and revealed
my true self, like collapsing from doubt and loneliness in Belgium,
being held hostage in Egypt, being stoned in India, nearly being
trampled by elephants in Nepal, being run over in Vietnam, being
imprisoned in Zimbabwe, being suspected of terrorism in Israel,
having my heart broken in London, suffering from heat exhaustion
in the Baja desert and knowing everything I owned was worth one
glass of water, and that if I had one last wish it would be to say
goodbye to all my loved ones. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of
the world and its people, especially the kindness of strangers,
who would often feed me their last morsel of food. Most of all,
it was my loneliness, doubt and stubborness that tempered my spirit.
Somewhere in India, I stopped looking for answers and learned to
cherish the never-ending mysteries of life and self as they unfolded.
One mystery was that dozens of times a day, in every country, people
of every race, sex, age, language, religion and culture asked me
the same questions. Most had never read a newspaper or watched a
television. Some had never seen a foreigner, heard of America, or
even knew in which country they lived. The questions provided me
with insight to human nature — that we all are traveling a
path from struggle and survival, through a quest for meaning and
happiness, ultimately seeking enlightenment.
I
was overwhelmed by the beauty of the world and its people, especially
the kindness of strangers, who would often feed me their last morsel
of food. Along the way, I learned that one can't find themselves
or happiness, but that one must create themselves and create happiness.
However, ironically, it wasn’t until I returned home that
I met someone who could answer all my questions — a Buddha.
He answered all of life’s big questions, and elaborated upon
why I cycled around the world and whether I made a difference.
I
learned many more things and have many stories to tell, but, as
they say, you'll have to buy
the book :)
|
|
