After finishing my current 2016 bike tour throughout Portugal, Spain, France, Andorra, Norway and Sweden, I flew again to america and a few have you’ve gotten been asking, “Darren, why did you give up your bike after solely three months?”
In any case, a lot of my earlier bicycle touring expeditions have been for much longer. Seven months, 9 months, fourteen months… and generally even longer! This 12 months, nevertheless, my bike tour in Europe was solely three months lengthy. Why was that? And did one thing go mistaken?
No, nothing went mistaken. The plan from the start was to journey for under three months. In case you re-read my 2016 bike tour journey plans put up… or watch the video I printed again initially of Might, you will note that I deliberate on touring for under three months this 12 months earlier than returning dwelling to america.
The explanation my journey was so brief this 12 months is as a result of in late 2015, I used to be identified with testicular most cancers. One week after receiving this information, I went in for an emergency surgical procedure and it took me a number of months after that to get well – not simply bodily, however mentally as effectively.
One of many important issues that received me by way of this horrible expertise was planning and getting ready for my subsequent massive bike tour (the bike tour that I simply accomplished). Actually, I all the time discover the planning and preparation means of a motorcycle tour to be extraordinarily motivating. It provides you one thing to look ahead to… and it’s enjoyable to dream in regards to the adventures you might need alongside the way in which.
So, I spent the primary a number of months of 2015 recovering from my surgical procedure and getting ready my physique and my thoughts for an additional massive bike tour in Europe.
However in contrast to my bike excursions up to now, I knew that this bike tour was going to be completely different. Not solely had a only recently undergone a fairly main surgical procedure, however my medical doctors had been telling me that I would want to obtain common 3-month checkups with a view to ensure the most cancers was actually gone… and that it had not unfold to different components of my physique. Each three months I would want to return to Southern California (the place I had my surgical procedure and the place all of my medical doctors had been situated) and get new blood assessments, a brand new CT scan, and go to with every of my varied medical doctors.
So, after I was planning my bike tour in Europe this 12 months, I knew that I used to be on a good three-month timeline. I had 90 days to fly to Europe, do as a lot biking as I presumably may do, after which I would want to fly again to america for a brand new spherical of assessments and follow-up physician visits.
That’s why my bike tour was solely three months lengthy this 12 months… and that’s why I’m again in Southern California in the mean time.
I plan to remain right here in SoCal for an additional 2-3 months, however after that I’m hoping to go off on one other 3-month-long bicycle touring journey. Watch the video above and also you’ll be taught that I’ve not but determined the place I wish to go on my subsequent biking journey, however I’m debating between three very completely different locations: Cyprus, Ecuador and Iran.
Which of those three locations would you be most eager about biking by way of? Go away a remark under and let me the place you suppose I ought to go.
PS – Thanks to everybody who has messaged me privately or left feedback on my YouTube movies and/or Fb posts. Your form and inspiring phrases actually imply quite a bit to me. Thanks, thanks, thanks!