Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed at work, wondering why you’re putting in so many hours - and for what? Maybe you’ve reached a nice level of success, but you still feel empty. Or you’re having a midlife crisis of sorts and thinking “there’s gotta be more to life than this.”
And then maybe you get the thought “Wouldn’t it be awesome to just chuck it all - quit the job, sell the house and all the other “stuff” - and go see the world That’s exactly what today’s guests did. In this podcast I’m interviewing Sara and Daniel Pederson from Vancouver, Canada.
They followed up on that dream and are doing it. So far they’ve traveled 125,000 miles, visited 61 countries, and about to depart for their most challenging ride yet.
In this interview I pull back the curtain and learn more about them. Who are these people that were able to turn their dream into the adventure of a lifetime. How did they do it? Who did they have to become to do it? What were the challenges? What steps did they take? What have they learned? What are the day-to-day challenges of living on a motorcycle?
What’s it like being with your spouse 24 x 7 and dealing with situations that make a daily spat in the kitchen look like child’s play? How have they grown - both individually and as a couple? And - with all this hard-earned wisdom they’ve gained - what do they think matters most?
Listen up if you want to learn the answers to these and other questions. And learn how you, too, can turn your dream from wishful thinking into a life-defining event.
Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed at work, wondering why you’re putting in so many hours - and for what? Maybe you’ve reached a nice level of success, but you still feel empty. Or you’re having a midlife crisis of sorts and thinking “there’s gotta be more to life than this.”
And then maybe you get the thought “Wouldn’t it be awesome to just chuck it all - quit the job, sell the house and all the other “stuff” - and go see the world That’s exactly what today’s guests did. In this podcast I’m interviewing Sara and Daniel Pederson from Vancouver, Canada.
They followed up on that dream and are doing it. So far they’ve traveled 125,000 miles, visited 61 countries, and about to depart for their most challenging ride yet.
In this interview I pull back the curtain and learn more about them. Who are these people that were able to turn their dream into the adventure of a lifetime. How did they do it? Who did they have to become to do it? What were the challenges? What steps did they take? What have they learned? What are the day-to-day challenges of living on a motorcycle?
What’s it like being with your spouse 24 x 7 and dealing with situations that make a daily spat in the kitchen look like child’s play? How have they grown - both individually and as a couple? And - with all this hard-earned wisdom they’ve gained - what do they think matters most?
Listen up if you want to learn the answers to these and other questions. And learn how you, too, can turn your dream from wishful thinking into a life-defining event.
spk_0: 0:03
hello and welcome to what really matters. Interviews in which adventures, leaders and other extraordinary people reveal the essence of what really matters in life, business and beyond. So have you ever found yourself overwhelmed at work, wondering why you're putting in so many hours and for what? Maybe you've reached a nice level of success, but you still feel empty. Or you're having a midlife crisis of sorts and thinking. There's gotta be more to life than this. And then maybe you get the thought. Wouldn't it be awesome to just chuck it all? Quit the job, sell the house and all the other stuff and go see the world. That's exactly what today's guest did. And this podcast I'm interviewing Sarah and Daniel Peterson from Vancouver, Canada. They followed up on that dream, and they're doing it. So far, they've traveled 125,000 miles visited 61 country's honor, about to depart for the most challenging part of this ride. Yet we could do an interview about where they've been, what they've seen, but you can see all of that on there. Blogging. Www dot worldwide ride dot c. A. What I want to do instead is pulled back the curtain and learn more about them. Who is this couple that was able to turn their dream into the adventure of a lifetime? How did they do it? Who did they have to become to do it? What were the challenges? What steps did they take? What have they learned? What are the day to day challenges of living on a motorcycle? What's it like being with your spouse? 24 7 and dealing with situations that make a daily spout in the kitchen look like child's play? How have they grown both individually and as a couple? And with all this hard earned wisdom they've gained? What
spk_1: 1:39
do they
spk_0: 1:39
think really matters most? Listen up. If you want to learn the answers to these and other questions and learn how you to concern your dream from wishful thinking into a life defining event, let's get started. This is Sarah and Daniel Peterson. They are the world travelers on the BMWs, and the first questions for you guys is about the dream and getting started. So maybe you talk about how you got started, what the spark waas and then from there, like how did you keep moving forward without and actually make it happen?
spk_2: 2:14
All right, Sara, lead us off.
spk_1: 2:16
So we first got the bug about traveling when we met in 1994 and we discussed how our future would unfold, and we decided that our big, big dream would be to just travel the world. Actually, how we were going to do that. You didn't really have any idea that came much later. It was about 2009 when, ah, we we really narrowed it down to the motorcycle. On. That came after we had gone to hear several people who had traveled the world on their own motorcycles. And we just listened to their stories, their adventures about people they had met, the places they had gone, and the hook was in. That was the end. I was going to be by motorcycle.
spk_0: 2:58
It just have done like there was no question in your minds
spk_1: 3:01
that there was no question at that point. No.
spk_0: 3:04
Yes, Dan, you're gonna add to that?
spk_2: 3:07
Yeah. So, um, you know, taking a step back when First when Sarah and I first met we You know, we I think unlike a lot of other people had very tough talks in the beginning about a relationship and how we saw it unfolding as we move forward. You know, we one of the discussions that we had early on was about Children, and we knew right from the get go that Children were weren't in our future. And so because that for most people in in ah, you know, in a marriage is an all encompassing task to take on that becomes a priority. And that wasn't going to be a focus for us. We have to ask ourselves, Well, what else was there? Were we just gonna, you know, pursue these careers and continue toe, you know, amass wealth and, you know, material items or we're going to do something very different with our lives. And Sarah and I both came up because it was both the passion of ours that we wanted to see the world and its people, and and that's how it really started to sort of get get rolling in our minds and get that dream sort of cooking and in bubbling away in the beginning. So
spk_0: 4:23
not to dig into this too deep. But where do you think you got that desire versus kind of going this standard wrote something. No, no, every. It's not too many people that actually like you know what? I don't want to keep up with the Joneses. Just don't even want to go down that treadmill instead. Why don't we just ride around the world for a few years on motorcycles? What? I
spk_2: 4:44
know, I know for I know for myself, it was it was a desire to do something different. Um, you know, I just I didn't want to lead a normal quote unquote normal life. I wanted to do something that was unique and special to me. Um, you know, it may seem weird and strange, just somebody else. But for myself, it was just about doing something out of the ordinary and and knowing that you only really got one chance to do it. And so you needed to put things in place. Thio, make that dream a reality.
spk_0: 5:19
Sarah, how about you? Something that just like you know what? I'm not doing the Joneses thing. I don't need it. 8.2 cars and a dog and you know it. All that stuff
spk_1: 5:30
I in my operating I had professional parents. But we we never lived that living up to the Joneses lifestyle. We never had a conduit, Whistler and, ah, you know, fancy cars. We had family vacations, and we had time spent together. And my parents were big, big travelers. And so from a very young age, we were exposed to that. My parents would go in the sixties to Mexico for a month and leave us for along with the baby sitter. And that was, like, not fair. So we wanted to go on, and we really got the travel bug as very small Children and we, ah, were taught to appreciate the differences in people and cultures and to embrace that adventure.
spk_0: 6:11
Okay, so fast forward. Now, the hook is set. How do you turn it into a reality? Because that's another whole step.
spk_1: 6:19
Well, I think that the first step is to decide you're gonna do it. Then you gotta tell everybody you know, because once you tell everybody you know, you really got to do it and and stick to your plan. Um, I did that at a boat. Ah. 1000 days from our departure. I told everybody I knew I was gonna go. I had an app that counted down the days and every day about 20 people would ask me how many days it today. And so it really built up a lot of excitement and used to sort of said to yourself, I really gotta do it now.
spk_2: 6:54
Yeah, I think it's, um you know, just add what Sarah said there, which is great advice. I mean, it's envisioning it and then communicating that with the people around you to reinforce and reinstill that idea to move forward. But it's to just take the first step once the dream is envisioned. I think that a lot of people get caught in the dreaming process and they never take just that initial step. Because, of course, that initial state step takes commitment, and that commitment can be a very scary thing. Um, but just taking literally the first step is the most powerful thing a person can do. And then the next day you take one more step, and that's how it builds.
spk_0: 7:39
And then the no medals. And pretty soon it has a life of its own.
spk_2: 7:42
Absolutely. You know, I think a boat are our dream, you know, in this world wide ride that were on it quite literally has a life of its own. Now you know, it's almost like a separate entity. In a way, um, the boy that that people, you know, strangers react to us and the way we almost compartmentalized this part of our life because it is it is, you know, it's not us all encompassing. It is a part of our life. It is a period of our life that we've embraced and and are enjoying, and we know that it won't be forever. Well will embark on another dreaming another adventure, which we already have a little bit instilled in our minds, and it hasn't quite crystallized yet, but it's there, and it's foster.
spk_0: 8:31
So you just started doing you got on your bikes and, like, how did that, like Day zero hits
spk_1: 8:40
right Way didn't just get on our bikes. We way bought bikes and we did some test rides and we, you know, packed some luggage and we re packed 100 times, and then we, uh, we started selling off everything we owned, including our house and our cars and our bicycles and every skis and everything and then you're left with your bike and your luggage and nowhere to live. So you got to go somewhere
spk_2: 9:07
and and dug in the beginning. It's scary because, of course, a dream and reality, uh, you know, are very different things. And but you take that next first step And once you take that next first step that that initial fear starts to fall away And, um, And you and then you you become excited again and you embrace the adventure.
spk_1: 9:31
And people say, Well, how can you go for, you know, a year? So I'm not going for a year. I'm just going tomorrow and then the next day after that, I'm just going tomorrow. So it's very easy when you just go one day at a time,
spk_0: 9:43
break it down and small steps. Okay, so now you're on your bikes. You're going, Um, what did you find? The day to day reality was like if you started settling into the ride, maybe the nervous energy drops off and you're you start finding your rhythm. What is that like? Take us through a day. Where are you?
spk_2: 10:06
What you find in the beginning is your so green and you make all kinds of sick, silly little mistakes. And you, of course, have far too much stuff packed with you and and, you know, being very a type. Personalities were all the little eventualities covered off, you know, to the end degree. But then you start to relax and you start to get in a rhythm, and what you find is you just start living life. The only difference is is that you're living life right, moving forward each day or not necessarily each day. It may be every week or, you know, there's been places where we stopped for a month at at a time. Um, but you really fall into a rhythm of life,
spk_1: 10:50
Sarah. And you, you know, people say, Well, you know, what about what do you get your dental floss? So I said, Well, you know, people in the world everywhere used dental floss, and so maybe it's not the brand you want to use, but everything that you possibly could want or need. You usually combined it if you run out somewhere and so you don't need to take. You know, all your contact lens solution with you and those things that air people stress out about, Um, so those little small things of the day to day, you don't need to worry about them because they just happen. Um, and then the the routine off of getting up and going somewhere, You just get to this fine old machine like we can get break camp and get everything packed up and be on the road and in ah gets shorter and shorter, actually, every time we do it.
spk_0: 11:37
So that brings up another question. Where do you stay? You find hotels, guesthouses, PNC owns. Are you camping? Are you like a time
spk_2: 11:47
when we do it all? We literally do it all. And in here is the criteria for the mode of of accommodation. The accommodation is really based on where we're at at that particular time. And in a perfect example is the solar unit. You know, in Bolivia you have this incredible Salt Lake salt flames. And if you're there during the dry scene, isn't it is the most spectacular place on earth to go literally out in the mill of the vast nothingness and count. And if you can't camp, then you're not able to stay in this incredible place. and have this amazing experience. But then, of course, when we're downtown Santiago, well, then we're probably going to seek out a you know, a hotel or a hostel, or we've been very blessed to be ah, invited to many, many private homes, You know, with the the connections that Sarah has made through her average online presence. We have been, you know, just blessed to the end, agree with people seeing our route and and inviting us along the way, which has just been spectacular.
spk_1: 13:00
And we also have a couple of other criteria. Eso were fair weather campers. Ah ah, you know, if it's really raining and pouring and nasty if we don't have to camp, we won't eso we're not. We're not too hard core for soft core
spk_2: 13:16
worth off court.
spk_1: 13:17
Yeah, the other thing, too, is well, we laugh about when we're in ah, especially in South America, where it's fairly cheap to get accommodation that it's almost not worth camping, especially when it could be very, very windy. But we have criteria and the most important criteria on the top of the list was, Do they have good parking and then underneath that was is it clean and then underneath. That was, uh Do they have WiFi? So we're not, Ah, bikes for the most important.
spk_0: 13:45
So park it good Parking means protected parking, right, Someplace where you don't have to worry about your bike's getting broken into. And, yeah,
spk_2: 13:53
we're less than less paranoid about the bikes. We certainly we don't We don't tend to just keep the motor on the street if it's possible. You know, it's really more of a thing of convenience now, more than anything else in the in the beginning. Oh, absolutely. And it's quite funny to route to remember the stories about hotel managers running out and seeing the bikes and insisting they be in the lobby of the hotel. You know, when there was quite clearly no issues with after crime in their little town or what have you? But you know, they took it upon themselves to be the protectorate of the Mighty Machines, so that's quite quite quite comical.
spk_0: 14:33
Um, it does bring up a question, though, of the day to day expenses of traveling. If you broke it down into a cost per day per person or, you know, as a group, you know, as a couple.
spk_1: 14:46
What do you think It
spk_0: 14:47
cost you to be on the road for your fun? It's guidance,
spk_2: 14:50
so yeah, you know, in the for the first year, I actually tracked it to the penny. This is just who I am as a person. You know, I've been very budget orientated my entire life, actually. And so we do have a number. Here's the problem with with relaying the number is that is so individual. What? What? How Sarah and I live our lifestyles, What we eat, what we drink, what we do, you know, as far as entertainment how we operate the motorcycles just doesn't translate to another individual. And And how I know this is that I've crossed, compared notes with with literally a dozen or more people who have done the same thing. So there is a ballpark figure that certainly if somebody could, you know, expect to fall fall into a range. But our number is certainly not somebody else's number. And I wouldn't want ever anybody to think Well, this is what can be done because it just it's not fair. It's just not a fair number. Now, that being said, I will say our first our number for our entire first year, which included all of our shipping repairs, Absolutely everything donations that we made along the way. Two people that we felt you know, needed funds or what have you was just under $100 per day total for both of us. Okay, um, but that also included some spectacular sightseeing trips. Um, you know, it also included shipping of the motorcycles again, you know, which was quite expensive. Um, so and we know people who have done it for far, Far less, far less. You know, we know people who have traveled for $25 a day, literally with the motorcycle, and then we know people who have done it for farm. Or, of course.
spk_0: 16:42
Okay, um, what else in the day to day driving is in the riding with People want to know, or would you want people to know? Um,
spk_1: 16:54
I think in the day to day there's, um we've been blessed with fantastic weather. I would tell you that we did Cem planning around the weather. So we we were, you know, very, very lucky. I think in the 1st 3 years we had about 15 days of terrible rain that we had to ride, and so we're very lucky. So on the day to day, if it's a beautiful day, um, you can just relax and enjoy star for you want Go where you feel like going Take a turn here because that road looks good. Um, but we have a general idea of where we're going at the end of the day, but exactly how we get there is a little bit open to, uh, what's going on that day,
spk_2: 17:34
Sara. Sara always has an overview plan of the sites in each area that we roll through that, you know, that are important for us to see. Do we generally get to all of them? Well, not all of them. What we see a lot of them, and they tend to revolve around historical type items, you know? Ah, place of it, places of interest or historical places where the important events took place, That type of thing. We're trying to experience countries as we go through, not in the most touristic sense, but in a cultural sense so that we get to understand the country and the history so that we can relate to the people and the way that they're living now. Um so as we roll through, we have this general guideline. We, of course, have an overview of where we're headed for the particular day. But like Sarah said, we're very open to the twists and turns, you know, Does that roll look great? Well, we turn right instead of left.
spk_0: 18:40
Have you noticed when you shift through countries as you go from one country to the next, have you found that your daily routine sort of shifts a bit to match the country and the I don't know the energy or the vibe, or that whatever it is of the new culture,
spk_1: 18:57
I think this is
spk_0: 18:57
a routine stay the same.
spk_1: 19:00
I think the routine stays pretty much the same. However, it does a little bit depend on the terrain. So if you're going to be sort of off road and more camping, you have to be a lot more prepared and organized. Then if you're gonna be going into big cities where it doesn't matter whether you have groceries or not, or what time of day you arrive. Um, so that does change the routine. A little bit, but in general are when we get up what we do, how we plan our day when we stop This kind of generally what we've what we've decided is works for us.
spk_2: 19:30
Yeah, And I would say maybe the on the energy level there is There is definitely some differences between the countries. I mean, I can recall, you know, being in Brazil and just how gregarious the people we're in their their personalities. And, you know, we found ourselves engaging with other people much more than we did, for example, in, you know, in Bolivia, where the people can be quite not cold, but guarded, Um, and maybe a touch suspicious of foreigners, especially on large motorcycles rolling through their villages. Um, you know, we tried to be respectful and what have you, But you are You are You are quieter. You're not as open to engaging people, Justin. That's based on the energy of the people. Your encounter.
spk_0: 20:14
All right. Okay. So now let's move into what's it really like, adventure? Riding with your partner? My own? One reason I asked this is I know that when I've been on an adventure rides with somebody, it can be intense. You're together, you're dependent upon each other. And, um, things get amplified. Said
spk_2: 20:39
that you know what that is? A perfect word amplified. So, you know, things that may seem so trivial can can spark a festering. You know, uh, wound of sorts and answer. And I we have We become so aware of this, I would say, particularly in the last two years, Um, and it's actually brought us a lot closer together. We now know the triggers for each other much more intimately than we ever did before. And for example, you know, Sarah is a very small woman, and she rides a very large motorcycle. And she has, um, you know, graciously participated in some amazing off road terrain places that, you know, my my buddies at home on their motorcross bikes would have difficult times writing. And so that is very stressful for this young lady. And so I have to be aware that when she's in the stressful situations, that, of course you know, a and offhand comment that I think maybe, you know, a joke is no longer a joke to her.
spk_1: 21:54
I would say to that, um I think when you spend this much time with someone in stressful situations, You, um you learn to just let some things slide. Um, And so when I have a small moment of a mental breakdown and may use some foul language, he would just smile now and say it's gonna be okay and and go on instead of if instead of feeding into that and getting into an argument. Um and so I think that that give and take has really improved and really made things a lot easier.
spk_0: 22:29
Sort of doing the Akihito thing and letting it just go on by.
spk_2: 22:34
Yeah. I mean, we've really afraid we've really embraces a couple that stressful moments. They shall. They too shall pass, right? Everything, no matter what it is in life, will pass at some point. And so you know, you have to grin and bear it. Sometimes you have to endure, um, and sometimes And sometimes you just need to yell.
spk_0: 22:59
Can you give us an example of one of these learning experience off?
spk_2: 23:04
Well, I'll tell you what. 11 that was earlier on with Sarah and I were doing a river crossing in in Costa Rica, and it was very hot day amid mid forties. Um, very
spk_0: 23:17
I want to stay the audience to that. That's centigrade mid forties. In the cells are the Fahrenheit is probably in the one tens.
spk_2: 23:26
Yeah, so full, full riding year, very high humidity, some tough off road conditions to begin with. And then I scoot across the river, which wasn't catastrophic by any means. But it had intimidated Sarah right to cross. And so she wanted me to come back and ride the bike across the river. Well, I just wanted her to ride. And at that point in our relationship and in the in the journey that we're embarking on, I think we hadn't reached a level of maturity for both of us to recognize that this was a huge flash point. And, of course, something that should have been very benign blew up into a massive, massive issue where we fast forward to Morocco two years later. Okay, in much tougher conditions, much, much tougher conditions, you know? Ah, riverbeds that our Washington week we managed over an entire day around five kilometers per hour. Okay, that's how tough the riding waas over an eight hour day. Um and you know what? It all went swimmingly. And there was no blow ups and, you know, intensely stressful situation. Um, and it just it stems from the charity and the recognition that you know, this too shall pass. And that, um, being probably kinder and gentler on one another in those situations resolves much more than being harsh and critical.
spk_0: 24:57
So what have you learned about each other, sir? Do you want to add something there?
spk_1: 25:01
Uh, no, I I just I would highly agree that, um And also I think what Dan's learned about me is that sometimes when you move your confidence in a very stressful and difficult situation, just telling me to do it is not going to fix the situation, Um, and probably gonna make it worse. So, you know, going back to ah, several years ago, that might have been the way it would have worked is like, just yelling. Just ride your bike. Where is now? I think if he you know, he'll not realize Is that just, you know, riding my bike over a difficult rock crossing or something to get it to the other side? Calm down. I get some more confidence back and keep riding. Um, is a much better approach.
spk_0: 25:48
Agreed. Okay. Less hammer less hammer, more tail factor. Um, what else have you learned about each other in this ride that you may not have learned about each other? You know, if you were doing the 2.2 cars and the dogs and you know all that stuff Two cars, 2.2 kids, I guess on a dog.
spk_1: 26:15
Well, I think that we spend in the 1st 16 years of our marriage, we spent, um you know, evenings together. I worked very long hours, and I was working away at night several times a week. And so, in our whole relationship of 18 years before that, we had never actually been together. 24 74 more than, you know, your average two week holiday. So it was kind of surprising when we went away and we were together 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Except for the time on the bike that actually got along pretty well. I think we had Ah, you know, those blowout screaming fights that married people have, um, far fewer. Not that we had that many in the first place, but, you know, maybe once or twice every year that would happen when we're on the road. Um and so I was kind of surprised that we would argue less actually,
spk_0: 27:10
huh, Daniel? And add to that
spk_2: 27:12
Well, what? I'll add that the thing that I've learned or experienced, I guess from Sarah that I didn't know the depth of prior to going on this adventure and being so intimately involved with Sara for such long periods of time is how much she has my back. Like we all like to think that our spokes, you know, is there for us. And is there Jimmy nurturing and all this kind of stuff? But in these types of, um, adventures where you are so dependent on the other person, if that person isn't fully committed to being there for you without being asked, you know, without being prompted, you get to find that out pretty fast. Because what happens is then one person tends to start doing much more and carrying the load much more than the other. Remember, there's lots of days where we're setting up camp and breaking it down. We're cooking meals, and we're working on bikes and we're you know, e mean there's it's it's never ending really mean People tend to think of this is sort of a holiday that you just sort of allow the gag a boat. And in actual fact, it's a lot of work. And if that person doesn't share that load and doesn't have the other individuals back, Oh, it would get worn out pretty fast pretty
spk_0: 28:34
fast. Okay, anything you want, ad on the relationship front insights. Um,
spk_1: 28:42
um, I think that, um as people who have been married for 16 years and we set out it's a totally different ball of wax and a lot of the couples we lied who were traveling around for a year or so on their motorcycles. It's often young couples or boyfriend girlfriends that haven't been together that long. So I think that probably is quite a bit more challenging. Ah, than traveling with someone that you already know very, very well. And we don't We don't need to speak. We have a Vulcan mind meld, so we don't,
spk_0: 29:16
um I would be curious, just sort of real briefly when you see those other couples that have only been at it for a year or so. What do you see in them? What looks different? Are they doing a lot more of the preliminary at each other's throats Kind of stuff?
spk_1: 29:34
I'm not so much that, but I think they just don't know each other well enough to, um to have that depth. I think that they're on a holiday. It's almost sorry. Go ahead.
spk_2: 29:46
Yeah, And I would say that a lot of the folks that we come across because it's primarily the guy's dream. So what's happened is the guy has had this adventure bug bite. Um, and he's been on a TV writer, and he's been, you know, bitten by this bug to ride his adventure motorcycle somewhere. Or maybe it's the street motorcycle. And then the gals sort of tags along generally, and there's nothing wrong with that. You know, she wants to experience it with him as well, but it's generally his primary dream For his primary adventure. We see very few couples where there's this 50 50 partnership in the in the dream, you know, in in the adventure. Um, yeah, so and I would say that's the difference, you know, And then because of that aspect. I think that maybe the gal is on in much more of a holiday mode. And that's I mean, that's what we've observed. Anyway. I think there would agree.
spk_1: 30:48
And also I think that the couples we've met who are on their own bikes for the most part they're slightly older and married people. The couples we've met that are younger are almost exclusively Ah, the man is driving the bike, and the woman is 1,000,000,000.
spk_0: 31:07
Uh, okay. Penned by the way, means writing on the back or to you just for those listening. Who made off with the motorcycle terminology? Okay, so let's move on, Thio Another nothing. You're out there in the world now. You've been through North, Central and South America. You've been through Europe. Of course, you've done parts of Africa
spk_1: 31:28
just my royal,
spk_0: 31:29
just America so but you've seen a lot of the world. Now the perception that we have here, like our country currently is kind of going to the xenophobic state putting up walls. And you know, everybody out there is, like the boogeyman and bad and evil and all of that. What's the reality that you see and that you've experienced as you're riding through the world.
spk_1: 31:56
So we left Canada and we went north first. But then when we went South United States is they're interesting. Everyone ever Day asks you where you're from. Where you going? Ah, And as you got closer and closer to the Mexican border, the, uh, level of anxiety of the people talking to us about how we were for sure gonna get kidnapped, robbed, or probably murdered causes a drug war in Mexico. It got more more intense as we got closer to the to the U. S. Border, including the border guards, Uh, when we crossed at class. Um, but, you know, when we got to Mexico, nothing but kindness really helpful, lovely people. Ah, and people ask us all the time, you know, where is the most dangerous? Where were you the most scared? Was there any place you were scared for your life? In all these 61 countries, you've been and, um, we always say the scariest place we were was Houston, Texas. Talk
spk_2: 32:56
about that ahead. Of course, it's a it's a touch tongue in cheek, and, you know, part of it has to do with the cell phone driving that we experience there, which could be, of course, very dangerous for us when we're on our motorcycles. But the reality is almost exactly the opposite of what we are experiencing in the media in the West. Here, we, um you know, another beautiful example is we went to Albania this past year, road through some very remote regions in Albania and got stuck in a village fair period of time and the kindness that we were shown by complete strangers that had nothing, absolutely nothing. Okay, was nothing short of extraordinary and is something that you would never experience here, or it would be incredibly rare to experience it here in North America. So, of course, the world has problems. There's no deduct denying that there isn't problems in this world. But those problems are being extrapolated to entire populations of people. And I think that that is the most damaging thing that we could possibly do because then at what it does is it pits us against them. It's not us against them. It's a few bad people, okay, that air stirring trouble up really took to control those populations of people. And it's those individuals that we should be worried about and not the populations of those countries.
spk_0: 34:28
It's
spk_1: 34:28
like the old, uh, It's like the old story in the in the storybooks about the travel that's traveling by foot from one village to the next. And when he gets to the village, they say, What did you come from? Just over the hill, he goes, and you weren't killed by those people. They're horrible. And then where you going tomorrow I'm going over that hill. All You can't go there. You're gonna get killed. It's the same as has been in in the old fairy tales, and it's ah, couldn't be more wrong. Well,
spk_0: 34:56
um, curious about what some of your favorite countries were and why, and
spk_1: 35:03
they all have different answers to this
spk_2: 35:04
question. You go ahead, sir.
spk_1: 35:07
Well, I think we there's so many fast, the fabulous places in the world. But I think if you take overall, I really loved Brazil. Brazil has got so many different Josh geographic areas. The people are the most outgoing, friendly and gregarious people on the planet. They do not care that you not speak Portuguese. They, uh they embrace you. Ah, every day into three months we were there. We had an amazing experience with someone who's Brazilian on, so I really, really loved it. Um, I think the second choice for me would probably be be Iceland because it's it's so stunningly spectacular.
spk_2: 35:49
I would say it's very difficult for me to choose, because in truth, every place I've loved for one reason or another very special places, though, would be for me would be Columbia. Um, I thought Colombia, because of the preconceived notions that we have built up in our minds from movies and TVs and news reports and what have you, um, in getting there and having that totally dispelled and just tow have people who are, well, warm and welcoming and, you know, amazing, amazing Motorcycling was incredible. I have to agree with Sarah with her other choices. Of course, Brazil is I mean, geographically. The diversity just in that alone is spectacular. The people are stunning. And then yes, I mean, of course, Iceland and in northern Europe and then all the way down. I mean, of course, Italy and on and on and on. You could you could pick 1000 places, but those those first couple are certainly rare and special.
spk_0: 36:56
Okay, so now that you've done all of this traveling and you've had some time to spend some intense, you know, 24 7 time with each other over a number of years and tens of thousands of kilometers or miles Either way, um, in fact, I think you've written around the planet equivalent of, like, five or six times. Um, what have you learned? What really matters to you? Now, how are you? Different than you were before you started the ride. What? Um what wisdom have you gained? And I would come back to that question. What really matters to you now, going forward, you have What would you tell people?
spk_1: 37:40
So for me, I have had a huge personality change. I used to be. I saw a little bit Type A, but I'm used to be an extremely high, strong type. A complete perfectionist. Um, and I had a really difficult time with change and things not going exactly as I planned them. And that's completely gone out the window now, Um, I'm still a little bit type A, but in a more controlled manner. Um and I I so appreciate just the tiny things in life now. Ah, if so, if you if you're in a place in the hall and there's hot water and really nice pressure in the shower, we comment. Oh, my God. Isn't this awesome? This shower is the best shower ever. And just small things like that, you know? Ah, little tiny things of life. All this bread is freshly baked. It's fantastic. Little things are important. The people we have met who who have just gone out of their way to do crazy, crazy amounts of things for us. Ah, put us up in their homes, take us places, do things for us drive across the country. Ah, it's made our lives really, really easy in a country where we didn't speak the language, Um, those little connections that turn into these fabulous friendships those were those That's the most important thing.
spk_2: 39:03
Well, um, I would say our little saying, our little slogan, less stuff, more living, um really sums it up for me. I wasn't on ultra materialistic person to begin with, but I certainly was influenced primarily because of my ego, more than anything else in wanting certain things in my life. And there's no doubt now that the importance of material things just has really diminished and, you know, is just no longer a factor in my life. And it's not that, you know, I think nice things are are important for for, you know, the function of a person's life. It's just that the materialism that we experience in North America for the sake of just consuming all of that has just become silly. Absolutely silly.
spk_0: 40:04
Okay, Any other words of advice? Wisdom gained from the road.
spk_1: 40:09
I think for me it's that like we're talking about before is people are really so much more similar than they are different. And if we could just realize that we probably just get along. Um, there's, ah, even deceived In Children, the most small Children are exactly the same everywhere they do the same crazy little things as your as our nieces and nephews would do here. You in a different language, but they behave exactly the same. Um and so we're just so much more like,
spk_2: 40:45
Yeah, I would reiterate that as well. You know, I think we need to or we notice that if we focus on our instead of our differences but on our commonalities then then that's where our strength lies. And and And we didn't do that before. But now we do. And so when we meet new people, it's It's almost like we've known them forever because, well, what do we do? We focus in on our points of of interest in our Are. And that's actually one of the beautiful things about the motorcycle. Because you do have this instant bond this instant brotherhood, you know, that that joins us. And then with that little planting of the seeds, the relationship can grow from there. Um,
spk_0: 41:31
hey, maybe talk briefly about to that. Why motorcycle versus something else. I mean, my own experience. You're exposed to the elements. You're totally they're They're sort of, ah, vulnerability and a immersion in your environment that just doesn't exist any other way.
spk_1: 41:50
It's funny. Wait. The very first time we experience this was one of the first times we went on a road trip on the bikes and we went down to Washington State. Actually, I was having my custom seat done there, but ah, we're staying at a small little hotel, and it was raining was a very nice difficult Pacific Northwest. We arrive and we're on motorcycles. And the owner of the hotel, he runs out. He's like, Oh, come, come in right now and get dry. I'll give you coffee. You've come on your motorcycle. How? How Incredible. Here. Park them right here beside the front door. So I think we get treated. We get treated special when you come in your mind, which is quite nice. Um, but also, you're right. You do experience everything the good and the bad you experience. Ah, the dead dogs on the side of the road. That smell. And you also smell the flowers on the honey. Um and so it's it's ah, it's part of the whole package to the sights and smells and sounds as well. I think you missed that
spk_0: 42:48
in the
spk_2: 42:48
car. Yeah. And you know, we've talked about this many times about how the motorcycle is being in the movie versus being a car which is watching the movie. Um, you know, I I very often comptel that the temperature has changed before the thermostat, which is, you know, electronica. My get my get dash gauge on my dash changes. So you know, we become that in tune with the elements of the of our natural surroundings. Um, and of course, that's good and bad, because we don't have air conditioning. So we feel the full brunt of the heat or the cold, or are everything. But that's what is the those air, the alive moments. And to wall yourself off from that, I think you really lose a lot. And then, of course, as Sara spoke to all of the human dynamics that revolve around the vulnerability of the motorcycle, the pluses far away, any of the negative. You know, people only focus on the danger and, you know, the exposure that we put ourselves through. Well, that exposure is actually the vulnerability that leads to the strong relationships. And without that, the journey would be completely different. In fact, I'm not sure would have near the purpose and meaning that we we know attribute it to. So
spk_0: 44:18
okay, moving at seven. Next one, um, advice to others. Somebody's got this dream. They've been hooked or they're close to being hooked. And that hook might get set, um, tips on going forward. What did they do with that? Let's say they want to perceive what are like the next action steps they should do to actually turn the dream into a reality.
spk_1: 44:42
Well, you could do exactly what we did was get your motorcycle license first. Ah, and Ah, and buy a bike. Do some short trips to make sure that that it's really what you want to do. Maybe week or two weeks really get your gear sorted out so that you could feel comfortable. Um, I think the where to go zing If you're in the Americas, I think that's that's the easiest place to go on adventure like this. It's very easy to travel through north central South America as faras the paperwork and those kinds of things. And so it's sort of ah, cakewalk. Um, the writing can be as easy or as difficult as you like, depending on what kind of train you want. If you want to go all the way from top to bottom, you could pretty much do it almost exclusively on pavement, except for very short periods of good gravel road. Or if you wanted to go a hard core. You can do that so you could be in whatever environment you like, but I think it would be best to start here as opposed to, say, going to Africa.
spk_2: 45:44
And I would keep it very simple. And my advice would be literally to do something every day to move yourself forward to the actual reality of doing trip. Um, you know, and that would maybe start with a simple act of of, of writing down a date, you know, ago date and then the next day would be, you know, doing half a hour of research on on whatever it may be whatever aspect of the trip, but literally every day, doing one thing, Um, and those those little one things add up very quickly, and the progress starts to take hold. And like we talked about earlier here is that it takes on a life of its own. And the momentum then starts to build Just pondering and nasal gave ing and dreaming is very nice. Just sort of set, you know, a grand vision in place. But until a person actually starts to take steps, they don't not to be grand steps, but they need to be small steps every day. That's when you start moving forward.
spk_1: 46:53
One of the other things that we did as well when we were planning the trip would have been in sort of 2010. 11 is we started hosting writers that were driving from sort north to South. It's out the north on. We contacted these people either on Horizon LTD. Which is Ah, blog's site or on a TV writer. Um, and in general, we contacted couples who would then hosted When we had a house, we put them up, we fed them, we took them around, we gave him advice. But the most important thing is we gleaned jewels from them about what it was really like to be on the road. Um, firsthand.
spk_2: 47:32
Yeah, And if it fed our dream, um, you know it it kept us energized by the stories that they relate to us and the energy of their trips. And what's interesting is we have been seeing all of these people in their home countries, you know, on our adventure. So we've been to Germany to be one couple into France and and many other places. So,
spk_0: 47:58
uh huh I love it. Okay, So if people want to find out more information about your ride, I know that you have several sites up and all include links to that somewhere. But maybe you can also give us that
spk_1: 48:14
I can get you. Are I give you our personal belongings are blawg is world wide ride dot See a Because we're Canadian? Aye, aye. We also have our what we call Reid reports on those air on those two sites I mentioned before. One is on Horizons Unlimited and the other one is on a TV writer.
spk_0: 48:42
How would they find them on theirs? Or can they do a search for
spk_1: 48:46
both of them will be listed on the top on the front page. They will be, I think, on a TV writer. It's called Epic Rides. Umm and, ah, feeling calm. They're ours will be ah listed as well. And our ride reporters called finding freedom.
spk_0: 49:01
That's on adventure. Writer doc on. That's a d v r i d e r dot com. Correct. Okay. And, um awesome Wish you guys lots of like on your next adventure. And I'm looking for a tive tracking that. I do want to add this too. They you guys have done such an incredible job of documenting your trip. I have never seen so many photos on a ride report. It's like off the charts
spk_2: 49:30
at the end of the day, you know, other than the relationships, Doug, you have the photos right, and without the photo, you were there.
spk_1: 49:40
It's Daniel's passion, and hobby is photography. So it comes out, I
spk_0: 49:44
think, in the photos. That's great. To learn more about Daniel and Sarah's motorcycle adventure toe, ask them questions are just to see a lot of great pictures from all over the world. Visit their website at www dot world wide ride dot c A. And if you want to learn more about what really matters in life, business and beyond, you can listen to Maur interviews with adventurers, thought leaders and other extraordinary people at www dot what really matters. Interviews dot com Thanks for joining me.