“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

– Mark Twain

There was a period in my life, in which I spend my vacation times in multi-star hotels. Working 8am to 6pm, with lots of  overtime. Go back home, dine, catch a series, sleep, wake up and start from the step 1. Success, certificates, raise, courses, tirelessly improving myself to become a more perfect slave! Yesterday is known, tomorrow predictable…

There was something overwhelming in this lifestyle. I had to find what it was. Then I realized it is the freedom I crave.       There are different levels of freedom, of course. Take a look at what Walter Bonatti wrote in his book, Mountains of a Lifetime, about a journalist who criticized his free life which was dedicated to mountains:

“…These people live in closed areas like boxes such as their cars and offices and in a life defined by wrong standards they continuously follow their own footsteps. They are crushed underneath the fear of temporary  dreams which degrade their characters and valuing nothing but keeping score…“

These words are true for almost entire population of the world, including me. That is so sad…

So what can be done? I think everyone’s salvation is specific to themselves. I decided to do something I never thought of -and perhaps could never have thought of-. Cycling through the River Danube which flows from West Germany, through 10 different countries and reaches to the Black Sea after 2779kms. In this long journey my best friend Banu will be my partner. First target is to finish Danube Part 2 and Danube Part 3 of the 4-part Danube Bike Trail. We have 9 days to do this. We will cycle in 4 countries, namely, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. We plan to share the whole progress in here.

-Deniz Lizard