How To Move The Stars is the day by day retelling of a bicycle ride around the world. Start from the beginning to get the whole story.
My adventure was a modern day epic, a solo, self-supported bicycle ride spanning 38,000 miles across six continents. There were moments I barely survived, and times I cried tears of joy, but mostly, this is a story about the thousands of people I met along the way. I moved through their cultures, and dramatic landscapes. I ate their food and slept on their land. I was constantly arriving to the open arms of strangers who were excited to help me achieve a feat that few could imagine. I did this for years, immersing myself in the world and meeting the people who live here. The story I returned with is a snapshot of humanity, captured in a lived experience. Thank you for joining me on my journey.
Purchase Jacob’s art inspired by his bicycle tour, including the world’s most beautiful Ant Farm. www.AntLife.space
Join Jacob on a bicycle tour! He leads week-long bicycle tours in Colorado during the summer. Sign up here, www.MountainHighBicycleTours.com.
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May 9th, 2013. A day in Malddova. I took a deep breath of fresh, cool air as I began to wake up this morning. I looked towards a pasture on my right to see swallows starting through the fields in search of flies. The damp grass glistened in the soft sunlight. A young horse was there, hopping and running in circles, playing on her new legs, joyful to be alive. I felt the same way. I continued into the countryside through patches of forest, then into the town of Hinsesti. I’ll be in Malddova for a couple of days, so I found an ATM. And not knowing the exchange rate, I took out the minimum, 20 Muldoven dollars. This turned out to be the equivalent of $1.70, enough to get a large loaf of bread and a liter of milk. Incesti had a small downtown, and I stopped to order pizza from a restaurant that took credit cards. While I waited, a couple of businessmen came over to say hello. One worked in Canada and spoke fluent English. He gave me his number in case I make it all the way to Edmonton. When I finished eating and was getting ready to go, the man came by a second time. He had seen me get out my tablet and told me that I needed to be more careful. In Russia, especially, he said, I must keep my valuables hidden. People frequently offer me sincere words of caution about where I am going. Ignoring them seems unwise, and as I’ve gone farther, I’ve become more suspicious and guarded. Yet, I never meet those who I am warned about. There seems to be a disconnect between the kindness of strangers and the fear they have of one another. I am encouraged to be afraid, but then I cross the border to discover I have no reason to be. This evening, I followed a tractor path across a farm field to get to a patch of forest. I pushed my bike into the dens undergrowth, then hung my hammock. The vegetation here is beautiful, lush, and healthy. Sunlight comes through the canopy and streaks. I feel enclosed by all the leaves and branches filling in around me. No one will find me here. I feel safe to surrender to a deep sleep. [Music]