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Valtteri Heinila was working in a startup when he realized he wanted a break.
“I began noticing time actually accelerating,” mentioned Valtteri, 26. The times began to blur, after which so did the months, he mentioned.
He did not accept a daily vacation. As a substitute, he traveled 15,400 kilometers (9,600 miles) alongside a route from Finland to Singapore — on a bicycle.
Together with his buddy Alvari Poikola, Heinila cycled by way of 21 international locations in eight months, he advised CNBC. The boys selected Singapore as their aim as a result of it was the farthest level they may cycle to, Heinila mentioned.
The pair biked a lot of the manner however took a number of flights “once we have been unable to cross by bike,” he mentioned. For instance, land borders at Azerbaijan and Myanmar have been closed, he mentioned.
“Russia … is a warzone,” he added. “Afghanistan is below Taliban rule, China [was] not issuing vacationer visas.”
Valtteri Heinila (left) and Alvari Poikola on the Imperial Metropolis of Hue in Vietnam.
Valtteri Heinila
Biking lengthy distances helped Heinila escape from “society’s noise,” he mentioned. “It helps you get into your personal head [and] find out about your self ten hours a day on the saddle,” he added.
Heinila mentioned he had no expertise with lengthy distance biking earlier than the journey, however he was adventurous and loved the outside, he mentioned. “I favored doing issues that triggered me discomfort as a result of I observed these made me really feel alive.”
No coaching, no meal plan
Working with out a coaching or meal plan, Heinila mentioned he gained bodily power within the first leg of his journey. “We realized that Jap Europe is fairly flat. That [was] our coaching … earlier than we reached the mountains of Georgia and Tajikistan,” he added.
Heinila in Kyrgyzstan, alongside the border with Tajikistan.
Valtteri Heinila
Heinila cycled by way of central Asian international locations like Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan earlier than he reached Southeast Asia, the place his route wound by way of international locations similar to Vietnam and Thailand, he mentioned. It was an opportunity to see how “a lot of the world” lives, he added.
“We’re extraordinarily privileged in Finland. We needed to get a peek into actuality,” Heinila mentioned.
The pair usually cooked porridge for breakfast, making banana pancakes on uncommon events, mentioned Heinila. After pedaling for a couple of hours, the 2 would cease to prepare dinner lunch within the shade, he added.
“Our funds was $20 per day. We simply went with the naked minimal,” mentioned Heinila. On one event, when the 2 ran out of fuel to prepare dinner, they snacked on uncooked eggs from a retailer, he added.
Heinila and Poikola on the Mardi Himal peak in Nepal.
Valtteri Heinila
Heinila mentioned he saved his concentrate on securing primary wants like meals, water, rest room paper and a spot to pitch his tent for the evening.
“You do not have time to consider nonsense just like the previous or the longer term. You are targeted on survival, and I feel that is the most effective feeling ever,” he mentioned.
Challenges on the street
By the point Heinila had traveled 10,000 kilometers, he had punctured his bicycle tire 37 instances, in response to a publish on his Instagram account. Other than tires, he mentioned he additionally discovered to repair and rebuild different bicycle components like racks and panniers.
Heinila holding instruments in Romania.
“When you’ve got a necessity, you simply determine it out,” he mentioned.
Dwelling on the street might be “harmful,” similar to when the 2 males ran out of water whereas touring by way of Tajikistan, mentioned Heinila.
Heinila cycled greater than 20 kilometers to a street to get water from a passing truck, all whereas combating a days-long bout of diarrhea and dizziness, he mentioned. “Your physique goes into survival mode, and also you simply deal with the challenges,” he mentioned.
Heinila’s tent in Turkey.
Valtteri Heinila
Regardless of the challenges, Heinila mentioned he did not really feel like giving up “for one second.” The difficulties have been price it for the “ten years’ price” of reminiscences that Heinila made in a couple of months, he mentioned. Biking by way of the mountain valleys of Tajikistan and viewing its “outstanding” cultural heritage was essentially the most memorable for him, he added.
Heinila mentioned he was additionally struck by the hospitality of the Tajikistan folks. “They have been feeding us, taking good care of us like their very own youngsters,” he mentioned. “All people felt nearly like household as a result of the communities have been so small.”
Arriving in Singapore
The very first thing that Heinila and Poikola did upon reaching Singapore was go to the Finnish ambassador’s residence, the place that they had a small celebration with different Finnish folks, he mentioned. Later that evening, the lads reminisced about their journey whereas having fun with the view from The Fullerton Lodge Singapore, the place they downed Singapore Slings, he added.
Heinila and Poikola in entrance of Marina Bay in Singapore.
Valtteri Heinila
When Heinila first set out on his journey, he was afraid of the implications it could have on his profession path, he mentioned.
“Now it appears like I can get no matter job I would like. I’ve this unimaginable confidence,” he mentioned.
However going again to a desk job after “tasting freedom for therefore lengthy” might be an adjustment, Heinila added. “It is a wrestle to maintain this sense of freedom, whereas contributing to society in essentially the most significant manner I can,” he mentioned.
Heinila has concepts for extra adventures sooner or later, similar to crossing the Baltic Sea on a paddleboard, he mentioned. It will be important for folks to embrace discomfort as an alternative of being “locked into planning for the longer term,” he added.
“There’s this entire world on the market.”
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