In a moment of madness, I sold almost all my possessions and set off by bicycle from my doorstep in Cape Town, South Africa. Unknowingly, this was to become a trip around the world.

I’ve spent the past eighteen years circumnavigating the planet, documenting my travels as I cycled through some of the world’s most dangerous and densely populated countries. I’ve pushed my bike across deserts and through wetlands, battled sandstorms, and run for my life from rock falls. I have narrowly escaped suicide bombers and have fixed countless punctured tubes. But, along my travels, I’ve witnessed the most astonishing scenery and met numerous extraordinary people who have showered me with endless acts of kindness. 

I write this not to recount every kilometre, but to remember what the road taught me. That resilience is quiet. That kindness is everywhere. That adventure is not always loud—it can be found in the soft hum of bicycle tyres on tarmac, in the way a village wakes up, in the way a heart opens.