Valtteri Heinila was working in a startup when he realized he needed a break.
“I began noticing time really accelerating,” said Valtteri, 26. The times began to blur, after which so did the months, he said.
He didn’t accept a daily holiday. As a substitute, he traveled 15,400 kilometers (9,600 miles) along a route from Finland to Singapore — on a bicycle.
Along with his friend Alvari Poikola, Heinila cycled through 21 countries in eight months, he told CNBC. The lads selected Singapore as their goal since it was the farthest point they might cycle to, Heinila said.
The pair biked most of the way in which but took several flights “once we were unable to cross by bike,” he said. For instance, land borders at Azerbaijan and Myanmar were closed, he said.
“Russia … is a warzone,” he added. “Afghanistan is under Taliban rule, China [was] not issuing tourist visas.”
Valtteri Heinila (left) and Alvari Poikola on the Imperial City of Hue in Vietnam.
Valtteri Heinila
Cycling long distances helped Heinila escape from “society’s noise,” he said. “It helps you get into your personal head [and] find out about yourself ten hours a day on the saddle,” he added.
Heinila said he had no experience with long distance cycling before the trip, but he was adventurous and enjoyed the outside, he said. “I liked doing things that caused me discomfort because I noticed those made me feel alive.”
No training, no meal plan
Operating with no training or meal plan, Heinila said he gained physical strength in the primary leg of his journey. “We realized that Eastern Europe is pretty flat. That [was] our training … before we reached the mountains of Georgia and Tajikistan,” he added.
Heinila in Kyrgyzstan, along the border with Tajikistan.
Valtteri Heinila
Heinila cycled through central Asian countries like Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan before he reached Southeast Asia, where his route wound through countries equivalent to Vietnam and Thailand, he said. It was a likelihood to see how “a lot of the world” lives, he added.
“We’re extremely privileged in Finland. We desired to get a peek into reality,” Heinila said.
The pair typically cooked porridge for breakfast, making banana pancakes on rare occasions, said Heinila. After pedaling for a couple of hours, the 2 would stop to cook lunch within the shade, he added.
“Our budget was $20 per day. We just went with the bare minimum,” said Heinila. On one occasion, when the 2 ran out of gas to cook, they snacked on raw eggs from a store, he added.
Heinila and Poikola on the Mardi Himal peak in Nepal.
Valtteri Heinila
Heinila said he kept his deal with securing basic needs like food, water, toilet paper and a spot to pitch his tent for the night.
“You haven’t got time to take into consideration nonsense just like the past or the long run. You are focused on survival, and I feel that is the perfect feeling ever,” he said.
Challenges on the road
By the point Heinila had traveled 10,000 kilometers, he had punctured his bicycle tire 37 times, in line with a post on his Instagram account. Except for tires, he said he also learned to repair and rebuild other bicycle parts like racks and panniers.
Heinila holding tools in Romania.
“When you might have a necessity, you simply figure it out,” he said.
Living on the road might be “dangerous,” equivalent to when the 2 men ran out of water while traveling through Tajikistan, said Heinila.
Heinila cycled greater than 20 kilometers to a road to get water from a passing truck, all while fighting a days-long bout of diarrhea and dizziness, he said. “Your body goes into survival mode, and you simply address the challenges,” he said.
Heinila’s tent in Turkey.
Valtteri Heinila
Despite the challenges, Heinila said he didn’t feel like giving up “for one moment.” The difficulties were value it for the “ten years’ value” of memories that Heinila made in a couple of months, he said. Cycling through the mountain valleys of Tajikistan and viewing its “remarkable” cultural heritage was probably the most memorable for him, he added.
Heinila said he was also struck by the hospitality of the Tajikistan people. “They were feeding us, caring for us like their very own children,” he said. “Everybody felt almost like family since the communities were so small.”
Arriving in Singapore
The very first thing that Heinila and Poikola did upon reaching Singapore was visit the Finnish ambassador’s residence, where that they had a small celebration with other Finnish people, he said. Later that night, the boys reminisced about their journey while having fun with the view from The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, where they downed Singapore Slings, he added.
Heinila and Poikola in front of Marina Bay in Singapore.
Valtteri Heinila
When Heinila first set out on his journey, he was afraid of the results it might have on his profession path, he said.
“Now it seems like I can get whatever job I need. I even have this incredible confidence,” he said.
But going back to a desk job after “tasting freedom for therefore long” will likely be an adjustment, Heinila added. “It is a struggle to maintain this sense of freedom, while contributing to society in probably the most meaningful way I can,” he said.
Heinila has ideas for more adventures in the long run, equivalent to crossing the Baltic Sea on a paddleboard, he said. It can be crucial for people to embrace discomfort as a substitute of being “locked into planning for the long run,” he added.
“There’s this whole world on the market.”