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(CNN) — Even after tons of of miles into his two-wheel journey, Kleon Papadimitriou says he nonetheless wasn’t certain he’d make it home.
The 20-year-old Greek college student had been caught in Scotland, the place he studied, with no method to return to Athens whereas flights were shut down due to the pandemic.
So he determined to bike the roughly 2,175-mile route as an alternative.
“It’s just now dawning on me how big of an achievement this was,” he says of his 48-day journey. “And I did learn a lot of things about myself, about my limits, about my strengths and my weaknesses. And I’d say I really hope that the trip inspired at least one more person to go out of their comfort zone and try something new, something big.”
It took the 20-year-old 7 weeks to make it back home
Courtesy Kleon Papadimitriou
Papadimitriou, now about to embark on his third 12 months of research on the University of Aberdeen, says it was in the previous few days of March when he determined to search for an earlier flight home, in hopes of beating the quickly spreading results of coronavirus throughout Europe. Most of his pals had already left, however he says he lingered back to make certain he would not miss any classes. He booked three flights — however all were canceled.
“By the first of April I knew that I would spend at least the next month in quarantine in Aberdeen,” he stated.
But then he acquired his thought.
Canned sardines, a motorbike and a tent
Stuck 1000’s of miles away from his family and itching for an journey, Papadimitriou says he started researching what it would take to make the journey on two wheels. He says he had competed in a race in 2019 and had briefly skilled this 12 months for a number of weeks — however that was about all of the biking expertise he carried with him.
Initially, he says the thought was extra of a “pipe dream.”
But quickly he started buying the gear he’d want. He bought a motorbike, instructed his pals and broke the information to his mother and father. They agreed, he says, principally as a result of “they thought it was just an idea that I would eventually let go of.”
Kleon Papadimitriou, pictured right here in southern Germany
Courtesy Kleon Papadimitriou
His dad provided one situation for the journey: they’d arrange an app which might permit his family to find a way to consistently monitor him and know the place he’s.
On May 10, armed with canned sardines, peanut butter and bread, a sleeping bag, a tent and gear for his bike, he started his journey.
Dozens of miles every day
Papadimitriou instructed CNN he’d journey anyplace between 35 to 75 miles per day, crossing initially by means of England after which onto the Netherlands. He biked alongside the Rhine in Germany for a number of days, handed by means of Austria and cycled down alongside the jap coast of Italy earlier than he took a ship to the Greek port of Patras — and from there biked to his Athens neighborhood.
Throughout his journey, he’d arrange camp in fields and forests. He spent the previous few moments of every day writing down his progress, monitoring the following day’s path and checking in with family and pals. As the weeks handed, he stated extra folks caught phrase of his journey and tuned in, receiving updates from his pals and family.
This was Papadimitriou’s luxurious resort room for a lot of the journey
Courtesy Kleon Papadimitriou
While he made his method by means of completely different nations in Europe, Papadimitriou says he would typically attain out to pals or acquaintances who would provide a mattress and a bathe — a candy different to his normally woody in a single day stops.
“As a relatively introverted person, I was forced to kind of get out of my comfort zone in the sense that if I did not do some things, I would not have a place to stay, I would not have water,” he stated. “It forced me to kind of have those interactions and reach out.”
On June 27, practically 50 days since he first acquired on the highway, he arrived back home, the place his family together with dozens of pals — in addition to full strangers who had been monitoring his progress — were ready to have a good time his arrival.
“It was very emotional,” he stated. “Coming from a family from two parents that were very adventurous in their younger years, seeing me kind of follow in their footsteps, I think is very emotional to them and obviously gives me a lot of meaning.”
“But I think if anything, they felt relief,” he added.
Papadimitriou packed canned items and bread for his 48-day journey
Courtesy Kleon Papadimitriou
‘Set the bar actually excessive’
Now back in Greece, Papadimitriou has left Athens to work a summer time job and says he is nonetheless reflecting on his seven-week bike trip.
“I think I improved as a person, I’m more confident in myself, I’m more confident in my abilities,” he says. “If I didn’t know that I’ve done the trip and you asked me now if I could it, I would say no, how could I do all those things?”
But but, understanding he efficiently accomplished what he set out to do, Papadimitriou says he is now trying ahead to the “next big thing.”
And he is acquired a chunk of recommendation for individuals who (rightly) suppose a 48-day bike journey is a large endeavor.
“When you set the bar really high and you attempt to reach a really ambitious goal, whether you achieve it or you don’t, you will have improved,” he stated.
“You will learn things about yourself and you will surprise yourself.”
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