So who are you anyway?

During the 2014 trip to Dubrovnik (island of Mali Losinj, CROATIA)

 

Born on a 1979 Sunday in Belgium, I have always imagined my life would be exceptional (read about the Gen Y syndrome). The gentle path suggested to me was, however, all too quiet. So I shook things up a little. Freudians would probably diagnose me with wanting to impress my caring Mom and standing up to my absent-minded Dad. But maybe I was just too much of a troublemaker.

Background & education

One can easily describe me as a humanist. When I travel, those along the road become my surrogate friends, and I enjoy to learn about their habits and culture. But even in my home town, I can talk to a stranger as if (s)he were an old pal. Brussels is a perfect city to make random encounters.

I’m also eager to communicate. From an early age I was regularly appointed to write essays for the class. I knew how to place the words in such a way that they sounded nice and fluid. That would take me hours. Later I became quite skilled at making people’s caricatures and original party invitations. And finally I graduated in advertising.

School excursions to French cathedrals, Renaissance palazzi and Greek ruins gave me a certain interest in all things historical. That and my repeated trips across the continent made me feel more European than Belgian. The more I travel through Europe, the more I believe in a common future. A progressive and green future where we can show the way.

Health

I have always been into sports. As a kid, I was not the most gifted of the pack, but I used to end among the first 20%. No specific health issues. No heavy injuries. No glasses. We ran and played soccer a lot at boarding school. When going to College, I held on to this habit, unlike most of my classmates.

After that, sports came in like waves: I became a heavy swimmer (5km per week), then a fanatic runner (ran half marathon 5 times), then approached futsal and badminton. But one sport remained constant: cycling. It became my way to ‘own’ the world around me. Twelve years later, this hobby has taken me to almost every country in Western Europe.

You will not hear me say that my Eurotrips require no training. They do. And they are hugely exhausting. But anyone could decide to discover the world at his own pace. From the moment you can climb that hill, the world behind is yours.

To sum things up:

idealism + good health + opportunities + curiosity = Sebi Cicleta.