Our story together begins with two key moments.
The meeting
The first one is, obviously, when we met in Riga. It was the start of Summer 2011 and I'd already been travelling with a backpack on my shoulders for almost half a year.
Before leaving the city behind, I suggested she join me on her holidays. I was planning to visit Ukraine around then, and a translator would come in very handy…
– And by the way, Ilze, just so you know: in the end you'll quit your job and carry on travelling with me. – Yeah, sure…
A month later we met again in Poland, where our adventure together began.
– Did you hand in your resignation yet, Ilze? – Yeah, sure…
The adventure
Two weeks later we'd ended up in Croatia: the weather hadn't played along in Ukraine, so we decided to hitchhike to the coast chasing the sun. But by then it was about time to say goodbye — she had to go back to work, and I'd carry on alone through the Balkans.
We were going to hitchhike together to Budapest, where she'd catch a flight to Riga and I'd keep thumbing, for a change. But destiny had other plans, and by a couple of hours we didn't make it to Budapest airport in time.
– See, Ilze? I keep telling you, day after day: you have to come with me… – Yeah, sure… I have to go to work!
After a couple of hours of Ilze checking last-minute flights at over €200, I offered to hitchhike with her all the way to Riga. The yes, I do didn't take long. Once in Riga it took me less than a week to convince her to hand in her resignation and carry on travelling with me — through Europe, Morocco, Southeast Asia and, over the years that followed, half the world.
– Told you!
And so it was. That story took us around the world together for years, all the way to completing the round-the-world bike trip. A beautiful chapter, and a huge part of this journey.