TRAVEL
A world, a dream, a motorcycle
The around-the-world trip of Philippe Abadie.
The trip began as a feeling that grew in him for a few years, rather than a precise plan — the feeling that the world is vast and worth discovering. Vast, less as it relates to geography than to the diversity and richness of custom and culture of its people. People he hasn't met and wants to know.
The bike is loaded, the engine is on. The night has just fallen. A warm July night. For Philippe Abadie, July 30, 1995, will be memorable. His trip begins.
His dream has become a reality He has the necessary money for the trip — the result of five years of work and strict savings — and all the time he needs. He feels light-hearted. As he is about to leave, there are some teary eyes. Especially his mother's.
The first destination is not far — his uncle's place in eastern France. His uncle will help him adjust something on his bike. The next day he'll meet his brother Vincent at their grandmother's. (One week before the beginning of the trip, his brother asked Philippe if he could join him for the first month.)
He carries few things with him: a dress shirt and pants, a few T-shirts and jeans, and of course the special motorcycle jacket and pants. Also, a few tools and spare parts.
Leaving Paris on Highway 4, speeding toward Greux in the Vosges Mountains, he wonders: Am I dreaming, or is it really the beginning? “I'd been dreaming for a long time about going around the world,” he said. “My initial dream was to sail it. I read the life of Joshua Slocum, the first person to sail alone around the world. But I didn't have the means to buy a boat. Also, I didn't have any sailing experience, so sailing was out of the question.”
But he had something else.
“I had owned a motorcycle for about eight years. For me, the bike was the means to find freedom. Living in Paris, I could get around, park easily, get away for the weekend, and visit members of my family who lived far away.”
And for Philippe, the motorcycle trip around the world meant far more than going on a long, touristy journey. “When you go to visit a country, go there as a newborn baby,” a friend had told him. “Have the eyes of a young child who knows nothing except what he is discovering at that moment. Look at things with freshness and innocence.”
“During the whole trip I had this thought in mind,” said Philippe. “In fact, this is something that is found in the Bible, a thought expressed by Jesus: 'Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein' (Luke 18:17 ). So I left France behind, and went on my trip with new eyes.
“It's true that there are sights that are hard to take — like desolation and poverty. But I was able to discover something very different from what greets the eyes at first. In my own country, there's sometimes a tendency to complain if our situation is not pleasant. But what struck me during the trip is the joy I found. I was entertained by people who didn't have much, who had almost nothing in comparison with what we in the West have. But these people received me with beautiful smiles, with a lot of love, with friendship. They were happy to share a few moments with me. You could tell their joy came from an inner wealth. This makes me think of what Science and Health says, that 'we must look deep into realism instead of accepting only the outward sense of things' (p. 129 ).”
Philippe's understanding of the spiritual fact that God governs His universe harmoniously helped him not only perceive the beauty around him as he traveled from country to country — but also not worry about the future.
“I live very much on a day-to-day basis, and don't worry about the next day. I naturally trust in goodness — in God — knowing that He cares for my needs.”
Not to worry about the next day is a plus for travelers seeking adventure. The first border Philippe and his brother crossed leads into Germany. That night, for the first time in his life, Philippe slept in the open. There were many strange sounds of animals around them, but the beauty of the constellations shining through the tall trees made this night memorable. A few nights later, after a drenching rain, they bought a tent.
They moved at a good pace through Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia. They approached the Russian border and stopped a few kilometers away. A kind Russian farmer welcomed them and invited them to spend the night at his place.
Yet, in spite of this kind reception, Philippe became very nervous as they approached Russia. Some of his friends had tried very hard to discourage him from going to Russia at all, speaking at length of the dangers he might encounter in a society transitioning from totalitarianism to democracy. They said his luggage might be stolen, or his bike. Or much worse.
At the border their papers were checked, their bags searched. They were allowed to go through, but Philippe was still afraid.
“I was shaking with fear, I was asking myself: Where are you going? And then, as I was riding the bike, I took hold of myself. The solution — the refuge I found — was in the Lord's Prayer. I thought a lot about it during the trip. It was a great help, a foundation, a reference point for me. I carefully considered every word. It helped me understand that we're are all brothers and sisters because God is 'Our Father.' We're all united, bound one to another. So I was no longer afraid. I saw all the people from this country as children of God, as brothers and sisters who would have no reason to harm me. And, in fact, our stay in Russia was very happy.”
Philippe had many other chances to realize that the spiritual universe expresses the goodness and beauty of God. And he looked for these qualities wherever he went. One day in India, he saw a little girl walking to school. “She must have been walking for quite a while. I didn't remember passing any house recently. She must have been five or six years old. She was wearing a navy blue and white uniform, as is customary in India.
“She was barefoot, or wearing sandals. I asked her if I could take her picture. She accepted. Then I offered to give her a ride to her school, which was about two kilometers away. I lifted her up on top of my luggage and took her to the school. I enjoyed that encounter. I met so many generous people who put me up for the night, even though they had so little.”
What Philippe understood of the universal family of God's children helped him so many times more during this trip. :)
