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"I'll be back by lunchtime."

This is how I started an accidentally 80km bike tour through the Brazilian countryside, including

- getting lost

- getting hunted by street dogs

- making beautiful and random human connections

Sometimes I need to get out: Out of the flat, out of the city, out of my head, out of my bubble. The best way to do so (for me) is to get physically active and spend time in nature. Ideally, alone (even if this needs extra motivation).

So one recent Sunday, I grabbed my bike and headed in the direction of Silveira Martins (a city close by). I knew the route well and had a fixed destination goal in mind.

Despite that, I midway decided to take a different turn: I found and followed a small dirt road heading away from the asphalted main road. It passed through some beautiful, rural farm areas with small rivers, passable by small wooden bridges.

My initial idea was to follow it for 1h and turn back. But already having made it so far, I decided to continue: "Who knows when I'll come here again??"

Suddenly, the small dirt road started a steep climb forcing me to dismount my bike and walk.

Another hour in, I passed by an old, colonial-looking house with an older woman in front, collecting oranges. Being very thirsty and hungry by this time (only having prepared for a short trip), I stopped to ask her if I could pick some.

Instead, she invited me to have lunch, introduced me to her family, sat down with me to have a conversation, and filled my backpack up to the limit with fresh oranges.

She was in her 80s and lived in this house all her life - only eating what she was growing and producing herself, including meat, vegetables, cheese, and vine. I made it home exhausted but mentally refreshed and with a whole bag of oranges.

Takeaways:

1️⃣ Humans are (can be) awesome

Sometimes you randomly encounter strangers who offer help and welcome you with open arms, without expecting any return.

2️⃣ Street dogs are scary

I don't remember having pedaled that quickly on my bike before.

3️⃣ Don't plan

The most beautiful experiences usually happen when we expect them the least. Planning can make sense occasionally, but it always goes hand in hand with expectations. And expectations infrequently are met and only create stress and disappointment.

4️⃣ Take different turns

I don't believe in self-inflicted suffering just for "personal growth." But I think taking new roads, risks and accepting discomfort leads to the best experiences.

5️⃣ Be kind and seek human contact

How often do we shy away from approaching a stranger? Every time we do so, we might be missing out on having a beautiful human encounter.

I got inspired to share this story by Saurabh, Finn and Bruna (myself being unsure about it because I don't want to contribute to FOMO and comparison).

What do you think about the story?

Do you like content like this?

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Disclaimer: Do you think my life and story are somehow extraordinary and exciting? It's not more extraordinary than yours. Don't be fooled by a (hopefully) beautifully told story. This is not my everyday life. If you look close enough, you'll be able to tell equally exciting stories from your life. Look deeply.

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