In my little hut by the lake I slept like a baby for 12 hours. I remember waking up with a big smile. Throat is fine again.
All my clothes are clean again and smell nice. That is worth mentioning, I find.
By the time I was on the bike it was 11am – and I felt really naughty. I took it easy and then the sun came out – unplanned. I cycled alongside the coastline without actually seeing the Baltic Sea. Hard to imagine for a German, but here the actual coastline is oftentimes not accessible here.
The air was fresh from the nearby ocean and sky was blue – wonderful. I enjoyed to be out of the unpopulated woods of the high moor plateau. This area has more infrastructure and hence feels a bit lighter. It is more forgiving with regards to mistakes, e.g. not packing enough water.
Today I crossed the 1.000km mark. Another 1.500km to go to the North Cape. A big part will be through areas with little infrastructure. Today, I rearranged some of my baggage so that I win more space for food and supplies going forward.
Found a very nice camp ground directly by the sea. First thing tomorrow will be a swim in the sea then.
About 30 years ago, two zis scholarships helped me to broaden my horizon, expand my understanding of what is possible, and develop more self-confidence. zis is a non-profit organization that has been awarding scholarships for study trips to young people between the ages of 16 and 20 for more than 60 years. Today, the word we use for tenacity and grit is resilience - and I've made it my profession, to help managers around the world to develop more of this inner power.
In retrospect, the experiences I've had on these trips to Scotland and Iceland have been priceless for my development. After having had a childhood with some challenges, I learned that I could cycle 1,700km on my own and get wet every day without despairing. I have learned that I was able to get along with only 300 € for 4 weeks and still had a good time. I have learned what it's like to be threatened with deportation and how to get an interview with the President from such a crisis. I have understood that limitations are primarily constructs in our heads, and I want to make these insights available to as many adolescents as possible.
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