Waipio Valley in Hawaii with a friend. I

Give me Adventure:
Here at pocketvillage we’re going out and meeting people with amazing travel experiences. We have compiled these stories into a new series on our blog called ‘Give Me Adventure’. This is the third week into our series and we are really enjoying hearing about all the different types of travel stories that our readers have had. Last week’s story with Doreen Ooi was about Love and three adventures in Berlin, Melbourne and New York City. The week before that Anna Webb told us about how she got over her fear of heights and went on a Paraflight ride over Queenstown, New Zealand. For today’s feature I’d like to introduce you to Chris Bornstein. I met Chris through friends in the Couchsurfing community. I had heard about his travels cycling the world and I was intrigued to know more. Below is his story. Enjoy!

Aloha!

My name is Chris Bornstein. I grew up in Lancaster, PA, USA and had the normal teen angst which led me to feel that joining the Navy was the only way to go. I ended up on the USS INDEPENDENCE, an aircraft carrier stationed in Yokosuka, Japan doing intelligence work for the man. I got married to my first wife in the Czech Republic and got a divorce some 4 painful years later. I jumped into another relationship, made over a million in real estate and felt the need to let it all go in my second divorce.
In the 35 years of my life, I’ve done my very best to map out who I am by doing as many things as possible, and now I am doing my part to connect with humanity. I am currently riding my bicycle around the world to promote peace and environmental awareness by focusing on people. My project, ‘Pedaling for Peace’, will last me at least 5 years. I have many activities that I want to do while on my adventure to help out. From speaking at schools and community groups, to simply showing that not all Americans are what you see on CNN. I’m seeking to make myself the very best I can be in this flesh suit. Spiritual journey is at the core of it. I surf, run, CYCLE. I love all of nature. The birds and the bees, the flowers and the trees, all of it… Show me life!

Taking a break from cycling to take in the view. Beautiful!

I am staying at many different people’s homes on this trip. Most of them I’ve met via couchsurfing- a community that I believe is really changing the way we travel and interact. When I stay at someones home I always try to work in a good vegan cooked meal. You are what you eat and I want everyone to see how good it can truly be. I always tell people the benefits of travel in an effort to get as many people hooked on it as possible. Getting people happy with each other instead of being so scared.

The things I have learned while traveling? A lot really. I love it. I’ve been given horse riding lessons, hung out with a volunteer fire dept and had conversations with geniuses. Learning through travel rocks. This is the classroom. Hands on.

Speaking to kids about Pedaling for Peace at Oceano Elementary School in California

While I have been teaching people at points in my journey, or doing my best approximation of teaching, I have learned many lessons along the way. It’s really helped me grow as a person. I’ve learned that if you get a flat tire, you gotta fix it and move on. I have had at least 20 flat tires over the course of my journey thus far, which has taught me basic mechanics when dealing with my bicycle. Through travel on a bicycle, I have traveled fast enough to cover vast territory, and yet slow enough to see the patterns emerge that bind us all together as humans. I have learned that the people with the least will shower you with the most. Generosity amongst people is more common than not.

On the road fixing my bike: new rear cassette...

I’m only at the beginning of my ride. It’s amazing really, when I glance over at my bike and think about where this journey has taken me so far. Eventually, my travels will take me to places all over the world, including Mexico; Africa; France; Great Britain; Italy; Turkey; Greece; Asia; and Australia.

You can find out more about me and my journey at Pedaling for Peace and on Facebook.

Many Thanks and Aloha,

Chris

If you enjoy this story, please leave a comment to show Chris some love. Also, let us know- have you had any cycling adventures while traveling? We’d love to hear your story in the comment section below.