My friend Rob Lilwall has just released a book and DVD about his 3 year ride back to England from Siberia (via Papua New Guinea, Oz, and Afghanistan…).

Rob has kindly agreed for me to feature some of his writing here on this site. In this blog extract Rob talks about some of the lessons he learned on the road, and how they can help him back in the real world.

I think I have learned about some good things: that problems can be solved if approached with a positive attitude; that it is still possible to persevere even when strength seems to have run out; that there are a lot of hospitable people in the world who know deep in their bones that it is more blessed to give than to receive; that proper preparation is needed to get through difficult situations; that often it is worth taking a risk; that life is short; that although some things feel like they will go on forever, they will, of course, reach their end eventually.

I remember one evening in a small town in Pakistan. I was approached by a man, about my age, whom I assumed to be from the local area. To my surprise he began to chat to me in a broad Manchester accent. He was English Pakistani, but was back in Pakistan to bury his father. We chatted for a while about how he found life in Pakistan compared to England, and he warned about some of the more dangerous characters in the vicinity, but then said to me “but you’ll be OK – with all your experience.”
Later that night, as I wandered off into the town to find an internet cafe, I started to think to myself: in what possible sense could all my experience actually help me if I did get into trouble on a dark night in a foreign town? I have never been in a fight in my life. I am not a particularly fast runner to escape danger.
The only thing that I could think of was that perhaps I am slightly more able to take scary situations in my stride. Things faze me less these days. At least, things that I encountered on the road do not seem to faze me now. I am hoping I can learn to adopt the same attitude to life in England.

Example:
Q. What is the worst that can happen if I knock on this person’s door in Tibet?
A. They think I am a strange foreign cyclist and tell me to go away.

c.f. adopting the same attitude in England:

Q. What is the worst that can happen if I apply for this job?
A. They think I am not qualified for the job and tell me to go away.

“If”, I remind myself, “I was brave enough to cycle through Papua New
Guinea and Afghanistan, surely I am brave enough to take a few risks
in England too?”

Buy your copy of Cycling Home from Siberia here (if only for the photo of the heroic hunk on the front cover…)