The Canadian born 34-year-old is not your usual bike enthusiast. No jargon and no feigning technical expertise. He is just another bloke trying to give vent to his adventure streak. But wait! His adventure is not something one would readily welcome. And in his own words, “Girls sometimes compliment me for being brave, but
mostly they also rib for being stupid and unpractical.” Biking it across the world, including countries like Iran, might not sit well with one’s family, especially if you are sorted with a cushy job despite the economic downturn. “I chose to give up my desk job and the monotony of being an IT geek,” laughs Sean who is now on a pit stop in Delhi to fix his bike, a Vespa. “I bought this bike in Europe. It was so cool to experience the country on a bike,” says Sean who has also lived in Hungary and Serbia.
Unlike those who claim that bikes are their life-blood, Sean says this discovery happened only much later in life. “I was 24 when I decided to experience a bike trip. Never did I dabble in bikes before that,” he smiles. Not one to think too far ahead, Sean says, “I really don’t know what I am going to do after I wind up this trip.” He has already been to Europe, Iran, Pakistan and now is in India. “I plan to finish the journey in Indonesia,” says the pleasantly charming biker. After which he plans to go from the bottom of the Americas and finish off in Belgrade.
So, how does he like our Indian roads? “The smaller ones are the worst that I have ever experienced but the major main roads are on par with anywhere else in the world,” he says, adding, “I love the food by the road-side. I am a huge fan of the potato stuffed samosa.” And when fatigue kicks in, he has the perfect solution, “I find a local guest house or I carry my tent with me, so I just pitch it and doze off.”
And through all this he thanks his mom. “She wasn’t exactly thrilled about this trip, but today she is my major support,” he signs off as he has to rush to fix his bike.