Saying goodbye isn’t an easy thing for me, whether in the small things nor the so-called big ones. I really didn’t want to leave home. Suddenly, my life here felt wonderful, the summer splendid and the outlook of leaving this behind to find some far-fetched happiness somewhere else, well, far-fetched.
Might be the same reason why the ending of relationships is so difficult for me. Independent on who ended it and how the relationship was.
And sometimes there are goodbyes that you know are coming and still feel horrible. I thought, rather wished, that I would have another 10 years with my mom but about a year ago we said our farewells. As strange as it might sound, when it happened, I was also happy for her and that her struggles ended. She had lots of pain the last year and witnessing the last 2 weeks in the hospital was difficult. But I am glad that I was there and together with my brother Peter and sister Hedwig accompanied my mom during her last days.
It is a strange feeling when your parents are not here anymore and your circle of loved ones deminishes so significantly.
So, when in October my boss called if I am interested in working I said yes. I knew that the routine will provide a stability I so desperately needed at that time.
Carl Jung said happiness in your life stands on five pillars:
Health: Physical and mental well-being that requires ongoing care and energy.
Relationships: Strong bonds with family, partners, and friends that ground us.
Beauty: An active appreciation for nature, art, and the world.
Work: Meaningful occupation that provides sustenance and purpose.
Philosophy: A worldview or mental outlook that helps accept and navigate life’s hardship
There are certain areas where I feel a deep lack…
It’s the third time that I worked for this company on a short contract base. Usually, we do 3 months but by end of December/beginning of January, I felt that I still needed that routine and stability in my life. We found another project and after 7.5 months I was ready to let go and pursue my other hobbies, namely traveling.
The idea is to go from Bratislava eastward until reaching the EuroVelo 11 (East Europe) and following this one south until Thessaloniki (Greece). From there head west to Corfu, then Italy and up the Adriatic coast as far as I can. All that, except the part to Corfu, with my rather old bike and unfortunately too much weight 🤦
I read about Heinz Stücke, the guy who wanted to see it all, and posed accordingly 😉
I’m in the second week cycling and there have been many moments cursing and damning the idea to hell. I found it difficult to enjoy the past week on the road and had moments I wanted to give up. Fortunately (or unfortunately?), I don’t give up easily, whether it’s because of determination, stubbornness, pride or shame is unclear. And there’s always the glimmer of hope that it gets better 😉
But let’s start from the beginning.
Once again, my travels led me through Prague. From home I cycled to Schwandorf, where a direct train leaves for it. And onwards to Bratislava. The last hours were not fun anymore as it got around 39 degrees Celsius. Unfortunately, the room proved to be a nightmare as it had no fan or AC and was right beside the metro station.
I am not sure if I will continue with this blog, at least in this format. The same information can be found in the Polarsteps app and it doesn’t make sense to just repeat it. So, this post might be a joint between past and how the future will look like. I will continue writing thoughts and share how I felt in general but the individual steps can be found on the Polarsteps app.
03.08.2026 – 13.08.2026 Bratislava to Hungary
Overall, I didn’t feel good in Slovakia. Not saying that this is because of the country but maybe more to do about me and my inner processes. However, one thing I certainly didn’t like was riding on busy roads. The Slovak drivers are not giving cyclists enough space and I didn’t feel save.
Smoking is still a big thing here, independent of the gender. While smiling isn’t.
I have a good feeling about Hungary!
Love,
Matthias