Taiwan, the trip to Chile that changed at the very last minute

My ticket is booked.

I'm leaving for Taiwan in 3 weeks.

I'm excited.

A bike trip, yes. But above all, an experiment: to see whether adventure can become a way of life.

01 — The trip that almost was

Chile

It came down to the wire between Taiwan and Chile. Actually, I had chosen Chile. When I look at Chile, it feels like a bike trip disguised as a country. Hahah

It looks like every possible biome is lined up one after another along a path following the Pacific. When I look at the photos, I think: wow, every day, every hour, every moment will contain a unique adventure, a visual I've never experienced before, a new emotion.

Looking at photos of Chile made me think back to New Zealand and its breathtaking landscapes. Every day, I felt like my idea of beauty had been redefined. It makes you want to cry because it's so beautiful. Gigantic, with swirls of mist, streams, interlocking shapes, combinations of relief, textures and patterns so magnificent that you can't fully capture all their beauty.

And yet every following day surprised me again with an even greater beauty, one that looked nothing like anything I had seen up to that point.

And I think Chile contains that kind of magic too, another well of infinite beauty that redefines our understanding of the world.

02 — Changing the way I live

Not just travelling anymore

Except this time, I'm about to do something different… I don't just want to travel anymore. I want to redefine the way I live.

I don't think I need to live in one fixed place anymore. Or at least not all the time. Maybe not even often.

I tested the idea three years ago. I spent 10 weeks on the road with my laptop, from Montreal to Detroit. On weekends I traveled, and during the week I stopped in a city, plugged in my laptop and went into Unreal.

I'm comfortable with this way of living. It gives me the challenge, adventure and variety I need.

And now I'm starting to ask myself: could my life be made entirely of adventure? Can I build a version of my life where I'm always exploring, discovering new places, new people, new cultures and new ideas?

Reality seems to have evolved in a way that makes it possible. I already work remotely and my schedule is flexible. So why not try it?

But the question my friend asked me was: does this idea work well in Chile? And on top of that, there are a lot of accidents in Chile. More than 5,000 bicycle accidents just last year.

Okay, what are the other options?

Taiwan!

03 — The perfect testing ground

Taiwan is just perfect for testing this way of life because it has modern infrastructure and high-speed internet everywhere. There's a cycling route that goes around the entire island along the sea, everything is easy and quick to access, and there's a train that allows bikes.

And let's be honest, this country is also magnificent, with its rice fields, mountains and endless coastlines. So that's it. I'm sold on Taiwan.

I love not knowing what I'll do and accepting that the adventure can draw the path for me.

I'm excited by the infinite potential of these trips. I love being in that state of mind where I can probe the world and accept everything it offers me.

04 — Accepting what the world offers

I love meeting strangers and families and being able to accept their invitations and discover their world.

I love when the world invites me, pulls me toward a place or an event I know nothing about, and I can feel it teaching me things I couldn't even have thought to think about.

To me, it's in that state of mind that the world shares the most of what it is, teaches us the most and helps us grow the most.

05 — On the eve of the journey

What I feel on these trips is excitement, fulfillment and gratitude. So yes, I'm super excited to go to Taiwan.

Does this vision I have of life — being on the road forever, living this way — make sense? Is this really what I want?

I don't know yet. It's the kind of thing you discover as you discover yourself and transform. So we'll see.

But right now, on the eve of this journey, I feel excited.

Aligned with myself.