2017: The year that changed my life. BIG Thanks to everybody who tagged along my journey.

Stumpling upon Steemit, Cycling tour across Europe, falling in love and even graduating. I can safely say with all my heart; 2017 was the year I truly took control of what I wanted in my life.

My graduation turned out to be meaningless; I just wanted to cycle the world

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Ahh, the graduation that I had been working towards my whole life ended up being the least important thing for me at the end of the year. Because my heart and desires was already put towards a dream I did not know if I even could achieve. The 24th April 2017 I went on a adventure that I am still somewhat on to this very day.

I have never had my own bike and yet something told me that I wanted to cycle distances i didn't even know would be possible. So filled with doubt and concerns to whether I would even be able to cross the first country, I went on a 5 months biking trip that took me from Denmark to Greece and everything in between. I still remember the first night sitting in my tent in a rainstorm and looking at my GPS. I could barely see I had moved off the coast of Denmark. I remember the voice in my head asking myself: "Mikkel, what the hell are you doing, you will never make it?"

I had too far to go and without any experience I felt a bit stupid. Also when people asking me where I was heading and i told them "Greece", they just looked at me and started laughing. I felt a bit ashamed, not because of their reactions but because I really didn't know if I could make it or not.

After a travel that felt like a lifetime I finally stood on Greek Soil

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After cycling in temperatures as high as 42 degrees and going up and above mountain passes that felt like never ending I somehow managed to stand where I 5 months before never thought I would be standing. I could now say I had succeeded in my very first cycling tour from Denmark to Greece. The feeling was powerful. Like I was unbeatable and I could go anywhere in the world. Distance was now merely numbers that no matter what could be crushed with the power of my legs.

So I kept cycling throughout Greece: into the inland between the mountains and along the endless coastlines. It felt like paradise and was a very well deserved reward to spend my time there. Eventually I settled down for a few weeks on a farm to learn about permaculture. A most interesting period with a lot of memories with new friends that still stands strong to this day.

So after staying in Southern Greece for 5 weeks on this farm I asked myself; what now?
Should I keep on cycling further? Should I go towards Africa? Asia? My dreams just got bigger and bigger and it felt almost impossible to make the decision. Or At least until I was also reminded of another option. Someone who I felt I was not quite done with. Someone who had stolen my heart before I even left Denmark.

Who had guessed i would end up in Romania?

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My life has been very unpredictable in this year and i absolutely love it. But who would have guessed i took the spontaneous decision to ask the woman i fell in love with BEFORE my trip to be together with me? Even more crazy is she said yes? So now instead of being in Denmark or to keep cycling i put my biking adventure on hold and went on a completely new journey.

I moved to Romania where I now have been for the past 3 months. Trying to learn it's people, the language and everything else this amazing country has to offer. Everything with my new wonderful Romanian girlfriend by my side.

Still thinking of all of this can make me both laugh but also feel grateful i finally decided to ask for what i wanted. That despite some fears I was able to take the decision of moving with the woman i had fallen in love with and get the chance to get to know each other much better than before.

So here I am in Romania living a life i had never dreamed of. But something in me still drags me towards the wheels that in the first place took me towards this lifestyle. Yes that is right, I still look to take new grand adventures when the snow starts to melt.

2017 was an amazing year for me, but i think the stone only just started to roll

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Looking into 2018 it feels like this year was a setup to maybe something even greater coming towards me:

I have a wonderful girlfriend now who seems to support me no matter what i wish to do. Who seems to just wanna see me happy no matter what it means.

I have now proven to myself that i can go anywhere in the world with my bike.

Hell, even the fact that I'm blogging on Steemit! Something that allows me financially to go on as long as i wish and also sharing my adventures and new lifestyle along the way.

Everything seems to have fallen into place and the limits and barriers i once had going into 2017 are gone. So a big thanks to everybody on Steemit who have been supporting me, it has been a great run with you guys so far!

For the first time in my life i finally feel true freedom

-holm