I never thought that travelling by scooter across Europe could actually change people’s lives. But that’s exactly what happened, and I want to share this story. Our big scooter trip from the Czech Republic to Norway turned into something we never expected. If you’ve read my earlier post, you know that when we were leaving Nordkapp, we were stopped by the Belgian journalist Michael Van Peel, who interviewed us for his podcast. The podcast was never published because Michael decided to use the material differently. He collected stories from many people who reached Nordkapp using unusual means of transport and published them as short interviews in a book called Nordkapp Stories.

The book was released during the COVID pandemic, and Michael even sent us a copy with a personal dedication.

It was a wonderful feeling to hold the book in my hands. By pure luck, our story ended up alongside those of other crazy travellers, and it felt great to have this little souvenir from our 2019 journey. If the story had ended there, we would have been happy. But it didn’t.

At the beginning of September this year, we unexpectedly received an email from Michael. I was glad to see that he still remembered us, so I quickly opened it. By the time I finished reading, I was feeling a bit emotional. He wanted to know how we were doing, but the main reason he wrote to us was to share another email he had received. It came from a man who was grateful for the inspiring book and, in particular, mentioned our story as the one that helped his friend regain a little bit of autonomy after suffering a serious injury.

This is the email:

Hi Michael,

I wanted to let you know that your book “Nordkapp Stories” is particularly inspiring. Not only because of the quality of the text and photos, but it also helped my friend significantly.

Just to clarify: my friend fell off his bike almost 5 (!) years ago and suffered a double pubic bone fracture. Unfortunately, the diagnosis wasn’t made until 7 weeks after the fall, and he’s still in terrible pain to this day (probably due to internal adhesions involving nerves). The pain is overwhelming, incurable, and prevents him from sitting. He was an avid cyclist, and the fact that he can no longer do that is hard.

Now, back to your book. I saw the photo of the duo with the kickbike. That led us to test an electric version in the Netherlands—the cycle paths are just a tad better there than in Flanders. That was a revelation. For him, it was the first time in five years that he could drive something, and also the most spectacular thing he’d done in five years. He’s now going to buy an e-kickbike himself so he can regain a little of his autonomy. I just wanted to let you know.

Best regards,
…

I have to say, this message made me incredibly happy. I love adventures, but I’m also aware that being able to do things like this is a privilege, and I try to keep that in mind. I’m healthy, I have the time, and I’m at a stage of life where I can allow myself to do these things. It’s not always easy, and it takes dedication, but it’s my choice. I choose to do it, while many people can’t, even if they want to. That’s why knowing our story had a positive impact on someone’s life (even if it’s just one person) is extremely fulfilling. It makes me realize that a seemingly silly activity, like riding a scooter, can actually make the world just a little bit better.

PS: If you want to read the interview (in English) Michael made with us, you can have a look at the book sample at his webpage and our interview starts at document page number 17. Link here.