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Journey. Life. For me these two words have identical meaning, an identical definition of the human path. Ever since I was a child, I have always been strong-minded and curious about the workings of Nature, and these two traits have invariably pushed me forward. Nobody is born an adventurer. For me the turning point came one ordinary day when I decided to venture into exploration, because my greatest desire is learn more about life and to take my life into my own hands.

When I travel, using only the power my own muscles, I am in full contact with everything around me, I rely only on myself and see things in a completely different manner. On the road, I am immersed in my surroundings, in all the sounds, I am able to reflect on the past and my dreams. Intuition, instinct, inspiration – everything I need comes from within and I become one with the road, living the views before my eyes. I am completely in the moment. The path becomes real when I kick the dust up with my feet, and, free to reflect in peace, I discover something new within myself every day, without being pressed for time or feeling that I am wasting my time.

*всичко е подвластно на Времето и Промяната
{all is bound by Time and Change}

My grand adventures have been my best teachers. I tend to seek out the least known, least trodden paths or those that I am the first to tread. In my early years I lacked a clear plan, it was the journey itself that mattered, not the destination. Maintaining reasonable speed in the absence of well-marked routes requires that I am in excellent shape and have time on my hands, that I know my geography and my compass and most of all that I am addicted to precisely this type of experience. Heading out into the nothingness with a feeling of exhilaration.

With the years this obsession with abandoned roads, with the primal nature of deserts and jungles seems only to increase, although each time I step out into the wild I always find it sinister and formidable. Still, I know that I must throw myself at its mercy.
Meandering rivers, precipitous cliffs, densely forested mountains – these are much closer to my heart than the cramped concrete confines of closed spaces. So are animal trails in the wilderness and the ancient routes of Asia, free of noisy cafés and flashy billboards. Trails where you can touch trees, rocks and rivers, where local kids scamper after me, where people halt their horses to greet whoever is coming and, after inquiring how long I’ve been on the road, invite me in their huts and offer me tea.

These people have a different rhythm of life – they travel in order to exist. Never too busy to notice the world around them. They recognize that everything is transient and their consciousness reacts to life in a profoundly different manner. Nowadays this mindset is almost extinct.
We, on the other hand, hardly every find time to talk. The result is a bottomless void and numerous regrets which, years later, will leave us feeling that life has slipped through our fingers.
We need to see the obvious: protecting our planet depends entirely on our attitude toward life. We must search deep in ourselves and look squarely at the symptoms beneath the surface because abandoned roads are not always easy to find.
My passion for abandoned roads is fuelled by the desire to grow and by my love of nature. When shared, this passion has the power of inspiring others to follow their dreams.

*the lotus flower is a symbol for purity and enlightenment

philip lhamsuren
{explore further}

49°46’35.00″ N
107°30’58.00″ E

*adventurer, writer and father