Nick and Rudolf: Not just Christmas Porn

...or: He's One in a Million!

Contrary to popular belief the world is neither flat nor round; it's elliptical.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, my friend, Nick.  He is a traveling Welshman who, in the fall of 2008, embarked from his fair city on an “around the world” tour.  He rides a trusty motorcycle named Rudolf and made it all the way down to Cape Town, South Africa.  From there, he hopped-skipped-and-jumped on over to South Korea, where he taught English to children for about a year.  Now, he’s landed on American soil and is embarking on part two of his world tour.  He will pass through California on his way towards South America.  He is fully bad-ass.

Nick is one of my heroes, because he is actually doing something I’ve dreamed about since I was at least 16 years old.  My plan isn’t to go solo on a motorcycle around the world, but him saying, “By god the world is too big to just sit here all day!” and setting out to see all of it is immeasurably inspiring.  My vocabulary is far too limited to appropriately convey how cool I think Nick is.  I envy his courage, I respect his fortitude, and I hope that all his experiences are positive and gain him wisdom and insight beyond his wildest dreams.  I hope someday he and I can swap stories about African sunsets, and French vineyards and Incan ruins.  Until I’ve completed my plans for world domination, though, I’ll look to him for adventure. 

If you’d like to follow Nick on his tour, you can visit his website, called Tales from the Saddle.  He has cool stories and plenty of photos. 

Nick, may the wind always be at your back, and may drug wars never impede your travels!  Good luck and God speed!