I have acquired many names and identities over the past 8 years of exploring - Thomas, Tomas, Tom, Taj, Baba Thom, The Yak, The Yeti, Robo, GloboRobo - to name a few. But the one that resonates most with me is a combination of my childhood nickname (Robo) with my lifestyle decisions of the past 8 years - hence, GloboRobo.
Since Sept 2006, I have been wandering this beautiful planet we often call Earth. I explore places slowly and without intention. Sometimes I choose a potential destination, but often I have no idea where I am going or where I will sleep. Unless necessary (like catching a ferry), I prefer not to make plans and instead watch where each day leads and what experiences present themselves. Sometimes I just ride my bike in a direction that looks most beautiful and see what is over the next hill. I am almost always amazed and impressed and surprised! With an open mind, an open schedule, and an open heart every experience becomes rewarding. If you create no expectations, there can be no disappointment - only gratitude and happiness for each and every moment on this beautiful planet.
My adventures have taken me through some of the most impressive creations built by human skill/vision/wealth on our globe - Angkor Wat, Beijing, London, Rome, Singapore, Fes, Barcelona, Hong Kong... to name a few. We humans possess incredible intelligence, determination, and ingenuity - travel the Earth and you will marvel at our creations. But humans also possess an innate desire for more (just ask Buddha), and through consumerism and capitalism it can impact societies and environments and ecosystems driven by the (often) insatiable quest for more. Hit the road and you will also see plenty of destruction and pollution and development as you travel and it may very well open your eyes to the risks we face as a species if our "growth" is not properly controlled. We are all entitled to earn a living, take shelter in a comfortable dwelling and eat enough nutrients to keep us healthy and happy. But we must also identify when we have "enough" and I reached that point several years ago. I've been living out of a backpack or 2 panniers (saddle bags for my bike) for many years very happily. I have enough. If I get something new (or used), I give something away. Go to places where the people "have" very little and you will soon realize what is truly important in life. Happiness is not for sale, it is free all around us, every day.
In my prior existence, I worked for 10 years in the highly competitive (and greedy) world of finance and investments. The work was professionally and financially rewarding, but morally challenging. I decided a change was in order. I needed to switch gears in search of something more simple. I wanted a peaceful existence, but had no idea where it would lead, how long it would last or how drastically my philosophies could change. I soon discovered that simplicity and peace still exists all around us, almost everywhere. Peace exists in small mountain villages in the Himalayas, remote islands in Indonesia and in small villages in the the foothills of the Apennine mountains of Italy. In these places, life still revolves around the timing of the rains, the health of the crops and animals, and the preparation of delicious food. Life is not easy. People physically work hard. But they still value sharing, bartering, and helping one another. And they often readily help out a stranger who has walked or ridden a bicycle into their little world. They are usually honest, and help neighbours or a traveler passing through for a night or two. I've been offered a donkey and adobe house in a tiny little village in Morocco in exchange for helping to prepare for a few days for a Berber wedding. That house and donkey is probably still waiting for my return. I've had a family of four in a remote village in Nepal sleep outside in the rain (unbeknownst to me) while offering me, the traveler they had only known for a few hours, the only room with beds in their house. I have received so much hospitality from the people of this beautiful planet that is has humbled me, and allowed me to realize all that is good in this world, instead of focusing on all that is not good.
Some of my most important lessons in life were not received from university professors or executives, but from the everyday people of this planet who have taught me what is really important - happiness. Some of these people "possess" (own) very little, sometimes little more than the clothes they are wearing and the hut they call home, yet they are often beaming from ear-to-ear with smiles and greetings of happiness. It may seem paradoxical, but quite
often the less people "own", the more happy their lives seem to be, and the more generous they are to their external surroundings (and me). How each of us defines "happiness" is a unique as our own DNA, but whether we are actively seeking it is the only thing that really matters. Happiness exists all around us (in nature, in families, in communities, in a hot cup of chai on a chilly morning, in ourselves). I encourage you to figure out what makes you happy, and do more of it.
And so these adventures have planted the seeds within for a rather radical transformation from consumer/earner/spender to conserver/saver/producer. Unless we are producing everything we need to survive (tough work), a little bit of funding helps to provide the things we need (shelter in a storm, food, a warm cup of chai). But as you can hopefully see from the information contained within this website, an adventure need not be expensive. A holiday is another story, I have little advice in that department. But if you want to shift gears and wander the Earth for a few months (or years) you need only energy, drive, trust, compassion and a little bit of funding. As stated in a song I like, "Make the money, don't let the money make you". Take a little (money) with you and the rest will sort itself out on the road of life. You will find a way. You will meet so many people along the way who reach out to help and become your friends for life. Or pick a future date and set some goals (financial and personal) which eliminate unnecessary costs ($5 lattes, nightclubs, new clothes, etc) and allow you to save up for your search for happiness.
We are all here for a finite period of time, even His Holiness The Dalai Lama, so why not make the most of our time on this beautiful blue and green sphere we call home. Minimize your impact on our Earth so that we may leave this Earth better than we found it. Try unplugging from technology, media and news from far away which doesn't affect you on the road, and instead immerse yourself in the beautiful local world around you. Create your own happy local news, because every village has some. Get to know the locals, learn some languages, make friends, learn to cook local food, weave some baskets, play with kids, share stories, smile, laugh often, love. I guarantee you will be rewarded in ways you could never have imagined possible.
Now I encourage you to go create your own Road to Know-where....
If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Enjoy every moment. ~GloboRobo
Since Sept 2006, I have been wandering this beautiful planet we often call Earth. I explore places slowly and without intention. Sometimes I choose a potential destination, but often I have no idea where I am going or where I will sleep. Unless necessary (like catching a ferry), I prefer not to make plans and instead watch where each day leads and what experiences present themselves. Sometimes I just ride my bike in a direction that looks most beautiful and see what is over the next hill. I am almost always amazed and impressed and surprised! With an open mind, an open schedule, and an open heart every experience becomes rewarding. If you create no expectations, there can be no disappointment - only gratitude and happiness for each and every moment on this beautiful planet.
My adventures have taken me through some of the most impressive creations built by human skill/vision/wealth on our globe - Angkor Wat, Beijing, London, Rome, Singapore, Fes, Barcelona, Hong Kong... to name a few. We humans possess incredible intelligence, determination, and ingenuity - travel the Earth and you will marvel at our creations. But humans also possess an innate desire for more (just ask Buddha), and through consumerism and capitalism it can impact societies and environments and ecosystems driven by the (often) insatiable quest for more. Hit the road and you will also see plenty of destruction and pollution and development as you travel and it may very well open your eyes to the risks we face as a species if our "growth" is not properly controlled. We are all entitled to earn a living, take shelter in a comfortable dwelling and eat enough nutrients to keep us healthy and happy. But we must also identify when we have "enough" and I reached that point several years ago. I've been living out of a backpack or 2 panniers (saddle bags for my bike) for many years very happily. I have enough. If I get something new (or used), I give something away. Go to places where the people "have" very little and you will soon realize what is truly important in life. Happiness is not for sale, it is free all around us, every day.
In my prior existence, I worked for 10 years in the highly competitive (and greedy) world of finance and investments. The work was professionally and financially rewarding, but morally challenging. I decided a change was in order. I needed to switch gears in search of something more simple. I wanted a peaceful existence, but had no idea where it would lead, how long it would last or how drastically my philosophies could change. I soon discovered that simplicity and peace still exists all around us, almost everywhere. Peace exists in small mountain villages in the Himalayas, remote islands in Indonesia and in small villages in the the foothills of the Apennine mountains of Italy. In these places, life still revolves around the timing of the rains, the health of the crops and animals, and the preparation of delicious food. Life is not easy. People physically work hard. But they still value sharing, bartering, and helping one another. And they often readily help out a stranger who has walked or ridden a bicycle into their little world. They are usually honest, and help neighbours or a traveler passing through for a night or two. I've been offered a donkey and adobe house in a tiny little village in Morocco in exchange for helping to prepare for a few days for a Berber wedding. That house and donkey is probably still waiting for my return. I've had a family of four in a remote village in Nepal sleep outside in the rain (unbeknownst to me) while offering me, the traveler they had only known for a few hours, the only room with beds in their house. I have received so much hospitality from the people of this beautiful planet that is has humbled me, and allowed me to realize all that is good in this world, instead of focusing on all that is not good.
Some of my most important lessons in life were not received from university professors or executives, but from the everyday people of this planet who have taught me what is really important - happiness. Some of these people "possess" (own) very little, sometimes little more than the clothes they are wearing and the hut they call home, yet they are often beaming from ear-to-ear with smiles and greetings of happiness. It may seem paradoxical, but quite
often the less people "own", the more happy their lives seem to be, and the more generous they are to their external surroundings (and me). How each of us defines "happiness" is a unique as our own DNA, but whether we are actively seeking it is the only thing that really matters. Happiness exists all around us (in nature, in families, in communities, in a hot cup of chai on a chilly morning, in ourselves). I encourage you to figure out what makes you happy, and do more of it.
And so these adventures have planted the seeds within for a rather radical transformation from consumer/earner/spender to conserver/saver/producer. Unless we are producing everything we need to survive (tough work), a little bit of funding helps to provide the things we need (shelter in a storm, food, a warm cup of chai). But as you can hopefully see from the information contained within this website, an adventure need not be expensive. A holiday is another story, I have little advice in that department. But if you want to shift gears and wander the Earth for a few months (or years) you need only energy, drive, trust, compassion and a little bit of funding. As stated in a song I like, "Make the money, don't let the money make you". Take a little (money) with you and the rest will sort itself out on the road of life. You will find a way. You will meet so many people along the way who reach out to help and become your friends for life. Or pick a future date and set some goals (financial and personal) which eliminate unnecessary costs ($5 lattes, nightclubs, new clothes, etc) and allow you to save up for your search for happiness.
We are all here for a finite period of time, even His Holiness The Dalai Lama, so why not make the most of our time on this beautiful blue and green sphere we call home. Minimize your impact on our Earth so that we may leave this Earth better than we found it. Try unplugging from technology, media and news from far away which doesn't affect you on the road, and instead immerse yourself in the beautiful local world around you. Create your own happy local news, because every village has some. Get to know the locals, learn some languages, make friends, learn to cook local food, weave some baskets, play with kids, share stories, smile, laugh often, love. I guarantee you will be rewarded in ways you could never have imagined possible.
Now I encourage you to go create your own Road to Know-where....
If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Enjoy every moment. ~GloboRobo