True Moments Of Passion feat. Boštjan Škrlj
Traveling the world was his dream, and he had to do it on his bike. For him traveling was inseparable from riding.
Why do we ride?
There isn’t a single wrong answer here. This question tends to bring about answers that are as varied as people themselves. It’s akin to asking why someone wants to live a certain life. How best to answer it without diving deep into your own soul and experiences.
There are countless definitions of one’s passion for motorcycles. It’s the thrill for speed, with the wind-in-your-hair experience. It’s the scare you get when you hit the race tracks and lap it at mind-bending speeds. It’s the passion of group rides, Cafés, and spending time with your fam. It’s the freedom to go anywhere. It’s the expression of your being. It’s all of it and, at the same time, it’s none of it. And, to find it out for yourself, you’ll have to ride yourself.
For Boštjan Škrlj (Bastien), riding meant traveling the world and experiencing it. He didn’t just want to visit countries along the way like a tourist. Rather, he wanted to feel the space and the landscape. He wanted to be one with the place. He wanted to connect with people and live it like a local. And, he did exactly that in 2008. Setting out to travel and see the world, one country at a time. And, by the time he was done, in 2015, he had traveled to over 41 countries in almost all major continents. From the coldest to the hottest places on Earth, and everything in between.
The Fire That Burnt Through
“My dream is to travel the world, crisscrossing as many countries as possible on my bike.” — Boštjan Škrlj
Bastien, originally from Slovenia, was an oenologist (winemaker) by trade before he embarked on the journey of his life. He knew that traveling the world on his bike, a 2007 BMW GS 1200 Adventure no less, would require him to leave his family and career behind. He also knew that it was impossible for him to separate his passion for motorcycles and travel. It was all the same to him, and he knew that he didn’t have an option.
Bastien understood the challenges. He knew that to realize his dream he would have to face considerable financial challenges. Being on the road for long stretches of time ideally needed backing by sponsors and brands, both for the funds and for spare parts for his bike along the way. There have been many before him who ventured out to travel the world and through all those experiences, he knew that securing few backers was of real importance.
In 2007, he started reaching out to brands and affluent people in Slovenia and quickly realized that there weren’t many who were willing to plunge with him. The brands were either skeptical or weren’t interested. This moment of realization, he recalls, changed everything for him. He knew then that he could only rely on himself for finances and that he would have to find means to keep going while on the road.
This was his true moment of passion.
The realization that he barely had anyone to help him reach his dreams and his unending willingness even in the face of this realization is the discovery of his passion. He knew then that he had to do it no matter what.
Finally, in 2008 he started his journey. He didn’t have a plan, a direction, or an ultimate destination to reach. He took one day at a time with a daily budget allocation of just $5, which surprisingly also included his accommodation.
“In August 2008 I left my home in Slovenia and set out on this journey. With no timeline, traveling overland on new and ancient roads, my trail unfolds daily without a ‘master plan’ — constantly opening me up to many new experiences and discoveries.” — Boštjan Škrlj
The Adventure And The Challenges
Bastien odyssey into the world wasn’t all roses. The challenges that awaited him during the journey were profound and he had to tackle them one after the other. His journey started with European countries slowly making his way to Turkey, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon.
The very first of his challenges would turn out to be his survival on the road. To fund his passion, he would take up any and all jobs that could come his way. He would live in a place, find people he could help in whatever they did, make some money, and move on to the next destination. His extremely limited budget didn’t allow him any luxury like a good night’s worth of sleep in a hotel, and he had to resort to sleeping in his tent every day throughout his journey.
“In order to support myself, I am becoming a “Jack-of-all-Trades”, relying on my versatility and openness to work as hard as necessary along the way. Through this process, I have gained new skills, fluency in several languages, and established long-lasting friendships. When the time is right I move on.” — Boštjan Škrlj
Moving from one country to the other and crossing international borders in the process seemed challenging too. He needed to be well educated about the laws of the land he intended to venture into and be prepared for all questions asked to him on entry to a country. Border patrols in Jordan were particularly strict and wanted to know his future plans at length before allowing him to carry on. Vietnam was impossible as people there weren’t allowed to use bikes having bigger than 250 cc engines. And such was the nuances he’d face. Not to mention the paperwork and the formalities he had to go through every time.
Another challenge was to keep his bike in shape for the road. Fortunately, Bastian was a handyman and knew his way around his bike pretty well and did all the maintenance and repairs that came along the way himself.
His quest saw him travel to the Americas in the latter part of his journey. This wasn’t before he had traveled to Asia and then to the African countries. Moving and living through the American and later Canadian provinces, Bastien found out that he loved riding in the snow. In particular, places that were inextricably colder and serene. Admittedly, he wasn’t one to shy away from the extremes of weather, but the cold suited him. It was this love of his that saw him finding a new home in the Yukon region in Canada. Where he lives to date.
The Passion Lives On
Bastien’s passion for the road and the journey defined him. It helped him explore his limits, see the world, experience different cultures, and finally find a place he could call home. He still rides, mostly on the snow and ice. And he is passionate about many other things too. Kite skiing and paragliding is an extension of his thirst for exploration, arguably from different perspectives, which he pursues ever so often.
“Someday I hope to return home to Slovenia and attempt to motivate a new generation to set out on their own journeys, chase their own goals, be they crazy or not, ultimately experiencing lives that are shaped by dreams. I want to share my belief that anything is possible if you go for it.” — Boštjan Škrlj
Passion has its ways to lead one to a better place. And sometimes following your passion is the only way to grow. Let your passion take hold, for riding or otherwise, and let it flourish into the new you.
Keep riding and keep following your passion.
