Andrei was taking shelter with his neighbors on October 7 in Israel. Red Alert.
Four months later, he cruised into the campsite next to mine in north Florida. He refused to allow the war in his country to crush his dream of riding his bicycle around the world.
“A whole country was in shock. It felt like life had stopped. There has been a general sensation of depression and sadness all around. Everyone united and helped each other as much as possible in their own way, and slowly, a new routine started to form. The rocket shootings became less frequent, businesses began to reopen, and people walked on the streets again. At some point, I even decided to cycle again. After all, life has to go on.”
Andrei is a bikepacker. With 80 pounds of camping gear, food and water strapped to a bicycle, he is well-prepared for his adventure. I met him at the beginning of his journey. He was averaging 60 miles per day when we met in St. Augustine this past weekend, an unexpected visitor on two wheels.
His mission is to cycle from Key West to San Diego. From there, he will roll up the California coast to Vancouver. If he makes it that far, the next leg will take him east across all of Canada and back into the States to visit friends in New Jersey. If he's still addicted to the road by then, his goal is to head south for Mexico and South America, pedaling the whole way.
Andrei tested his bicycle touring kit on a trip in Israel in December, just before hopping on a flight to Florida.
“Often, I felt uncomfortable that soldiers were fighting in Gaza and getting injured or killed. People lost their families, relatives, jobs, and belongings. And I was cycling, exploring the country and having fun. Fortunately, more and more followers told me that sharing my adventure helped to improve their morale and motivate them regardless of the complicated situation, which gave me the endorsement to continue and keep sharing my experiences. In fact, being able to do such a fantastic adventure during wartime feels like showing a middle finger in the face of the Hamas.”
The 32-year-old software engineer was born in Russia, but has lived most of his life in Israel. For the foreseeable future, Andrei now lives on a bicycle on American streets.
I'm amazed by Andrei's joyful attitude. Sometimes when I travel, I meet people who are a tier above everyone else with their enthusiasm for life. Andrei had just rode 60 miles along the Atlantic coast, often cycling against the wind. He was probably exhausted, but the first thing he did after parking his bike was walk over to me with a big smile and a handshake.
We shared some snacks and drinks that night, and breakfast together the next morning. Andrei made us his favorite Turkish coffee, which he says is popular in Israel. He carefully carried his cup of coffee in a tiny backpacking skillet over to my campsite.
Thankfully I had an extra coffee mug to give to Andrei. Drinking coffee out of a 1-inch deep pan for the next six months would've been a greater challenge than cycling from Florida to California!
Meeting people like Andrei is probably the main reason why I travel. Mountains, museums and monuments are worth the time and effort to see, but I've learned that the people I meet and the experiences we share are more meaningful for my trips.
Just this week I've had phone calls with friends who live in Prague, Montreal, Germany and the Netherlands. I plan to check up on Andrei too, a few months from now. In that time, he will pedal past the Gulf of Mexico along the Florida panhandle and bits of the southern states, and then a long stretch across Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.
“For a very long time, I was convincing myself that life is meaningless, and that the system we live in defines the path we follow. Today, I know I was wrong and am not afraid to admit it. I want to see new landscapes, meet new people, taste new flavors, feel new emotions, hear new stories, experience new things, and make new friends. I want to see the world and remember this adventure for my lifetime. I want to inspire other people to go on their own adventures, even just for a few days.”
The American flag on his bicycle whips in the wind, and he says the flag helps. How? Drivers give him more space when they pass, a noticeable difference after he found the flag at a rest stop and strapped it to his bike. Andrei jokes that if he makes it to Canada, he'll swap out the stars & stripes for the red maple leaf.
I snagged a few quotes from Andrei's blog with his permission. Nothing I write here will tell his story better than he can. I encourage everyone to read some of his posts! He shares photos on Facebook too.
Here's a few more people I met on my solo camping trip in Florida:
A retired couple from Philly who travels in a camper van 120 days out of the year. I met multiple couples living life on the road like this.
A man who funds his surfer lifestyle with a shaved ice and coffee stand, and he drives his tiny 4x4 Japanese Kei car on the beach. Yes, you can drive on the beach in St. Augustine!
A Kansas City Chiefs fan who works two jobs at a diner and a brewery to afford her downtown loft. She's also an actress, considering a move to Atlanta.
A woman who worked for 11 years for Goodwill before becoming a traveling antique appraiser.
A waitress with Grateful Dead dancing bears on her apron. We talked music, and she told me about her first Phish show in 1995.
State park rangers, who might have the greatest job of all, working in the shade of Florida's live oak trees every day.
I've met many unique and interesting people on my trips, so I might share more stories like these in upcoming posts.
My photos: Andrei the bikepacker at my campsite, Kei car & coffee stand, and skating to the beach. Anastasia State Park, St. Augustine, Florida, USA, 2024.