St. Paul man bikes, backpacks through 20 countries in 22 months: "You don't need much to be happy"
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A St. Paul man just got back from the kind of adventure many people dream about.
Adam Swanson spent the last 22 months biking and backpacking across 20 countries on four continents.
"I had 120-degree heat in the desert of Uzbekistan, blizzards on hiking trips in Patagonia," Swanson said. "I slept through an earthquake."
Swanson embarked on his tour of Europe, Asia and South America the summer after he graduated high school.
Countries he visited include Germany, France, Italy, Croatia, Thailand, India, Nepal, Turkey, Greece, Chile and Argentina.
"I left when I was 17," he said. "I'm kind of looking at it as my first couple years of education, informal education, to get to learn about the world and different cultures."
Swanson carried everything he needed in five bags on his bike, staying sometimes in hostels but mostly at campsites, or even just the side of the road.
"It's fun. It's like a game I play every night," he said. "I've learned that you don't need much to be happy."
Swanson learned more than just that.
"A lot of the best moments in life come when you're not expecting it, so it's important to keep yourself open to opportunities," he said.
Even though he was alone most of the time, Swanson credits the trip for bringing him out of his shell.
He says he feels much more social now and able to hit it off with anyone, no matter the language or cultural barriers.
"Seeing my own son just go out there and just make the most of it and start to find who he is in a time where like so many kids are struggling with that, is just a real positive, good feeling," said Renee Swanson, Adam's mother.
Swanson says the trip cost about $19,000, which he paid for by working multiple jobs and saving up.
He's going to the University of Minnesota in the fall and is already planning next summer's bike trip with a German friend he met in Nepal.
