#trending: 'Less planning, more living' — after cycling 15,400km from Helsinki to S'pore for 8 months, 2 friends reflect on life lessons

SINGAPORE — On June 18 last year, two friends said goodbye to their native Finland to embark on a spectacular bicycle trip across the world.

Last Saturday (Feb 18), after 21 countries, 15,400km and 245 days, Mr Valtteri Heinila and Mr Alvari Poikola finally crossed their "Finnish-ing line", set up at the residence of Finland's ambassador to Singapore.

WHY THE TRIP?

Chronicling their eight-month journey on Instagram under the name "Curious Pedals", the two friends said that they were motivated by "a curiosity towards new cultures, people, places and unforeseeable experiences".

Mr Heinila, 26, and Mr Poikola, 25, met as business undergraduates at Aalto University in their home city of Espoo, just west of Helsinki.

Prior to the trip, Mr Heinila worked as the head of partnerships for Slush, a non-profit organisation which supports entrepreneurs — a "hectic but rewarding" experience, he wrote — before doing a Master of Business Administration at the University of San Diego in the United States.

Mr Poikola had worked at European firm Tier Mobility, which deals in e-scooters and the like, for just over three years before quitting in May 2022.

People had many questions: Why the trip? Why Singapore? What was their goal?

The two friends simply "wanted to go on an adventure", said Mr Heinila in a celebratory LinkedIn post on Monday.

"Alvari had cycled from Helsinki to France and liked it," he said. "We looked at a map and Singapore seemed like (the bottom of) a nice peninsula at the very end of continental Asia."

They also wanted to break out of their daily routines, take it slowly and challenge themselves both physically and mentally. And they did just that, he said.

From having their plans thwarted by Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border clashes to nearly cycling straight into a large tiger-populated jungle in Nepal and even contracting the dengue virus (Mr Poikola), there seemed to be no end to their adventures.

Their joint Instagram account, mostly managed by Mr Heinila, comprises stunning photography as well as thoughtfully-penned reflections on the purpose of life, the value of bicycle travel, and stories of the people and places they encountered on their journey.

In one post, the duo tells of how they stopped at a Hindu ashram in Rishikesh, India and got a take on the meaning of life from a guru.

In others, they reflect on the goal of their trip, the privilege that allowed them to take it and the dynamic of their friendship.

Time off the bikes was often spent reading, reflecting and indulging in their hobbies. For Mr Heinila, the trip got him more interested in photography and storytelling, while Mr Poikola got to further delve into music and even release his first album on Spotify.

WHAT COMES NEXT

Upon reaching Singapore, their final destination, they wrote on Instagram: "Words fail to describe the emotions, feelings and thoughts reaching the finish line of a journey like this brings, but joy and gratitude are definitely some of them.

"It has been a journey like no other, one of extreme highs and deep lows, of learning, of friendship, of discovery."

Curious Pedals went on to praise the kindness and altruism of the people with whom they had crossed paths, also delivering a "heartfelt thank-you" to their followers for the trust and support.

Needless to say, netizens all over the world have been touched by the passion-filled stories of "Vallu and Alvis", as the duo call themselves. Aside from congratulating them on the incredible feat, many thanked them for being "an inspiration" and "a joy".

For now, it appears that Mr Heinila has moved on to Vietnam for a short holiday, while Mr Poikola has retreated to Finland to start work on the production of the planned documentary about their epic adventure.

On Tuesday, they posted Instagram Stories on the Curious Pedals account of their heart-felt parting of ways at Changi Airport after so many months on the road together.

LIFE LESSONS

In Mr Heinila's LinkedIn post on Monday, he shared six lessons he had learnt from "life on the saddle":

1. Cherish the bad days, for they will teach you the most
2. Don't hope for things to happen — make them happen
3. Focus on the process, not the outcome
4. Always challenge yourself
5. Stay physically active
6. Put 100 per cent into what you are doing now and it will open doors for you in future

In essence, he concluded, we could all do with "less planning, more living".

The post quickly went viral, receiving 23,800 reactions, 570 comments and 170 reposts.

Perhaps one fellow cycling enthusiast on Instagram put it best: "What an adventure!

"And thank you for letting us join it."