Paul is a very nice man.
There are many like him.
You just need to find them.
I had never met Paul before.
He invited me to stay in his apartment.
Paul fed me, let me use his washing machine, his shower and a spare bed.
In return he got my company and lasting gratitude.
I found Paul through warmshowers.org which is the same as couchsurfing.com but aimed at travellers with bikes.
This is just one example of how the generosity of strangers has helped me so far.
I could also tell you about John (from warmshowers.org as well) who let me stay in his converted train carriage near Great Dunmow in England.
Or about Ant who saw me stopped by the side of the road on a boiling hot day and invited me in to his home for a cold drink.
Or about Shane. He is a hardcore adventure cyclist whose website was one of the first that showed me what is possible. I wanted to buy him lunch to say thank you for awakening the dream. It was he who bought me lunch….
Or the countless people who have given me water when asked. (No one has said no.)
These acts of kindness from strangers are great lessons for me. As one of my aims for this trip is…..
To learn to trust more.