direction which is my natural gift. Until this day I do not have to use city plans, even if I visit the place for the first time and have not studied street layout before. It is like my animal instinct, which nowadays most people try to replace with GPS units. In 1986 I decided to emigrate from Poland. As a result, I spent 18 month in Greece, and then at the beginning of 1988 I settled in Canada. Then my long trips started. Initially, by car across the United States and Canada, later hitchhiking across Europe. In 1991 I returned to Poland with double citizenship.

Until now I have spent several years in total travelling, making the distance of over 60.000 km by hitchhiking, including 24.000 km in Australia and 4.000 km in New Zealand, and the remaining 30.000 km in Europe, where I visited all countries with the exception of the newly formed state of Kosovo. On 6 continents I have visited 86* countries. I also love mountains although for years I have struggled with my fear of heights, which I still try to overcome. I have climbed 11 highest peaks in various countries. In Europe I have achieved the highest peak of the continent Mont Blanc (4810 m), in Australia – Mount Kosciuszko (2228 m), and in the South America, among other peaks, I climbed Aconcagua (6962 m). It is one of the Seven Summits..

In many of my trips I was accompanied by people close to my heart. However, I travelled the majority of the world on my own. I met wonderful people on the way. I spent with them many unforgettable hours and days, and we had many experiences together. Among those friends from the road there were hundreds who trusted me and offered a lift in their cars, often inviting to their homes, for which I will be grateful to them forever. At this point I would also like to mention my parents, who always support me in my travels and it is mainly thanks to them that I was able to see the world. I appreciate that a lot.

My Dear Reader, maybe you dream about such a destiny like mine? But please, do not think that a destiny which makes you a traveller is the best thing ever! Ryszard Kapuscinski in his book “Travels with Herodotus” wrote: “Actually there is something like travel infection and this kind of disease is in fact terminal”. At this point I fully agree with his opinion. Everything has its price. Probably it will not be my destiny to have a family, and staying at home after returning from a trip – although initially makes me happy or even euphoric - with time means the feeling of not understanding the every-day world, highlights my problems with decision-making (even in case of minor things), makes me weak, and finally depressive. That is the price which I have to pay for this attractive calling!

Other interesting facts about me: I have practiced yoga for six years and I have been vegetarian for 19 years. I have fasted once a week since 2001, and four years later I added a weekly silence day on top of that. So, sorry, we are not going to eat or talk together on Sundays! In the recent years I have also completed several extraordinary projects. Detailed description of a few is available in section PROJECTS.

On December 5, 2011 in Mao, on the sands of Sahel in Chad I married Ania Matuszyñska. Three days later we set off on a crazy honeymoon by motorbike from Chad to Poznañ. It lasted 6 months and was 26 000 km long! Only 2 months after our return to Poland, due to external factors, our marriage, unfortunately, disintegrated. Thus, unexpectedly, I became a divorcee.**

Dear Reader, you are most welcome to visit my Gallery, which is rich in images, but scarce in words since the written word (in contract to the spoken one) is my Achilles’ heal!







*countries in June 2012

**text added in summer 2012