In 800 Tagen UM DIE WELT! – Unser letztes Video? [#43]

In 800 Tagen UM DIE WELT! – Unser letztes Video? [#43]

Imagine cycling around the world without ever taking a plane. And at this moment, after over 800 days, you’re about to see your family again. I don’t think anyone would have believed we could do it. But we’re back. Hello to the very last video of our world trip. Oh yes, I think you can see it. We landed in Italy today—right now—back in Europe after two years. It’s crazy how long we were on the road. But we’re not going to ramble on. We’re just going to head straight home. We’ve imagined so many times what it’s like to come home, right? And now what it’s really going to be like…? It’s going to be incredibly emotional, but somehow it’s still hard for us to grasp that we’re really back and that in a few days our lives will change drastically. We’re spending these last few days on the way home trying to sort out our thoughts and taking you along for the final leg of our journey. Sure, we could show you Rome and the Vatican, but honestly, guys, we’re completely exhausted. Even these magnificent halls no longer impress us. We’ve simply seen too much, too many impressions with too few breaks. We’re saturated with impressions and need to find some peace and process it all. Madonna, Italy is truly magnificent, and the best part is that so many things remind us of home, whether it’s the birds, the smells, or… you even had tears in your eyes when you saw Italian license plates. Yes, I think the journey home is going to be a real emotional rollercoaster. Even though we’ll be driving through some truly beautiful corners of this country one last time, the final video of our world trip isn’t meant to be about Italy. We’d much rather share our thoughts with you about how it feels to have accomplished something so seemingly grand and unique, and what it was like traveling as a couple. I never would have thought I could do it, that I could actually manage to cycle so far and explore so many countries. When I look at the big picture and think about what we’ve accomplished, I think, okay, it’s definitely something special, but I still struggle to really grasp it, or I think, well, we just did it, it’s not that special. So it doesn’t feel as special to me as I would expect it to. Other people are like, ‘Wow, amazing what you guys did!’ I’m like, okay, we just did it. It wasn’t that hard, even though it was incredibly difficult at times. I’m still finding it hard to acknowledge it, to myself, and to be proud. I mean, I’m proud that I managed it, but I also think, well, I don’t know, anyone can do it. And also simply that Hans and I managed it together, that we persevered through everything that was put in our way and were always able to resolve disagreements. It’s such a gift, and I think it couldn’t have been more fun with him than it was with Hans. But for me, I think the trip was much more physically demanding than for Hans, and that’s why he often took over the organization , figured out where we needed to go, or made decisions that sometimes maybe annoyed me. But overall, it was incredibly pleasant for me to have a leader like that, someone who took a lot of things off my plate and made it easier for me to take this trip and motivate me, because I needed motivation so often. He always found the right words, and because of that, I was able to grow beyond myself and learn so much about myself. Yes, it wasn’t always easy being a friend, a partner, a coach , and in certain cases, kind of the boss, because with the videos and the editing and everything, he knew what he wanted, and I adapted a bit, which was perfectly fine because I simply didn’t have the overview. And all of that… Getting together, maintaining a relationship, and not completely falling out and losing all interest in each other was quite an undertaking. But we managed it, and so, thank you so much, Hans, if you’re watching this now as you edit the video, for everything you’ve done for this trip, for us, and for me. And there’s something else I want to clarify. Some of you might think that because of Hans I had less of a say and less time in front of the camera, but I can tell you that the very existence of these videos is largely thanks to him, because he had the energy to think about them. I was so busy with the travel itself and the physical exertion involved that I simply didn’t have the energy left for anything else. It was actually Hans who often reminded me at just the right moments to share my thoughts with you. And I never felt like he was pushing himself forward. It’s just easier for him to pull out the camera and start talking. Where is Komoot taking us this time? Hey, so, look at this! We absolutely love these stone houses. If this were for sale and we had the money. Yes, if we did, I’d buy it immediately. It’s amazing! Like I said, I’d buy it right away. I love houses like this. Judging by the vegetation on the outside, it’s probably been empty for 5 to 10 years. So, to be perfectly honest, Italy is moving up in my top 10 ranking, at least among the countries we’ve visited. I’ve just fallen head over heels in love with Italy. I can’t wrap my head around it. The question of where we’ll live in the future is still open. Italy, Germany, or somewhere else? But I suspect a lot will sort itself out in the next few months. For two years, we had a clear goal in mind, like a mission that drove us. Now that this chapter is coming to an end, many questions and new challenges are arising. Even the transition from the tent back to our own four walls will certainly be quite unusual and intense, and some thought patterns we’ve acquired along the way suddenly seem almost absurd. At least from a European perspective. When I see a small lake like the one right next to me, my subconscious immediately goes, “Ha! Going near it is dangerous, there could be alligators in there.” So, I haven’t quite processed that yet. I wonder when things like that will finally leave my mind. I think it takes a while. We spontaneously made another detour towards Bolzano, and we’re currently in the oldest republic in the world, San Marino. Thanks to San Marino, we’ve now been to exactly 40 countries on this trip. It’s pretty crazy. Those who like meticulously kept statistics won’t find much to their liking here, because we ‘re a bit sloppy. But anyway, here are a few sloppy statistics. On day 808, we circumnavigated the globe and, as I said, have visited a total of 40 countries on this trip. We covered somewhere between 20,000 and 25,000 km, and I think we’re the only cycle tourists who didn’t meticulously count every single kilometer. In total, we only had six flat tires, five cases of food poisoning, and around 40 bananas stolen by monkeys. The coldest temperatures we experienced were -10°C in Pakistan, and the hottest were 44°C in Iraq. The highest point of the trip was Nepal at 5,600 m with a view of Everest. But even while cycling, we reached altitudes above 4,000 m in four countries. Thankfully, we only had one fall and averaged 60 km per day. The longest distance we covered in a single day was 231 km. The two years and three months cost us approximately €45,000 in total . This sum includes everything: all the equipment before the trip, two bicycles, insurance—everything. And one last thing: zero danger from other people. That’s right. And zero is so valuable. Mhm. Well, there were a few countries involved, but the fact that we’ve been traveling for 26 months and were never, ever robbed or really hurt or feeling threatened, is a statement in itself! It also suggests that the world is simply a better place than we often think. Yes. And so often, people told us along the way that we shouldn’t travel to the next country, region, or village because that’s where the bad people live. It’s truly a shame that the media, in particular, constantly creates and reinforces stereotypes and bombards people with negative news. This issue is extremely complex, however, and we don’t presume to have found a solution to what is supposedly the most important problem facing our planet. Frankly, we sometimes struggled to connect with or empathize with people in certain cultures because some of their behaviors strongly triggered us. At that point, we realized that what we believe to be right is just one of many perspectives, even if it was initially difficult for us to question our own way of thinking. Over time, we’ve learned to accept and tolerate more and more, even when we have a completely different worldview or opinion. If we could send a message to the world through our journey, it would probably be this: show your fellow human beings, or even your enemies, a little more acceptance. It doesn’t matter if they wear a turban, have one less COVID vaccination, or who knows what else, can’t drive well, or start every sentence with “Yo, Digger” (a slang term for “yo, dude”). In the end, it’s just little things that differentiate us, because you only became who you are because you happened to be born in a different place at a different time than me. No, that can’t be! Hans said the whole world trip that he wanted to see flamingos, and now here in Italy, he’s finally found them. I mean, that can’t be right. Where do they come from? I have no idea. It’s just impossible that there are flamingos here in Italy. And once again, I’m like that: they’re only in Africa and Asia, right? Or America, but Europe? Franzy’s out flamingo hunting right now, but it’s really—it looks so unusual when a pink flock flies overhead. Wow, look at how many there are! There are hundreds, all along the river. You search for these animals in the middle of nowhere and find them on the Po River in Italy. It’s simply beautiful , the way the pink color appears when they take flight. We’ll definitely miss the connection to nature and all the little surprises throughout the day. Only three more days to Bolzano. So, almost there. We’ve found an old, dilapidated fisherman’s cottage here—I don’t know what kind—but we still want to share a few thoughts with you, discuss a few things. So, what does the future hold, the near future? I want to move back to Bolzano for now. I can easily imagine working in tourism because I’ve realized how wonderful it is to be welcomed warmly. But I think maybe I also need some jobs as a transition , things that aren’t so permanent and don’t tie me down. I think I need a bit of that, to balance things out, or yeah, the contrast to something too intense. And you? What an interesting question. Hmm. Off the top of my head. I’m a physiotherapist, I’ve mentioned that a few times already, and it’s a cool job. I feel comfortable in it. Wow, I’ve spent two years honing my editing skills, and I’d really like to keep exploring those skills I’ve learned. I have endless ideas. I’ve written them down. You know my ideas. I like to think big. Um, wow, I really don’t want to give anything away. If things continue with YouTube, some real blockbusters are coming. But the thing is, making money with YouTube is really hard. But it would be a dream to support a future family. The more we’ve talked about it , the more I feel like I’m passionate about it. That, that’s a passion. you are really excited about it. But I’m also already feeling anxious about coming home. I’m incredibly excited. But man, you know, everyday life, what it’s been like for us? Do you know how chill a normal everyday life can be? It’s true. I think a lot of people think we’re on vacation here. It was really hard work. Besides cycling, we put so much time into videos. As soon as we had any free time, we poured everything into them. We poured our hearts and souls into it, and time. And I know we tried everything to give you guys a cool trip, and that we now have a really beautiful memory of this time that we can look back on in 10, 20, 30, 50 years, and it was worth it to me. Yeah, totally. It was worth it to me. But back to everyday life, I mean, okay, dinner is just an everyday thing you have to do, right? Imagine you were in your apartment right now, no mosquitoes, more than just one cooking pot, and you didn’t have to light a fire first. Come on, come on. I mean, you could maybe even drive to the supermarket. That’s unrealistic. It’s, yeah, you really learn to appreciate what we had at home. Your mind, when it has a few routines, what always happens, you know where the supermarket is and what’s in it, where the groceries are in the supermarket, and where you’ll sleep tonight, and the next night, and it’s just so relaxing. I think you really unwind. We have to say, the trip went on a bit too long for us. We’re pretty exhausted, and that’s why we’re even more excited. Um, exactly. We’re looking forward to not having to constantly document our lives anymore. It’s about that constant thing. I might have a few YouTube projects planned, meaning I’ll fly or drive somewhere and film them. But constantly documenting life is tough, and there’s always this thought, “Oh, I really should be recording this right now, because we have to show it, and we want to be authentic , and we want to do so much.” There have to be breaks. The two-month break we had in Kathmandu, our only real break, was really good. Mhm. Not having to think that you have to be documenting life right now. Yes, that was relaxing. Yes, and I’m really looking forward to that now. Yes, of course, we could pretend that documenting this trip wasn’t very stressful for us and that we just shrugged everything off, but that’s not reality. I think a world trip without a camera is more relaxed, and you can probably enjoy it more. On the other hand, we had the need for growth or progress, to build something on the side. Both sides have their pros and cons, but we don’t regret choosing this way of traveling. We reach the Alps and a feeling of home washes over us. For the first time in a very long time, we recognize places and roads. A strange feeling. We both realize we’re lost in thought, but it’s hard to describe exactly what’s going on inside us. Everything looks the same as it used to, and yet we no longer feel like the people who set off from here back then. The moment we ‘d imagined for so long, what it would be like, how it would feel, has finally arrived. Where are we? Yes. Wow, we hadn’t expected such a welcome, to see so many familiar faces again. These are minutes we’ll never forget. It touches me to see Franzy hugging her family, acquaintances, and friends, beaming with happiness . My family would have to wait a few more days until I arrived in Germany, or so I thought. But my mother couldn’t wait and came too. It’s an enormous privilege to receive so much love, whether it’s through Franzy’s grandma’s homemade food, the speeches and poems written about us, the cake, or the pictures and texts about us hanging everywhere—what more can we say? What an incredible end to the adventure of our lives. It’s truly amazing what the family has done. It’s so wonderful to come home, what a celebration they conjured up! It’s amazing. Man, they really pulled off something here. Wow, the welcome was incredible. It felt like a wedding in parts, with all the cakes being served, speeches, and those cool decorations. They hung up pictures of us and all the flags. Holy cow, so beautiful. Elias, the star photographer, come here! Thank you, photographer and brother. Beautiful. So, thank you very much. That was insane. You really didn’t expect that. There were rumors that something was planned, but this really hit me hard. Yeah, totally. Yeah, what do you even say now? I do n’t know either. Good morning. We’ve been here for four days now. We’ve really enjoyed our time and settled in a bit. Franzy is nervous because she has to drive a car. Yeah, I want to visit a friend today and have to get in the car. Luckily, I’m not going with her. Yeah, I’m also glad that I’m alone and not putting anyone else in danger. Coming home was surprisingly wonderful, too . We kind of sensed that maybe there was a welcome party, and it was beautiful. Anyway, this is your very last recording here. Yeah, crazy. You really have to say goodbye here. Wow, this is the last recording from the trip. Yeah, well, I’m still cycling for a few more days, but this is your last recording. I don’t know, will there ever be another one? Do you think there will ever be another video like this with you or something? I have no idea. You know me. Today I’m not in the mood, and tomorrow I’m all fired up again. Things change very quickly with me. Yeah. But for now, there are no new videos planned with me, and this would be the last one, so to speak. You ‘re kind of fed up with it for now, too. Yeah, that’s true. I’m also glad I don’t have to keep talking to the camera all the time anymore. It’s much easier for you somehow. It’s much more natural for you, but it’s all the more wonderful that you put in so much effort for two years. I put in the effort. I think your decision to stop making more videos for now should be seen as something to be viewed as, “Okay, I’m grateful that you invested those two years to show people the world,” instead of saying, “It’s a shame you’re not continuing.” Yes. Yes. I’m definitely super happy about the experience. It was really fun. It’s amazing to have these videos now and to be able to share them, and yes, to get feedback from other people, because that gives us so much in return. You were an incredibly active and positive community. I mean, on YouTube and similar platforms, there are always some internet rambos who spout nonsense. We had that too, but that’s the case everywhere. But the percentage was so small in the end. We received so much support and motivation from you , so a huge thank you to you all. A massive thank you. Ultimately, you made this possible for us. Without you, we simply couldn’t have taken this trip. I hope it felt like it was a give and take. Yes, thanks to you too, because you really stuck with it. That’s right. I probably would have given up if no one had watched the first two videos, and you kept going, and thanks for being there. Yes, thank you. Coincidence? Coincidence, we’ve already shed a few tears the last few days. Yes. Oh God, I cried so much when we came home. Um, yes. Bye from me. Bye from you. Hey everyone, I’ve been on the road for a few days now. Tomorrow I’ll reach home. Tomorrow I’m off to the Ore Mountains. Something keeps telling me that I’m getting closer to home. I can’t quite describe it, whether it’s the beautiful coniferous forest, the hilly landscape, I don’t know. I didn’t really notice or appreciate it back then. Anyway, I want to get two more things off my chest before this all comes to an end. Franzy, if you see this, thank you. That was an incredible gift. I can’t even describe how precious it was for me that you were there. You are such a wonderful person, such a strong personality. You bring so much joy into other people’s lives. It’s your superpower to be a ray of sunshine, that there’s someone who’s put up with me for so long. I think I was n’t always easy either. But I always tried to maintain the relationship, to talk things through directly when something wasn’t right. We both really put in the effort to make it work as a couple. Men sometimes do crazy things, but Franzy, the fact that you managed to do this is truly amazing. I didn’t choose the easy route. We drove—I don’t know, Pakistan, Tajikistan—really the wildest things. I do n’t think it could have been any harder. I saw your development, how you grew, how you became stronger, and you never gave up, and for that, I’m just so grateful that you gave me so much love on this journey. I’ve been told a lot in the last few days that setting off on a world trip is easy. Coming home is hard because most people fall into a slump at first, and I think we’ll experience some lows too, but I’m not afraid of that at all because I know you bring so much joy into my life. Yeah, enough of sentimental rambling, but I had to get that off my chest. And the other thing is really funny. I get recognized every now and then. Since Bolzano, I’ve been recognized every single day. Sometimes someone just comes up to me and say, “Hey, you’re Hans, right?” That’s so incredibly funny. Then we have a little chat. So, if anyone recognizes me in the future, feel free to say hello. I’m happy about that. I mean, I’m not famous or anything, far from it, but yeah, it makes me happy. Good morning, everyone. There it is, the last campsite for a very long time, I reckon. I’m currently in the Czech Republic. Today I’m heading home. About 65 km. I don’t know, am I excited? I think I’m just happy. But I’m still pretty calm. My own bed, my own room. Seeing my family again. Amazing. Hey, I think by now there’s nothing more natural for me than pitching and striking a tent. And cycling probably feels more natural to my body than running now. That’s why I’m looking forward to having time for other things again Lars-Peter, is that you? Yeah, I recognized him. Hi!. I’m Hans. Hans? You’re not in Vietnam? Last day today. Last day Today. Last day of vacation. Nah, I’m just cycling 5 km home now. I made it. Nah. Yes. Yes. Yes, amazing. Wait, wait, wait, I’ll come down and take a picture. I don’t even know how closely related we are, but I’ve been on your page quite a few times, but I’ve never seen you with a face sweater like that, have I? Face sweater is a good term, too. Yes. Nice to meet you. Yeah, hi and congratulations, right? Thank you. Thank you. That’s amazing. It was a long one. Wait a minute, can I have one of your pictures, okay? Yes, of course. Yes, I’ve been on the road for two years already. Wait a minute, nobody believes me. Okay, I have to record this very quickly. I’m currently at the pool construction site in Oberlochmöhle and my greetings to you all. You’re the great-nephew, great-uncle, right? Silke is my cousin, so you’re my great-nephew. Could be. And Hans now has 5 km to go to Home, and how long have you been on the road? Today is day 827, if I remember correctly . I basically drove east until I came back from the west – without flying. That was the challenge. Oh my goodness. How awesome! I’m probably seeing him for only the fourth time in my life. He lives in western North Rhine-Westphalia or something. He hardly ever comes around here, and I drive by and think to myself: hey, is that him? Nope, it can’t be. Then I drove back. Lars Peter, is that you? Awesome. Okay, the last 5 km. We made it. I can’t stop laughing. There it is! Oh, that’s where I grew up! This is crazy! I know all of this so well… Wow, my beautiful little town. I’m home. Wow, I’m going to savor these last few meters. Woohoo, woohoo! Yeah, we did it. Hello everyone. Wow. Two long years. Everything’s good. That’s crazy! This house, man, when I saw it – I just got goosebumps. Hello everyone! Hans, Hans. Hello Grandma. Wait a minute. Oh man, how am I going to do this now? Come on. Two years, right, crazy! Two years, 3 months. Hello. It’s insane. It’s insane! Yes, guys, I traveled so far east that I came out in the west again. Incredible thank you for watching. We did it. Thanks to all of you, Rückenwind Ultras. Take care. See you around. Bye. Bye. Greetings, Rückenwind Ultras. We have two very important things for you, namely, what’s going to happen with us and our channel. I think some of you have already guessed since the last video: things are actually continuing for me. And what projects are in the starting blocks! Look forward to it! The channel will definitely have a different name. It won’t be called Rückenwind anymore Probably something like “Hans Maggi.” Don’t ask me why. In any case, the logo is different, and so is the name. That’s probably why it’s not as easy to find anymore. We’ve never really told you to subscribe to the channel, but I think now would be a good time, because then you won’t miss any of my videos. And many people still don’t know that subscribing to YouTube is completely free. And yes, I’m happy about everyone who sticks with us. And because many of you have also asked if we’ll be giving talks about the trip now that we’re back, I’ve said yes, I will, because Hans will still be on the road. Specifically, I’ll be touring in February and March. To help you decide where I should go, I’ve included a link in the video description where you can indicate whether you ‘d like me to come to Munich, Cologne, or Berlin. And so I can let you know by email which dates we have and where I’ll be. I’m really looking forward to everyone who’s up for it and wants to see me live. It’s going to be awesome! Yes, I’m so excited! Are you all coming? So, see you there and enjoy the other videos from Hans.

➤ Franzy on tour! Willst du Franzy live erleben bei einem ihrer Vorträge? Dann klicke hier: https://forms.gle/5R9G9znEuvjf2VSy7

Vielen Dank, dass du mit dabei warst! Was für ein unglaubliches Abenteuer 💪🏼 Hättest du uns die komplette Weltumrundung zugetraut? Wir wünschen unseren Zuschauern und Rückenwind-Ultras alles Gute für die Zukunft – wir sehen uns! 😉

♥ In unseren Videos steckt unser ganzes Herzblut und viel Arbeit. Wir freuen uns riesig über jede Spende / Unterstützung 🙏🏼

➤PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/rueckenwindreise oder
➤Banküberweisung: Schreibe uns dazu eine E-Mail an [rueckenwind.reise@gmail.com] und wir senden dir unsere Bankdaten. Vielen lieben Dank!! 😁🙏🏼

————————————-

Tagesaktuelle Einblicke unserer Reise gibts es hier:
➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rueckenwind_reise/
➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rueckenwindreise

➤Gefahrene Route
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1JvK9M9g4CJroo4ahOONxLwOM5Zv3fX8&g_ep=CAISBjYuNzYuMxgAIN1iKgksNDcwNzE3MDRCAkRF&g_st=ic&ll=40.76944582643505%2C44.560810300000014&z=3&entry=yt

[Aufnahmen von April-Mai 2025]