pole2pole4charity

Many people ask me what my favorite destination was of all my travels. I always tell them the same: Antarctica. “How did you get to Antarctica?!” is the obvious follow-up question. When I explain to them that it wasn’t that challenging, cold, or exclusive, they usually add Antarctica to their (usually long list of) bucket list…

It’s not every day that you decide to walk 222 km from Seattle to Vancouver without any preparation. Then again, it can be an easy ‘f*** it’ decision when you have been on the road for a while with that mindset. I wanted to push my personal limits and simply see if I would make it. The…

Context: this article has been written during my Pole 2 Pole 4 Charity trip, where I was documenting green initiatives around North America. While browsing a free Metro newspaper I came across an ad for something called “sausage à trois”: a hot dog which is first steamed, then smoked and finished in the grill. My taste…

Context: this article has been written during my Pole 2 Pole 4 Charity trip, where I was documenting green initiatives around North America. Part of my Pole 2 Pole 4 Charity trip is filled with crazy adventures, social mayhem, physical and mental challenges. The other part consists of stepping into the “world of green”, where…

Context: this article has been written during my Pole 2 Pole 4 Charity trip, where I was documenting green initiatives around North and South America. In this series of articles I interview a diverse group of people who all have their own connection with the rainforest. First off: Marcia, a Brazilian girl who has lived near the…

Context: this article has been written during my Pole 2 Pole 4 Charity trip, where I was documenting green initiatives around North and South America and raising money and awareness for Ecosia. After a successful launch and two years of rapid growth Ecosia is a name that sticks. Where did it start? How did it get to this point?…

Most hostels in Central America hire people to lure innocent “fresh off the bus” backpackers into their bosses’ hostel, which is either around the corner or a short walk away. So how on earth is a hostel that is located in the middle of the Panamanian jungle, 3 hours away from any civilization, making any…

When faced with the options to cross the Darien gap between Panama and Colombia (too dangerous to go over land due to rugged terrain, robbers and guerrilla camps) your true traveler spirit will arise. Will you take the safe flight or luxurious sailboat, or will you take the shady cargo boat that will leave today…

The initial idea of the Pole 2 Pole 4 charity trip was to drive in a van thousands of miles from the North Pole to the South Pole meeting people, speaking at events, participating in fundraisers and spreading the message of “living sustainable and green”. We would fuel our van with recycled cooking oil, paint…

In 2011, Josh Cahill and myself embarked on an adventure that would change our lives forever. In 8 months we would travel from North Pole (Alaska) to Antarctica, raising money and awareness for green search engine Ecosia and the World Wildlife Foundation along the way. Pole2Pole4Charity’s mission was to share knowledge and inspire people to think about what…

Update: Apparently somewhere in 2013 I had the urge to write this. I know it’s kind of unrelated, but just see it as a raw bulk of emotions mixed with a powerful will to live after I had returned from my Pole2Pole4Charity trip. Keep dreaming, but don’t forget to wake up. Dreams are great, but just thinking…