Taking a break from being the Vespa World Traveler

March 1, 2022
March 1, 2022 DonCalvo_1976

Closing Chapters aka I give up!

I had a quite difficult time after my return from my Vespa World Travel. I have a really hard time adjusting to “normal” life again. Life as a Vespa World Traveler has been very different from what other people´s life looks like. No 9 to 5 work, preparing one big adventure after the other and always on the move!

What I did as a Vespa World Traveler

I have been a traveler since 2007 and lived in several countries since 2014 I traveled mostly on Vespa (50 countries/44 on Vespa):
  • 2014 I surrounded Europe on P200E (32 countries and 22450 km)
  • 2015 I Founded Blechrollerbande Kempten and organized club life
  • 2015 I crossed 10 countries and 1691 km in 24 hours on Scomadi 125
  • 2015 I also visited Elefantentreffen on Vespa and crossed 7 countries and 6000 km on P200
  • 2016 I did another tour of 6 countries and 6500 km on Bajaj 177
  • 2017 I organized Giro Germanica for kids with cancer 8290 km and 25.000€ Donation and directly afterward also in
  • 2017 I did a Coast2Coast of the USA 10.000 km 20 States

The absolute highlight and very hard and dangerous was the biggest adventure of my life:

  • 2018 80 DAYS AROUND THE WORLD ON VESPA ( 27.113 km in 18 countries on 3 continents) and afterward another 1000 km crossing the Iberian Peninsula from Spain to Portugal on a 50ccm.
  • 2019 I only rode and built my scooters a little and spent 10 months studying.
  • 2020 I improvised in plain Pandemic 3600 km in Ape50 from Portugal to Germany
  • 2021 I finally did 6300 km, Vespa Gentleman Giro, on 50 ccm ( 7 countries and over 84.000 € Donations + 1671 km on Vespa T5 from Barcelona to Kempten
More than 120.000 km just on trips in just 8 years.
I feel that I need a long break. I need to refill my batteries, and my wallet and re-invent myself. My Life was Vespa World Travel. I lived very minimalistic!
For the last THREE years, I lived, rode, traveled, and even still built Vespas with less than 25.000€. All together.

I am more than a Vespa World Traveler

People started to think that I am only able to ride Vespa and could not see anymore all the other things I am good at and that I do.
Nobody saw the languages I speak, the degree and qualifications I have. I am also a professional when it comes to Marketing and PR.
That created a long list of serious problems for me – Especially in Germany, where people believe that you ARE your job or that you ARE your money. Everywhere – Even at home or in job interviews I was just “The Vespa Guy”- Like Peter Pan on a scooter. The Job offers became ridiculous and on various occasions, people tried to use my reputation to their benefit for free.
I even think of selling most of my Vespas, Mopeds, my Van, and my Apes. They make it close to impossible for me to leave and I even had job interviews in different countries and consider moving. Every medal has two sides!
Under current circumstances, I am not sure that I will ever be able again to get back my Vespa “Rosinante from Russia and offered it to a Russian friend that currently does not have a scooter.

I hope to find a new Plan

I probably will not complete the missing two continents anymore, because I lack the funding to proceed!
I am very grateful for all the experiences and memories! It was a real rollercoaster ride! I don´t regret anything or any sacrifice! I hope that I can soon start another new chapter and eventually ride a little like a normal hobby rider every once in a while. At the moment I am documenting my Vespa World travel, my World Records, and my Charity Work here on this page for myself so I do not forget things. It also helps me to process a lot of the hard things that happened over the last 8 years. I lost a lot – Relationships, Friendships, the Feeling of Belonging and Family, Jobs, and Appartements. I start from 0.
I will get through this and like all the times before get out of it stronger, but for now, I don´t have the resources to continue the way I did the last 8 years.
Ride safe everybody and thank you all!
Markus

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