This Kerala globe-trotter is set to embark on a two-year cycle odyssey across Europe from Paris Olympics venue

Arun Thadhaagath from Kochi in Kerala prioritizes travel over career, embarking on a two-year cycling journey across Europe for new experiences.

Had Arun Thadhaagath stuck to his job, he would have by now become a junior deputy tahsildar or, the very least, a village officer.

But the 45-year-old bachelor from Ambalamedu in Ernakulam, Kerala, prioritised travelling the world over career growth and hence remains a senior clerk at the District Collectorate even after 20 years in government service. His passion meant that he has so far taken over five-and-a-half years’ leave, often without pay, including for an expedition across India as a backpacker.

Mr. Thadhaagath, however, has no regrets even as he is set for another two years’ leave. This time, he plans to pedal his way across Europe starting from the venue of Paris Olympics on July 26, 2024. The European Union has approved his visa for two years with the condition that he must exit every three months and re-enter after three months.

“That Europe has a dedicated cycle track connecting the entire countries in the Union is one of the reasons for choosing Europe. The excitement of not knowing where you will be spending the nights and who you will be meeting along the way is at the heart of my journey. I want to invest in experiences and memories that life throws up rather than leading a mundane, monotonous life,” says Mr. Thadhaagath.

By the time of his first exit after three months, he will have pedalled almost 4,000 kilometres covering France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Turkey. He will then fly to the West Asia and pedal across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries before re-entering Europe through Prague in Czechoslovakia.

The next round will cover Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia before flying out to Kazakhstan and then cycling around Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Mr. Thadhaagath will next enter Copenhagen in Denmark and cycle his way around Portugal and Spain in the following three months.

He then plans to take a short ferry from Spain to Morocco to spend the next three months cycling across the North African countries such Tunisia and Egypt. He will return to Europe for the last lap during which he plans to cover the remaining countries such as Switzerland and Italy.