CHASING A DREAM ADVENTURE

By: Jacob Lum Oregon State ‘12

What would it feel like to swap my office chair for the freedom of a motorcycle saddle and go on the adventure of a lifetime? 

Why would I leave a comfortable life back home?

Will I be able to find a job again?

What will people think?   

No, this is crazy!

Let me get back to the computer; I need to prepare for a meeting. 

These were the thoughts running through the back of my mind ever since 2017 when I got a taste of adventure motorcycle travel through Vietnam. I could never let go of the feeling. 

Lum

I was doing well in my professional career, and my dreams of a wild travel adventure seemed pretty far out of reach. But after my 30th birthday, I woke up to the fact that I (or my family) would not be young and healthy forever. If I was going to begin a journey like this, then it would need to happen now. “Life would be so much more interesting after a trip like this,” I thought. 

A quote by the author and entrepreneur Tim Feriss,  came to the front of my mind and has guided me ever since. In part it says, “The traffic lights of life will never all be green at the same time. Conditions are never perfect … just do it and correct course along the way.” 

During the summer of 2022, I started to make the dream a reality. I bought a Honda CRF 300L Rally, got my motorcycle license, and began driving it to work every day. And then I told my employers I wanted to take a year off to travel. They were shocked, but to my surprise they said yes and allowed me a one-year leave of absence. I was ecstatic and spent the next few months preparing the motorcycle and all my gear. I over prepared and packed too much, but I corrected the course along the way. 

February 2023, I embarked on an adventure of a lifetime. I pulled out of my driveway on the motorcycle with my best friend Colton (driving a Suzuki DR 650) heading south. In fact, the goal was to reach “the end of the world,” the southernmost city of Ushuaia, Argentina, where I would sell my motorcycle and return to the United States.

My journey led me through the remote deserts of Baja, the jungles of Central America, in a fishing boat to cross the Darien Gap, the magical valleys of the Colombian Andes, the paramos of Ecuador, the heat of the Amazons, the sand dunes of Peru, the epic salt flats of Uyuni, the lightning-clad altiplano of Bolivia, the fjords of the Carretera Austral, and the wind-stricken plains of Argentina. After 14 crazy months of traveling by motorcycle, I reached my destination. My experiences afforded me glimpses into so many lifestyles, cultures, and ceremonies, rich in history and tradition. Ultimately, what I loved the most were the people I met. The amazing friends I made along the way. The times I fell in and out of love. All of the incredible and beautiful people that this journey has connected me with will leave the biggest impact on my life!

Spoiler: I never returned to my job or home after reaching Patagonia. To escape the winter in South America, I stored my motorcycle in Uruguay and flew to Asia. Upon arriving in India my passport and valuables were stolen, and I spent five days getting it back while combating the worst food poisoning of my life.

In India, I bought a Royal Enfield motorcycle and explored South Asia for a year. I drove from Delhi through the Himalayas to the northernmost point of India, reaching the highest motorable road in the world (Umling La in Ladakh). I then drove all the way to the southern tip of India visiting Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka along the way. 

I am currently in Thailand taking a break from travel to edit videos and start the next adventure of making money on the road. Over the last few months, I have built web applications and tools to serve the motorcycle travel and content creator community. I am working with former Oregon Beta President (and District VI Archon) Owen Sutter ’17 to launch XOÀI Packs — his new line of fair-priced and ethically manufactured backpacks. Life is crazy, I never imagined I would cross paths with a Fraternity brother starting his own entrepreneurial adventure on the other side of the world!

A trip like this, which not so long ago seemed only a dream to chase, has changed my mind, heart, and soul in every way. I found the courage to live adventurously and will never be able to return to the routine life I had before.

So, I guess when I pulled out of the driveway, I really embarked on a lifelong journey.

To see videos of Jacob’s adventures and projects, visit: youtube.com/@jacoblumm and instagram.com/jacoblumm