ABOUT ME

Toronto, CA. 10/11

I hope you enjoy following me. And that somewhere along the way I inspire you to live YOUR dream. Remember that whatever that may mean to you, that it doesn't have to make sense to anyone but you. Stake your claim and untether yourself from your fears. The world will reward you.

My name is Gibbs. I'm a traveler, cyclist, adventurist, entrepreneur, and a writer with no regard for punctuation.

I'm not married. I don't have any children. And my dog, Tucker, died in March of 2010. After 12 years together, at home, and also at work, his absence left a conspicuous void. And that next winter, I spent a lot of time on my couch, and I wondered; what is keeping me here?

And the answer, I realized, was fear.

As a child, I was instructed to be fearful of standing out, instructed on appropriateness, the value of a dollar, and I was made fun of for not fitting in, and I worried about not choosing the right major, about not choosing the right job, about not choosing the right person.

I began putting all my random wish lists into a cohesive plan. I would abandon my couch, my business, my hometown, my family, my social circle, the skeptics and the naysayers, and hardest of all; those fears,

Mt. Ventoux, France

I would get off the couch. 

In 2011, I staged my first EXODUS; I loaded up my bicycle and I drove across the US and I rode as much as I could. That took me three months. Then I packed up the bike and flew to Europe, and I biked around Spain, Portugal, and France for another 3 months. 

It was difficult, lonely, beautiful, euphoric, life-changing, but above all, I was happy. 

And I decided that this was what I would do with the remainder of my life; I would wander around and turn blind corners, bump into things, and just enjoy the randomness. I was inspired, and along the way, I found that I could inspire others as well. 

The truth is we all want something significant to happen to us, a grand experience that will change our lives, a spectacular story. We all want a personal legacy. We all want to be happy. 

And I knew that by not starting to get happy, I was just wasting time. Once my fear turned to anger, and my anger turned into a decision, I just trusted the rest would fall into place.

It’s ok with me that some will dismiss it as unrealistic, irresponsible, and even narcissistic, but I’m just fine with all that. Some may call it running away, and I would not disagree completely.

Collado De Ason, Spain

But the opposite is also true. When I travel I turn my face away from all the comforts of predictability. I may be running, but I’m running in the dark. I see where the crowd goes, and I walk the other way.

I've had the good fortune to visit 23 countries and to traverse the US on four occasions. I've ridden my bike in Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and almost every state in the US.  I've had a ton of fun, a ton of dead-ends to work around, and an amazing journey that has brought me many new, like-minded friends.  

Living the dream means not being kept from what you want. I keep in mind that only I am the best judge of my own success. My success depends on the barometer I pick to judge myself upon. A handsome suit does not make a handsome man.

Whatever it is you choose, there is only your path.

My personal path is guided by:
(1) Getting my most basic priorities straight and adhering to them in all of my decisions.
(2) Letting go of all of my fears.
(3) Ignoring my inner skeptic, and those who doubt or judge me.
(4) Making the most of every day regardless of how I feel.
(5) Inspiring others to take steps towards living their own dream.

Blogging can be a lonely pursuit. Ask me/tell me/confide in me, anything.
My email is gtolsdorf@gmail.com