Travel the world without ever taking a plane. With these intentions, a young man from Piacenza in March 3 years ago reorganized his life. In fact, tired of the routine as a clerk, he decided that the time had come for a turning point. Furthermore, this experience represented for the new traveler an excellent test bed for his illness, to understand the beneficial effects of the trip. Thus was born the TripTherapy, the extraordinary adventure of Claudio Pelizzeni.
TripTherapy is born
The world of work is not a simple world. Very often we are forced to compromise, to be satisfied and maybe to do something that we are not passionate about. The result is to find ourselves caged, perhaps with a fixed salary and benefits, but always in a prison. This is the case of Claudio Pelizzeni who, until a few years ago, held the role of deputy director at the branch of a well-known bank. “After taking my time, I decided it was time to change. It was also an act of responsibility. I wanted someone else to be able to fill a role that no longer gave me anything».
An important decision, especially in an age when you are willing to do anything to have a steady job. But there comes a time when compromise is no longer tolerable. And you decide to leave, pursue your dreams, perhaps arousing some perplexity in the people we care about. “My parents took me for crazy. Then when dad realized my happiness he knew it was the right choice. More than anyone he saw in me that desire to have this experience. They tried to change my mind anyway, but I was adamant. I had to do this thing. Once I left, they turned into my biggest fans».
Unfortunately, detaching ourselves from everything does not prevent bad events from happening. «My father passed away a few months after leaving. I returned to Italy to be close to him for the last moments, and when he left he did so with pride in his eyes».
Get involved
But why TripTherapy? Among the many reasons that prompted Claudio Pelizzeni in this adventure, there was also the desire to put his illness to the test. To be precise, the type 1 diabetes he has been living with since the age of nine.
“There weren't many difficulties. As soon as I returned to Italy I underwent routine visits and the values are perfect as they have never been. I have not even had many problems in the availability of medicines.
This is thanks to the many friends who came to visit me from time to time bringing me the necessary. I also received a lot of assistance from a group of diabetics from Mendoza, the city I was going to. After telling them about my experience, they gave me 3 months of insulin. A nice gesture that really helped me a lot. However, the key thing is to regulate yourself and pay attention to what you eat».
Between ordinary difficulties and unforgettable moments
Enthusiasm, determination and courage are needed not only to take the first steps, but also to face the difficulties encountered along the way. In fact, finding ourselves in contexts unknown to us can cause quite a few fears. «And if it's a long journey " Claudio tells us «The difficulties are mainly mental rather than physical. You miss your relatives and friends, their words, their comfort. You realize that you are alone and can only rely on yourself, and sometimes it scares you. Fortunately I met many fans, many followers, who supported and helped me, and this made everything easier».
Psychological difficulties are joined by material ones. Going around many places involves competing with many languages and ways of communicating, but Claudio has almost always managed to get by. “Fortunately I speak English and Portuguese very well, Spanish is like a second language for me. I had problems in China, Russia and Mauritania where my language skills didn't help much. But we Italians have a great unusual quality, namely that of gesticulation which is a universal language. When I couldn't speak their language, I was able to make myself understood with gestures».
But the difficulties immediately take a back seat in the face of unique and unforgettable moments. And in a journey lasting 1000 days, many of them live. And if we ask Claudio for the most significant, the one that most impresses you, Africa comes out. “When I was helping out in an orphanage, I witnessed the reunion of three brothers with their birth mother. Being there, at that very moment, was beautiful. The happy ending of a long and tormented story between dreams and hopes, in full “once upon a time” style. Really moving».
A low cost trip
Many mistakenly believe that traveling requires a good dose of vulgar money. In truth, it all depends on our travel style. And Claudio Pelizzeni has shown that traveling the world is within the reach of many. “I had no intention of staying in luxurious hotels. I set out to spend no more than 15 euros a day. Between changes and unforeseen events, in the end, the cost was around 20 euros per day. Certainly not a capital, on the contrary.
At the base of TripTherapy there was also the desire not to use any plane to be able to enjoy every centimeter stepped on. «The most unusual and difficult means of transport was certainly the merchant freighter with which I crossed the ocean. But in Mauritania I took a freight train which is no joke, since it was transporting goods and not people. If we add that I was in the desert you can only imagine my condition at that moment».
The horizon every day a little further: the book by Claudio Pelizzeni
Like any traveler, certain experiences can and must be told. And when you find yourself with a thousand days of travel on your shoulders you have so much material that you can write a trilogy. The horizon every day a little further is the book with which Claudio Pelizzeni narrates his long journey.
A thousand days and 44 countries without ever taking a plane. An adventure that allowed Claudio to change his life and dedicate himself to his dreams.
But can an itinerary and a few coins really be enough to make it happen? “Travel is not the solution to our problems. We must first look in the mirror and understand what we really want. Furthermore, there is no escape from problems.
You can leave, stay away, but when you get back they are there waiting for you. It is therefore necessary to bring order, and then make our decisions. There are many therapies and travel is not necessarily the right one for everyone.
It was for me, but for someone else it can only be harmful. The only thing that really matters, essential to everything, is ours determination».
