Many people head out on the road to work through their frustrations or get over something. However, few people take out their stress like Sebastiaan de With did. This 26-year-old was living a very happy life in San Francisco with his wife until everything went downhill: within a very short amount of time, he lost his job, his wife left him, and he starting spiraling down into depression.
When he realized this, he decided that either he could drown in his sorrows or he could do something about it. His solution was to grab a friend, put on their jackets covered in embroidered patches, get on their motorcycles, and start riding 'until the road ran out'. He and Stuart Philkill eventually found themselves in Anchorage, Alaska! By the time they returned to San Francisco, they had covered over six thousand miles and spent almost two months on the road. Some people say they're going to go out riding to get some fresh air and clear their heads, but few people end up riding to Alaska to do it.
While de With may not recommend everyone take such a trip to find themselves, he said that he certainly did. He returned home with a renewed determination to find a new job and get his life back on track. He also decided that one of his new goals in life is to save money to take more of these extended motorcycle trips.
Both de With and Philkill are photographers, and they extensively documented their trip to Alaska. They posted many of these photos online for other bikers to see and, perhaps, follow in their footsteps. It doesn't have to be to Alaska, but the idea of just getting on a motorcycle and driving with no clear goal or timetable in mind can be an incredibly freeing experience.
