Hannah Bowley is a 32-year-old speech-language pathologist in Seattle who recently cycled across the world for a year and plans to do something similar every three years. (@hannahbowley)

Hannah and I met when she hosted me, as a total stranger, at her apartment in Seattle. We later embarked upon a 5-week cycle adventure in Patagonia, where we experienced stunning landscapes, challenging gravel roads, and a shocking lack of empanadas. This was just one of many adventures for Hannah, who was in the middle of a 11-month cycling voyage through Europe, South America, and Asia.

To make this trip possible, Hannah lived super frugally in Seattle—a superpower in itself—and took advantage of a hidden clause in her public school contract, allowing her to take a full year of unpaid time off every three years. She discusses the mental journey of long-term travel, how she convinced friends to join her along the way, the kindness of strangers, and how she relaxed about money throughout the trip. (She spent a grand total of $23,000, including flights.) Hannah considered recruiting a full-time travel partner, but she ultimately chose to go solo as a form of personal growth, becoming less obsessed with time and embracing her introversion.

Back home in Seattle, Hannah enjoyed her 9-to-5 existence before the trip but couldn't see herself taking the next big steps that her friends were taking (house, marriage, kids). After the trip, she's still trying to find a new normal, struggling with an excess of consumer choice, and may be experiencing an existential crisis.

We conclude with a discussion of our mutual friend and adventure partner, Vince, and how the three of us formed a lean, mean, Patagonia cycling team... even when the horseflies arrived.

Full transcript: dirtbagrich.com/hannah

Hannah Bowley: long-term cyclist, public school educator