The right of the photographer to free expression (so sue me)

Camping in Togo after making nice with the police chief.

It can be argued that the only true reality is the immediate “Now.” The past is simply a collection of trace memories of a now that came and went, and that our preoccupation with the future is merely an expression of an increasingly distressed and uneasy social disorder akin to neuroses. Thusly, few occurrences in an overall life experience, brings the need to live in the now more into focus than a sustained commitment to the road, travel not for the sake of destination, but rather for the journey. Wanderlust has been described as an overwhelming desire for, or the impulse to wander, or travel and explore, not only the world outside, but the one that exits inside each of us.

Mick Høy says that K&N has made it possible for him to continue his journey discovering this amazing planet.

Mick Høy is 32 years-young, and two years ago he lived in his native Copenhagen, Denmark. Then Høy came down with a tremendous case of wanderlust, and frankly, he hopes it’s just a little contagious.

“Right now I am in Santiago, Chile, for some months. I’m working to be able to continue my travel. Nice to talk to a fellow motorcyclist that understands and can put himself in the same place as I am,” remarked Høy.

“Going on this journey, it is for sure a decision I would never change. It has been both extremely giving, but also hard at times. Yet, looking in the rear view mirror, I can’t, and won’t change anything! Today, I still feel this is what I had to do, at least one time in my life and I keep fighting to keep being on the road, instead of taking the easy option, and going home when the money has run out.”

The end of the world Ruta 3 in South America.

Høy left his home in Denmark in May of 2009 and he has traveled anything but the path of least resistance ever since. He has traversed around too tightly wound roads that curved only to the next adventure, sludged on during floods, he’s been rocked and shimmied by buffeting winds, and persevered through choking sand and dust, throughout 30 countries, on three continents. He’s been mistakenly arrested, hungry, lost and robbed. He has already journeyed nearly 40,000 miles, and has no immediate plans of throwing in the towel anytime soon.

Stuck in the Nigerian sand.

“I am riding a 15-year-old Honda VFR 750 with 127,000 Km (78,000 miles) on it, which has been through some of the hardest and dusty environments on the planet, such as Western Sahara on my way down south along the west coast of Africa, and not to forget the windy and sandy Ruta 40 in Argentina. During this remarkable journey around the world, I have been riding with a K&N air filter, which for me was ideal, as I could clean and re-use it again and again. After my great experiences with K&N air filters, I have decided to use their oil filters as well, and look forward to riding with these in the future. Throughout my travels K&N has continued to supply me with incredible help, keeping me on my bike, and on the road.”

“For me the most important thing about travelling is not so much the places you go, but the people you meet. They give you the memories for life! And, I can thank K&N for making it possible for me to continue my journey around this amazing planet.”

No man’s land between Western Sahara and Mauritania

For Høy, the decision to travel began taking shape about three years ago, that’s when he saw two motorcycles from Argentina parked outside his apartment. The bikes belonged to Elke and Gustavo Cieslar, a couple on a journey from Buenos Aires to Sydney, Australia. Høy followed and supported the couples exploits on the internet from 2006 to 2009. “During that time I started playing with the thought of doing the same thing,” said Høy.

The decision to leave his job as an aircraft mechanic/technician, material planner and supervisor, wasn’t an easy one, “But now, I feel this is the best choice I have made in my life,” he adds. “I sold everything I had, my apartment, all my furniture, and even my car.

Police chief of Togo.

For me it is not important to own a big fancy car, or live in a huge house. I won’t think about any of those things on the day that I die. What I will remember is my family, my future wife and kids, and this journey. During my trip I also hope to be an inspiration for others to do the same – to go and see the world, and meet its wonderful caring people.”

“Life is always about the choices we make – a great career, a big house and car and family, or a journey around the world – it’s there for us to decide.” And Høy believes with all his soul that his choice to undertake this adventure will prioritize and put into proper perspective all the rest of the choices he will still have to make.

He says, “What is important right now is to keep going, even though the money has run out. My money ran out in Ushuaia, my credit cards are closed. Many people would have gone back home by now.

Road to Angola.

If it hadn’t been for great friends in Santiago (who offered him a job), all the support I’ve been getting around the world, this would have been the end for me. But, I’ve learned that if you keep fighting for what you believe in, whatever your dreams are, then there is always a solution of some kind just around the next turn. And everyday I’m reminded that I did the right thing. I have always been good with my hands, and most of all I love big projects, like the journey I am doing now. It’s what keeps me going.”

Høy says he never asks his parents back home for money and that his mom would rather see him back home. “But dad understands me much better, and I think he could see himself doing the same thing, if he had made different choices in his life.”

“Today it is very easy keeping in contact with people, we have the Internet and Facebook, so I am keeping in contact with most of my friends back home, even old colleagues, but yes, there are a few things that I don’t have so much contact with anymore. I don’t own a watch, and sometimes I don’t know even which day it is. For me it is not so important. I like staying in places for a while, if I meet people that I feel good with. But, once things become too routine, I long for the road, and being together with my fellow travel companion, my VFR.”

Buying fuel on the side of the road.

“Believe it or not, but one of the biggest highlights lately was getting a job as a waiter in Santiago. I don’t earn much per day, and it is a long day of working, but I feel proud by earning a few quid to help me stay here. It is a good contrast after you have been travelling for a long time. It is not only about the money, it is also about not forgetting what life is, and that one can’t live like it is vacation forever. For me it would not be fun doing this journey without working. And this journey itself is a work. To keep traveling I need to find new sponsors, but I also know I need to do something for them. No one gets a free ride. I get emails for people and friends back in Europe saying that I just have to tell them if I need something. I never do though, it is against my nature. If people want to help me, it will have to happen without me asking for it.”

“Of course there are days I could have done without, as the day I was taken to the police station in Togo, after I made a rather unsuccessful camera recording of the president coming by in a convoy. It turned into a dodgy experienced first with the police yelling at me that I had two options. Pay my way out of it, or a visit to the prison. I asked for the condition in the prison and if they would give me food and something to drink, as I hadn’t had much to eat for a couple of days.”

After seeing the grim conditions Høy was traveling under, his messed up clothes and boots with gaping holes, the police captain realized it was all a big misunderstanding. “We ended up as good friends and I left happily, with a picture of the captain sitting on my bike and a visit card from him stating that if I should get into further problems to call him.”

Anyone have a snorkel for a VFR?

Høy also experienced some bad mojo while staying in Rio Grande, with some friends, working in their shop helping fix cars. The room he was staying in had gotten broken into and his motorcycle jacket with everything in the pockets got stolen. “Luckily they didn’t look underneath the bed where I had hidden my money and passport,” added Høy.

Yet another time in Angola he got his motorcycle stuck in mud and water. “I was afraid water had entered the cylinders, but it turned out only my wire harness to the starter got soaked. Two locals came by and helped me push the bike out. Five minutes later we were sitting and drinking tea and eating biscuits while the VFR was drying out. A journey should not be perfect, there has to be some conflict, some bad luck to give the journey contrast.”

“Africa and South America are completely different from what I thought, and from what people in Europe think. Of course there are very poor people on both continents, but life can also be good. I saw that in Africa when I got invited to spend the night underneath the stars with locals in a small village, while we eat a chicken they slaughtered because of their guest. They didn’t have much, but life was nice. It is another thing I found out about with my life. I like it basic, sitting around a fire at night, maybe by myself, or with friends. That is a fantastic feeling, and that is life for me!”

“I have been almost two years on the road now. My dream is ten years or more. When I look on my map and where I have been, I can only say that I still have a long way yet to go, but I like to go slow and feel the places and the people where I am. I hate having plans of where I have to be tomorrow, or next week. That is the answer to why I travel alone.”

“The last thing – I get a lot of feedback and responses from not only people in Denmark, but the whole world that is following me from the side of the road. I think they enjoy this trip because I write very open about my travel, what I feel and what I do. I don’t cover anything. Sometimes I can be a rebel, but without hurting people. I respect people where ever I go. But I tend to keep my site (Facebook) without censorship and for some it can be provocative. But, people get the naked truth when travelling with me!”

Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.