From Sardinia to a round-the-world trip on his motorbike: Alessio Cogodi's adventure

The stamps on his passport are countless, but his heart, even thousands of kilometers away from home, has never stopped beating for his Sardinia . "I can't tell you exactly where I am right now, I'm connected to a makeshift network. The city has a complicated name, I'll check later." Alessio Cogodi, 35, from Sant'Andrea Frius , jokes on the phone, and is currently in China after having crossed half of Asia on his motorbike . "I'm traveling to return to the island. A few days ago I was on Everest, in the next few months I'll be in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan. I'll pass through Russian territories and arrive in Georgia. Once in Turkey, the road home will be close by ."

Alessio is a brave traveler who has ventured to the other side of the world to pursue the dream of living a life full of adventures and few regrets. His “travel kit” never fails to include the Sardinian flag, with which he takes “trophy” photos that testify to the stages reached and recount the journey on social media. “ But what is behind this cover-worthy adventure?” “A lot of work, a lot of doors slammed in your face. But then, at the hundredth attempt, things went well,” reassures Cogodi.

The first page of his "travel diary" is labeled " 2010 ". "I was 20 years old. After a bad motorbike accident I ended up in a coma. When I woke up, I understood that I had to live my life to the fullest, and I knew that I would not be satisfied". With this spirit came the first business trips , between London and the Canary Islands , before turning everything upside down and leaving for Australia . Two colleagues had told him about that distant land, during a summer season spent working in a Sardinian residence. " I'll take a chance and go too ", was the first thought. And from there it all began: the arrival in Oceania, the visa for workers, the work on the farms, the purchase of the motorbike (which later became a faithful companion of adventures), the first trip to the Outback (the Australian hinterland) and the desert lands.

The first few months were difficult even though everyone was "very kind to me, too much, and I felt uncomfortable." Apart from that, the pay was "good, starting at a minimum of $1,000 a week." After the first jobs and the arrival of Covid, once the pandemic was over, a small turning point came with work in the mine, where "the earnings are high and, despite the hard work, you feel very good." After five years in Australia, however, the desire to return home became more and more pressing. Strengthened by the experience gained and with a lot of determination, "I left Perth on September 23, 2024 and arrived in Malaysia." Always with my trusty travel companion: a Honda Transalp 700. On the horizon, another endless and difficult journey: "I will pass near sensitive, war zones." "And you're not afraid?" "No, I can't wait to return to my family. I will arrive in Sardinia in August, then I will leave again for Canada and I will stay there for two years."

"I hope that this experience of mine - concludes Cogodi - can serve as a stimulus for the many Sardinian kids who feel without possibilities, who dream but believe they cannot achieve their goals. We have a stubbornness that is our strong point: the skill lies in transforming it into determination and using it to pursue our dreams. If you want, you can. Don't let anyone tell you that you don't have a future".