That, and losing his motorcycle just two weeks before the trip. Named Hope, it was stolen in Johor Bahru, across the Causeway from Singapore. And so he and his wife, Samantha Pan, had to put more money into a second vehicle named Hope Too. 

Another challenging moment was “paying the bill” of course but Mia Chun, who spoke at the WIT*e event last week, said it was the equivalent of a university education, anyway.And oh yes, the hardest person he had to convince was “the mother in law’.

Asked how he came such a “can’ man when he lives in what is perceived to be a “cannot do” society, Mia Chun, who is a landscape designer by profession, said he had always had a rebellious streak and believed anything is possible – it all comes from within you. 

The passing of his mother and a complicated relationship with his father were also the spurts he needed to fulfil a dream he had harboured since reading the book, “A Tankful of Time”.

The round-the-world motorcycle trip, which took more than two years, has opened his mind. The world is a safe placer when you get out there and the friendliest people he met were in Pakistan and Afghanistan where they had people give them money and invited them home for dinner. 

Getting lost “which happened a lot” was part of the fun.

The best thing that happened as a result of the trip was the stronger bond he’s developed with his wife whom he called “my washing machine” when asked by a student how he did his laundry on the trip. Samantha said Mia Chun took care of the route, maintenance and he also did the cooking.

The most important thing for them was “we were able to click, argue, quarrel, then forget it and love each other”.
And in the end, travel is not about how many places you visit and the attractions you see but the people. Taj Mahal and Eiffel Tower will always be there; it’s the people you meet – those are unforgettable moments that you keep.

“The friends they made along the way won’t be the same. In the end, it’s about the people,” he said.