Table of Contents
by Luca Bertelli
The 38-year-old from Brescia left his city on 23 July: he is now in Cappadocia after having crossed all of the former Yugoslavia, his final destination is Australia. «Ferrari was my dream, but in smartworking I felt stuck – he told Il Giorno – and I needed different spaces. Now I’m in Cappadocia, I work in a center for autistic children.”
On social media, where on the Instagram profile giro_ste_mondo he has documented all his stages since last July 23rd, he talks about his courageous choice with the simplicity of someone who has always known that it was the right thing to do. But his was a courageous decision. Stefano Begnis, 38 years old, mechanical engineer from Brescia who has worked for Ferrari for the last ten years (he was employed by HPE, which provides consultants to the car manufacturer), resigned in May and also said goodbye to Modena, which was a dream during university. He achieved it, starting from a CV.
The resignation and the mission: around the world without using planes
The idea in his head was already clear: he wanted to organize a trip around the world after spending a lifetime in front of the computer. He needed to breathe, to make a radical break from the past. The decision never caused him any regrets, but the mission had to be planned: for this reason he got on a train at the Brescia station only two months later (on 23 July). «I left Italy – he writes – with the intention of moving further eastwards through Asia, towards Australia. I move on foot, by trains and buses, trying to use as few planes as possible».
After the first stop in Venice, a tribute to Marco Polo, the route moved to the Balkans: Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia, Macedoniathese are the countries of the former Yugoslavia touched before arriving in Athens, then landing in Bulgaria in Sofia and Plovdiv until reaching Turkey where it is now. On his logbook on Instagram, on October 30 it celebrated its first 100 days of travel: «How to describe the feeling of a long-term trip? I feel like a child who discovers a new place every day, learns about distant cultures and meets different people. Traveling time passes quickly as always but is never wasted. I’m getting used to this life of hostels, buses, trains and many different languages. The only fixed point is my backpack which has become my new home. I feel like I left Italy yesterday and instead it’s already been 100 days.”
He is now in Türkiye and here, contacted by The Dayexplained the reasons for his decision and the present: Stefano, in fact, he is a volunteer in the various places he is touchingwith the ambition of reaching the final destination in Australia.
«I have savings and I rely on the Work Away platform»
«The job was interesting – he explains – I love Ferraris, but after ten years I felt every day I was taking time away from what really makes me feel good and happy: travelling, meeting people, visiting new places. And instead in recent years I had done a lot of teleworking from home, in Modena, spending 80% of my time on the computer. That life wasn’t for me, I needed something different. I want to enjoy the distances and the slownessthat’s why I get around by bike or bus.”
Begnis also explains how he finances his trip: «I have some savings available and I rely on the Work Away platform, which provides me with temporary jobs based on volunteering in exchange for food and accommodation. Now, for example, I work in a center for autistic teenagers and children. Then we’ll see». Georgia awaits him shortly, then he arrives in Asia, passing through the former Soviet Union with the intention of landing in China, up until the flight to Australia. But what matters is the journey. And courage. Not the destination.
Go to all the news from Brescia
Subscribe to the Corriere Brescia newsletter
November 18, 2024 (changed November 18, 2024 | 4:25 pm)
What inspired you to embrace slow travel as opposed to traditional tourism?
1. How long have you been traveling for and what inspired you to embark on this journey?
2. Can you tell us about the countries you’ve visited so far and what you’ve enjoyed the most?
3. How are you financing your trip and what kind of work are you doing in each country to support yourself?
4. What challenges have you faced during your travels and how have you dealt with them?
5. How do you think your experience working with Ferrari has affected your perspective on life and travel?
6. What are your plans for the rest of the trip, and how do you think your journey will end?
7. Can you share any personal insights or lessons you’ve learned during your travels?
8. What advice would you give to someone considering embarking on a similar journey?
9. Have you encountered any cultural differences or surprising similarities between the places you’ve visited?
10. How do you manage the logistics of traveling over such long distances and for an extended period of time?
11. Do you have any favourite stories or memories from your travels that you’d like to share?
12. How has your experience with slow travel compared to prior forms of travel?
13. What impact do you hope your journey will have on others who may be considering leaving their comfort zones and exploring the world?
