Bike-Packing Scotland and Breaking Free of Cultural Expectations with C.D. Seventeen

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How can travel serve as a path to healing and self-discovery?

Today, I’m joined by C.D. Seventeen, a techno music artist, DJ, painter, and poet, to talk about what it was like growing up in the Yunnan Province of China and how a bike-packing trip through the Scottish Highlands and the Orkney Islands helped her reclaim her power.

In this episode, Seventeen opens up about her challenges coming out of that environment to pursue an unconventional path and what she had to overcome to follow her dreams. We also explore her book The Weight We Carry, which contains poems from her solo bike-packing journey. She shares how this transformative trip contributed to her healing, what the adventure was like, and how it continues to impact her to this day.

This story just might inspire you to, as Seventeen wrote on the back of her book, “jump on a bike, go on a journey, dive deep into the self, and let the weight of your human identity dissolve into the wind.” 

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses suicide and suicidal ideation.

How has travel brought about a transformation in you? I’d love to hear your story and hope you’ll share it by sending me an audio message.

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Tune In To Learn:

  • How DJing helped Seventeen overcome her social anxiety
  • Why she chose to move to the UK and study psychology instead of following her passions
  • Why speaking out about the Chinese education system and cultural expectations is important to her
  • The beauty of Seventeen’s culture and village life in the Yunnan Province
  • How writing in a foreign language taught her to embrace flaws and new possibilities
  • The pivotal moment that led her to take a solo bike-packing trip around Scotland
  • Seventeen’s quest for individuation and how her book reflects her transformation during the journey
  • What she’s learned from breaking free of the rules
  • Her advice for bike-packing Scotland and meeting others on the road
  • And so much more

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Thanks To Our Sponsors

  • This episode is sponsored by US Bank’s Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card, with the ability to earn up to 5x the points on travel-related expenses like hotels, and rental cars, this card will get you the most return on your next trip.

 

Cover Photo by Connor Mollison on Unsplash

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