In 2013 I traveled from France to South Asia with the intention of not boarding a plane. In one year I traveled 20,000 km using public transportation and hitchhiking. I experienced how the journey is the path, and I truly enjoyed it.

Back in academia, the idea of taking a plane to go to conferences sounded ridiculous to me. Having traveled so long and so far without flying, how could I burn tons of kerosene just for a few days?