My name is Jiri Oliva and I travel around Europe…

To express myself in words isn’t an easy task. Even more so that I am writing it myself. I will try to describe in facts, what I have done and so what has made me to decide to travel around Europe in a sea kayak, in which I have never sat before.

I think that wisdom comes to a person in waves. Everything evolves and grows, so it can blossom and ripe, pass the best on and quietly leave. And so I am grateful for the opportunity to grow, for the wisdom, which comes to me in life and which moves me closer or further (depending on the point of view). But if I am moving from the beginning further on or getting closer to the finish, every moment on this journey has something in common and that is the presence. The realisation of this has taught me a lot. For example to be happy because of little things, be grateful, be able to stop and also to forgive. To understand the energy of the presence gave me the strength to accept the past and to create my own future.

From the facts about me it will be enough to say, that I was born at the end of the year 1987 in the northern part of Czech Republic. I have lived part of my life, for example, in Teplice, Kladno, Slany, France or Switzerland. I have studied a few schools and mostly used my hands to earn my living. I have tried some sports at a high level like climbing, running and mountain cycling. I have compared my stamina with others at marathons and ultramarathons. And I have not resisted the temptation of paragliding and parachuting. I have been lucky enough to climb up many rocks and mountains. At the age of 15 I went to the highest mountain of Europe and at 18 I travelled to the Himalayas. Recently I found myself in freediving.

I honestly think that I have managed to visit a lot of different places. Alone and/or with friends. By hitchhike, car, motorbike or on foot. In Europe, Africa or Asia. Every place brought new experience. I can enjoy the luxurious hospitality of a five star hotel and its red carpets as well as sleeping on the street among garbage and rats. Travelling has helped me open up and perceive better. And today I perceive that the words of wisdom are everywhere around us. We just need to get out of the everyday routine and stop ourselves. Open our eyes, heart and mind. And to fully enjoy everything around us. And there’s lots of it.

I like photography and film making. I enjoy making up new things, thoughts, and innovations and I constantly keep looking for new ways of doing things. Thanks to that I enjoy finding my own way. This way is often against the mainstream, although, it is not its purpose to be like that. It is more a consequence, in my opinion, of the uniqueness of each and every one of us. I love nature and everything inside and outside of us, regardless size, distance or age, anyway, none of it really matters.