Tim Cope has traveled in unconventional ways before. National Geographic was intrigued by his feats, which included traveling by bicycle, rowboat, sky, horse, and camel. The well-known publication has named him both Australian Adventurer of the Year and Adventure Honoree.

His tale of travel? On the trail of Genghis Khan, he set out in 2004 to ride his horse across the 10,000 km that separated Mongolia and Hungary. The journey took him more than three years to complete. After that, he produced a documentary series and a best-selling book about his journey. He now has half a dozen travel books, each of which is worth reading because it covers every aspect of his amazing experiences.

Journeys are an essential part of every life. They present testing difficulties, times when you experience exquisite reward and insight, and times when you are beset by difficulties and self-doubt. To fight it out, you have to face your fears, make yourself vulnerable, aim for something worthy, and hold on to your passion and self-belief even when it seems like everything is against you. A journey always provides us with an opportunity to learn, develop, and pursue our goals.