Despite a successful career and a comfortable life in India for the last 15 years, Maral Yazarloo-Pattrick felt something was missing.
Raised in Iran and educated in India, she was aware of stereotypes as far as women are concerned but wanted to prove that she was independent and capable of achieving something.
That something turned out to be her desire to see the world. The 36-year-old applied for a sabbatical at her real estate firm in Pune and left — sans an itinerary or any hotel bookings.
An Iranian flag in one hand and the Tricolour in the other, she hopped on her sports bike and traversed 64 countries across seven continents. Her fiancé Alex joined her halfway through the journey and the couple tied the knot in November 2017 at Machu Picchu in Peru.
Maral Yazarloo-Pattrick with her husband Alex.
Hurdles on the way
The 1.5-year-long sojourn across the globe ended on August 27, after she landed at the Delhi airport. Her bike, sent via cargo, landed in India nearly 48 hours before she did but was impounded by Customs. It was released on Tuesday, after Ms. Yazarloo spent many hours trying to get it back.
She recalled how she wanted to ride all the way from Iran to the Indian border but the Pakistani authorities objected and rejected her request since her bike was registered in India.
Ms. Yazarloo, who holds a PhD in marketing from the University of Pune, said the trip was exhilarating in more ways than one.
“Behind every beautiful picture I took, there was struggle,” she said, recalling the extreme weather conditions, language barriers and the tiresome experience of driving constantly.
With only essential items needed to survive, she said the most eye-opening part was living without the luxuries she took for granted back home.
She said: “Opening my eyes the next morning, happy to be alive, was the greatest gift.”
Ms. Yazarloo said she was grateful to all the people who showed her kindness along the way.
“I was stuck for a month in Argentina, waiting for a boat to take me to Antarctica. A very nice couple took me in and took care of me. They refused to accept anything in return for their hospitality.”
Travelling through Iran was probably the greatest moment for her. She became the first Iranian woman to get permission to ride the bike through her homeland.
She hoped that the Government of Iran would make her experience a reality for other Iranian women.
Explaining the name of her trip, ‘Ride to be One’, she said, “I believe that everyone is made of one energy. If everyone believes that, there will be no war. Before undertaking this trip, I promised not to hurt any living being. I also carried garbage bags to ensure I did not pollute any country I travelled through.”
