Barkah News

 A Saudi woman rides 1,400 kilometers on a bicycle through Iceland.

RIYADH: Yasmine Idriss spoke with Arab News earlier this year right before departing on a once-in-a-lifetime bicycle tour around Iceland's Ring Road. She is now the first Arab woman to finish the arduous journey.

She first believed that her nearly 1,400-kilometer journey would provide her with the opportunity to strategize her next professional step. She had no idea that cycling would lead to a far greater state of enlightenment.

The entire journey she took—from fierce gusts to peaceful solitude—was documented for the 2024 documentary "Threshold.""In the movie, I talk extensively about what this meant to me and what the 'heroine's journey' entails. A woman experiencing the hero's journey is not the sole embodiment of the heroine's journey. It has a lot more surrender ingrained in it, and for me, it was a major aspect of Iceland, the speaker told Arab News.

Idriss faced the strongest gusts of the season and was blown off course in every direction. She had anticipated that the impacts of Iceland's biting winds would not be replicated during her training period, but she hadn't anticipated them to be nearly so intense. She prayed for stability, seeing sharp rocks on one side and oncoming cars on the other."It was an extremely harsh introduction to the purpose of this Ring Road expedition," she remarked.

Source arabnews.com

The wind didn't cease "even for a second" during her three-week vacation, she claimed, with the exception of barely two days. The majority of life's obstacles come in waves, rising and falling, but this constant onslaught bred resentment.

"Why? What is the objective? What lessons can I take away from this? Why is this so difficult? Idriss claims she was curious.She was told by her close friend Kathi Hendrick, who was also one of her two traveling companions, that "wind stops inertia, wind forces you to move, it forces you to be awake, otherwise you would fall."

The emotional and physical difficulties were complementary. She gave up, realizing she was using more energy than was necessary.

"The muscles that were meant to contract were contracted, and the muscles that were not required to contract were at rest. From a psychological perspective, that translated to: "I simply allowed whatever necessary to occur to occur," she said.Hendrick, a close friend of the rider, accompanied him on the journey and contributed to the storyline of the planned documentary, which was directed by Madison Hoffmann.

"Somehow, the three of us were reflecting each other's experiences," Idriss remarked. There was a kind of synchronicity going on even though they were in the van and I was riding a bike, since we were both going through very similar things. Seeing the beauty that can occur when women band together in a supportive manner was simply breathtaking.

The purpose of the trip was to help her figure out what her next phase of life would entail. Idriss had recently stepped down from what she considered to be her ideal career as CEO of a sustainable shoe manufacturer.

As such travels tend to do, removing herself from the obligations of everyday life and cutting off ties to family and friends sparked a profound metamorphosis. "Riding the bike for more than 20 days was an inward journey," she remarked.

It was impossible to run from the self, just as there was no hiding from the outside world. Everything was brought to light, including leaving a close connection and answering challenging questions, according to Idriss, who also added that it was precisely what she needed.

In a world that is hyper-productive and full of demanding job schedules and social obligations, Idriss is now arguing for taking time off to rejuvenate and spark creativity.

"We're developing like crazy for Vision 2030," she clarified. We are among the nations that are developing the quickest in the globe, and our leadership is truly remarkable. In order to be as productive as our societies currently need of us, we also require space, rest, and self-care.

Although her primary motivation for starting the voyage was self-discovery, she sincerely hopes to inspire others to follow in her footsteps.

Being able to represent Saudi women makes me proud. I don't think I'm the first one. She remarked, "There are so many incredible Saudi women who have inspired me, who have accomplished incredible things, and who are accomplishing incredible things. It would be an enormous honor if I could serve as a window for the rest of the world, showing what Saudi Arabian women are capable of. And my purpose will be fulfilled if I can encourage others to follow their own path, be it a neighborhood stroll or an ascent of Mount Everest like Raha Moharrak

Experiencing the difficulties and insights that come with being fully immersed in Icelandic landscapes motivated her to "(bring) this work to others and invite others into similar journeys of transformation in a very different form." I'm currently working on this.

SOURCE ARABNEWS.COM