A Thousand Dawns By Rob Lutter

Exploration, nature and adventure have always been a part of Rob Lutter‘s life, stemming from a childhood spent discovering forests and reading books about space. Fascinated by the unknown and driven by a desire to combat his depression, Lutter made a drastic decision in 2011. He began a life-changing journey across the world to raise funds for mental health charities, riding his bicycle and relying on the help of his social media followers and on the kindness of strangers met on the road to find shelter and sustenance.

A vibrant painting of humanity and various cultures intertwined with endless, sprawling landscapes.

The trip soon became more than a path towards overcoming personal demons. The adventures he had been captivated by as a child became reality. A vibrant painting of humanity and various cultures intertwined with endless, sprawling landscapes. Every day was unique, and every dawn provided an opportunity for discovery – both of the world and of his own mind. Lutter crossed Europe, the Middle East, Himalayas, China, Asia, the Australian Outback, and the United States, completing the last part of his quest by riding across Scotland to finally reach London. United Kingdom’s capital had been the starting and ending point of a journey that had lasted one thousand days, with 40,000 kilometers covered in almost four years and over $7000 raised for charity. Lutter had thought about putting everything on paper even before he set out on the journey, hoping to be able to chronicle this epic part of his life in both writing and visual mediums. To make this dream a reality, he set up a Kickstarter campaign, explaining that his book is about “weaving tales of childhood and the struggles of adolescence into the story of over a thousand days lived in the saddle. A book full of wonder, revelations, fears and acceptance: for who we are and what we can achieve.” The campaign to raise the funds for the “A Thousand Dawns” book and for the “Lifecycle” photography album surpassed its goal in November 2015. You can check out the project’s progress on the Kickstarter page, as Lutter provides updates for the backers. Hopefully, both the book and photo album will be published this year. Images courtesy of Rob Lutter.