Riding Alone: A Motorcycle, 52 Countries (and counting), and the Explorer Who Said Yes to the Unknown

The call to adventure rarely arrives with fanfare. It creeps in—sometimes in response to restlessness, sometimes in quiet reflection—and once it grabs hold, it refuses to let go.

Gulsah Merve Yuksel.

I recognize it instantly. I can spot a story from a mile away, and my insatiable curiosity kicks in the moment we pull into our first roadhouse in Balladonia. Parked next to us is someone I can already tell is remarkable. I’m thrilled to introduce you to our new friend:

Gulsah Merve Yuksel.

Gulsah has spent the last two years riding solo—yes, solo—across the globe on her Italian Aprilia Tuareg motorcycle. Even crossing Australia alone would be impressive, but when she mentions that this is the 52nd country she’s traveled solo, I know her story is something truly special.

Eager to learn more, I ask if she’s open to a few questions. She smiles and agrees without hesitation, and just like that, we fall into an easy rhythm—two travelers swapping stories of the wild and unknown.

I have to ask: where did this all begin?

Born and raised in Istanbul, Gulsah worked as a teacher for autistic children. Despite the deep meaning in her work, she struggled financially. That struggle became her call to adventure. Feeling both frustrated and bored, she decided to sell her car—her only asset—hoping to carve out a life on the road. She gave herself two months. In that window, she needed to generate income from a YouTube channel she created.

Her first video? Three million likes. Her second? Four million.

As I celebrated her success, I felt no surprise. I've read every female explorer memoir I can get my hands on. And while I want this story to be more than just about gender, I can't help but feel a deep connection. As a woman—and a mother of two daughters around Gulsah’s age—I have so many questions.

Is she ever afraid?

Rarely. She clearly avoids any situation that feels unsafe, especially those that carry risks for a woman traveling alone.

Does she get lonely?

Only in Mongolia, she says. The vast, empty stretches and lack of cell service challenged even her seasoned spirit.

What are her plans once the journey ends?

She doesn’t know yet. That uncertainty, she says, is part of the beauty.

Has she felt pressure to stop—from family, friends, or lovers?

Yes. From all of them. But still, she rides on.

We spent the day and evening trading tales of places we’ve each explored—different routes, same pull toward the unknown. Michael and I are both thrilled to learn that Gulsah will be staying at the next two stops along our journey across the mighty Eyre Highway—one of the longest, loneliest roads on Earth.

You can follow this extraordinary woman here:

:📷 @GulsahMerveYuksel