Support My Bike Journey from Brazil to Colombia for Visual Snow Syndrome Research

I’ve always loved cycling and outdoor adventures. I’ve done a few short bike trips before, but for about five years I’d been dreaming of a long-distance bicycle trip — from Brazil to Colombia. So I saved up, left my job as a software developer, and organized this journey. I’ll be starting in Natal, in Northeast Brazil, where my grandmother lives and which feels like a second home to me, and then heading north up to Colombia. My first big goal is to reach Cartagena, but ultimately, I hope to join a sailboat crossing the Atlantic to Europe.

I’ve been living with VSS for the past three years. The beginning was especially tough, with depersonalization being the hardest part, even though my visual symptoms are mild. What has helped me most are sports, meditation and mindfulness, therapy, good sleep, and doing things I enjoy, like spending time with loved ones.

In a way, VSS has even motivated me to go deeper into self-knowledge and emotional and spiritual growth. I’ve been working on acceptance — learning to live with things as they are — while also maintaining a sense of agency to improve what I can.

How You Can Help

As part of this adventure, my fundraising goal is $3,000 to support research and awareness through the Visual Snow Initiative.

You can even join my journey virtually by following along on this simple map: https://ludobegins.github.io/por-ai.

By supporting my long-distance bicycle trip, you are directly contributing to the advancement of research into Visual Snow Syndrome. Every donation, no matter how small, brings us one step closer to learning more about this condition, finding ways to raise awareness and potential treatment options