Imagine setting out on a bicycle tour for world peace, only to be chased by machine-gun-toting militias in Syria, get dangerously ill from rancid kidney beans in the Sahara, and be forced by border guards to take a huge detour to Jerusalem, just to get tear gassed upon arrival. That was Alan Stillman’s reality. In the late ‘80s, Alan embarked on a wild 15,000-mile journey that was less about quiet reflection and more about surviving incredible mishaps and adapting to foreign cultures. Hear how Alan’s chaotic life-or-death experiences sparked an idea for a universal picture language that would later help doctors, travelers, and even the US military. This isn’t your average bike trip; it’s an adventure that proves that sometimes the bumpiest road leads to the most unexpected destination.