Summer is coming, and we start making travel plans. Today everyone travels a lot … on business, tourism, sport, or for various reasons. But what is traveling for?

I’m in love with Earth, every time I am more connected to it, and I am increasingly eager to delve into its secrets, its beauty and also the weaknesses, so that we can bring something to reinforce and preserve its positive points, and do not increase the weaknesses and, if possible, be resolved.

Traveling is one way to approach and know the Earth. And although there are many ways to travel, probably all valid, they are not equally valuable. I often like to say that I do not want to "see the world" but desire "Living the world"

Although it is nice to see interesting things, the most intense part of a trip is what we live as we do it, the authentic experience that gives us, what happens to us as we discover these new unknown horizons for us.

The trip should be largely a catharsis that makes us out of our daily world and we connect with other realities, we should interact with an open mind and very respectfuly; leaving at home prejudices and ways of understanding reality from our cultures of origin. The more we manage to separate the role of observer, and we approach someone’s profile that integrates and participates in the place or destination society, more sense will acquire our trip, more will impact us and more we will lear. If after traveling all remains the same in our being, is that we have lost a substantial part of it.

This is roughly my philosophy when I move around the globe.

In my case, some trip impacted me in an almost radical way in my way of seeing life and my interaction with the planet and society in general. I have already told many times my awareness during the project of the "7 Summits". I understood that I had been all my life living around nature (doing various sports activities intensely), that I loved nature, and tha this brought me much happiness; but in reality I had never done anything for her.

It was like a shock, since I first looked deeply beyond my personal goals, my sporting challenges, my dreams adventurous, and I realized that the natural heritage was not only there to be enjoyed or be observed, but was an asset to be protected.

Soon after, I crossed Antarctica integrally and there that consciousness became a strong commitment and an intense inner dialogue, being in intimate connection with one of the purest places on the Earth.  I promised myself that all the adventures I would do in the future, would have a direct connection with values, attitudes and actions of environmental sustainability.

From this idea the Dakar 100% electric was born, in which we made history this year. All my experience in the automotive world at the service of my commitment to the future. And we demonstrated that it was possible to participate in the toughest motor race in the world without using a single liter of fossil fuel in the car.

Often our selfish and short-term vision, has made us forget that the planet is our greatest asset, and if we use it, we must be aware that it is finite and very weak, and our ability to impact is growing. Therefore, all who travel in a respectful and open way aroung the world, should act as witnesses of what is happening, in order to put in value all positive things, denouncing the negative ones; and mainly act as the eyes of many people who do not travel (or traves from theme park to theme park, watching only the most superficial layer), so that all go pushing towards a more responsible attitude for managing this common heritage.

Every time we go to a special place, let us make the following questions: How I wish this place would be within "X" years ?; and then, What can I do, and we can do (as humans in general), for that to happen?; and finally, What step (large or small) I am willing to give to move towards that desire/purpose?

We must become small change agents and contribute our bit for the future of our planet, which is the same as saying the future of our civilization, in order to focus it towards a more sustainable and respectful relation with Earth.

Happy Earth Day!!!! Enjoy it and take care of it.

(Extract from an article published in the Journal of the Spanish Geographical Society, March 2015)