The Mundus Project is one of my lifetime goals:  To explore a fair bit of our wonderful planet by cruising it overland, preferably offroad and off the beaten path.

 

Through regions barely known to the West and impossible to 'get a sense for' unless actually 'driving them overland'.  Getting out of the 'comfort zone'. Crossing borders at day or night (or sometimes both). Driving those small local roads almost nobody else on earth will ever do. Experiencing the landscape, flora and fauna unbiased and through your own lenses. Stopping on the side of the road for a break and 'feel the moment'. Navigating unknown territory. Breathing in the fresh (and sometimes not so fresh) air. Talking to and spending time with strangers, locals, other travellers and whoever else happens to cross your path. Being questioned (and at times troubled) by local officials. Training your intuition and bringing to surface instincts you barely knew existed. Exploring how people eat, drink, dance, fight and smile. Getting a fair sense of people's pace of life. After a long day on the road (or offroad) finding a safe (and ideally beautiful) spot to sleep. Feeling hungry. Having an enjoyable dinner outdoors with a view you can't buy for money. Waking up in the morning, refreshed and excited to start the day only to continue your way. Life is in flow. Panta rhei (πάντα ῥεῖ)*.

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I have dreamed up the idea of The Mundus Project sometime in 2014.  I was 32 years at the time. The idea was to buy and set up a car solely for the purpose of being 'in the field'.  For a significant part of my life. Once it would leave my hometown I would move the car east-wards, park it wherever I would find a save spot and fly back and forward by plane before continuing the voyage. 

It took me until 2016 to start my actual journey after I 'just went for it' and bought a dark-green Landrover Defender. The previous owner, a former German military officer (who served multiple times in Afghanistan), converted the car already into a remarkable expedition mobile. Over the years I added some further modifications in order to optimise and suit my individual needs. I named the car 'Mundus' (mundus=world in Latin) - the Mundus Project was born.

 

For those interested in how I 'just got started', refer to my short essay How it all started. 

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The Mundus Project turned out to be a grant study of 'life', its different nuances and interpretations.  In some ways, it has turned out to be a study of myself. 

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Over the years, I moved Mundus eastwards crossing through Eastern Europe, witnessed the aftermath of the Ukrainian Conflict first hand while driving along the line of contact, which currently separates Ukraine from DPR (Donetsk People's Republic) and LPR (Luhansk People's Republic). I explored the Russian Caucasus, crossed through Dagestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia. I explored the Volga region on the track of the Volga Germans, crossed through Central Asia (Kazhastan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgistan), Mongolia and Western Siberia.

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Many of the trips as part of The Mundus Project have been together with my friend Thomas Benen. We met on the first day of university in 2001 and ever since became best friends. Same name, same profession, same hobbies and as a matter of fact we share even our birthday on the same day (one year difference)**.

 

Why did I decide to publish my experiences? Beside of holding myself accountable for digesting and mentally archiving my experiences the main intention of this website really is to provide an easy to use platform to interact with and inform those who take an interest in my travels.

 

The site is structured as follows: 

1. ROUTE: Gain an 'at glance' overview of my Route and the latest route points

2. HIGHLIGHTS: Pictures say more than a thousand words. Get a fair sense of each of my trips by browsing through a gallery of selected photos - each photo tells a story and comes with a short description. 

3. ESSAYS: For a deeper dive into my routes. You will find a concise travel report for most of the route, including some statistics, a route-map and some short stories. You may subscribe to my email list to receive any future Essay straight to your email inbox. 

4. GUESTBOOK: Please take a moment to visit my Guestbook. You may also just comment on any of my essays or media. In any case, I'd be delighted to hear from you.

 

My hope also is to inspire you to 'just go for your dreams', whatever they may look like. 

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Yours,

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Thomas Whitfield

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Acknowledgements 

 This project would have never been realised without the support of my parents. From a young age, they encouraged me to 'just go' for my dreams. They equipped me with both roots as well as wings. Without their constant support and encouragement, this project would have never started in the first place. 

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Notes

* Panta rhei – impermanence. Heraclitus recognized the fundamental changing of objects with the flow of time (i.e., impermanence) and the philosophical issue of becoming. He is credited with the phrase πάντα ῥεῖ (panta rhei) "everything flows". By the way, Heraclit's other famous quote δὶς ἐς τὸν αὐτὸν ποταμὸν οὐκ ἂν ἐμβαίης (No man ever steps in the same river twice) likewise resonates with me why past experiences can never be repeated because time changes all things.

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** Θωμᾶς (Thomas)  - The Ancient Greek form of the Aramaic name תָּאוֹמָא actually means 'twin'.

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