We are joined by Anastasia Bouzdine. Anastasia is a 25-year-old woman on a mission to connect with humanity on a bicycle.Anastasia is an engineer, working in a male-dominated field and surrounded by men who do many sport challenges. She decided that if the men could do it, so could she. After trying a few short cycling trips, Anastasia made her first solo trip in September of 2020.She set off on an exhausting 10-day journey across the Alps with the end goal of taking a little swim in the Mediterranean Sea. Anastasia says that when she started, the trip was all about how far or how fast she could travel in a day. But after a few days, she realized that the trip was more about the experiences and the people she met along the way.Every day, the Warmshowers community welcomed and supported her. She was so encouraged by all of her hosts' warm hospitality, some of whom have become lifelong friends. The relationships she made prompted her to become a host herself.Anastasia loves cycling through the mountains, so she is planning on crossing the Dolomite Mountains in Italy for her next trip.For Anastasia, what started as a sport challenge to prove herself, turned into an extraordinary trip of transformation. In the end, it was the connections she made along the way that made the trip such a fantastic experience.You can learn more about Anastasia on her YouTube channel, Anastasia Bouzdine. Join our community at www.warmshowers.org or you can reach Tahverlee at tahverlee@warmshowers.org.Instagram: warmshowers_org