Becoming a Travel Writer in Svalbard (Travel Memory #2)
I wrote my first newspaper articles at the age of sixteen. My first travel story came out a year later.
I replied, assuring that I would remember his invitation. I also complimented how well the space suit suited him.
In December 2017, I wrote to Michel again. I was in Mexico at the time and I had been on the road for 18 months. I told Michel about my travels and estimated that I could be in Paris in roughly six months.
Michel replied the same day:
“Hello Arimo,
What a surprise ! I thought you had lost yourself in the sands of a desert, or had sunk in an ocean, or that an Islamist had taken your life, and now you resurface ! I’m really happy to realize you are well and that your epic continues. I admire you, Arimo, for your determination and constancy. Me too, as I told you, I left France in 1965 for a long world tour of at least two years… until I fall in love with a Finn and decide to come back to Finland… Women are a tragedy for the globe trotters !
Anyway, you are welcome at my place in Paris, where I will gladly host you.
Get well !
Friendship.
Michel”
I stayed with Michel in Paris in May 2018. His house was like a massive library, and he had carefully archived his numerous writings from the past decades. Michel showed me his old magazine clippings. They included stories of his own travels as well as his interviews with people such as adventurer Jacques Costeau.
Michel was 78 years old yet active and full of life. Michel showed and translated to me how, in their interview, Jacques Cousteau joked that he would name his memoir “My First 80 Years”. Living to 160 wasn’t likely, but one could still dream, right?
Michel had no children and his second wife had died of cancer. In a way, I felt that Michel wanted to pass his story forward. Maybe that’s why he was so eager to share everything with me, a younger version of himself. Besides the articles and adventures, he also shared personal stories he had probably told very few people.
Our reunion ended with some misunderstanding. In our emails, Michel had told me I’d need to leave on Wednesday, as he had guests coming that day. This suited me well, and I had arranged myself a Couchsurfing stay in Versailles.
However, as Wednesday approached and my plans to leave came up, Michel seemed confused. He had been thinking I was staying until Thursday, and he seemed disappointed about my departure. He tried to convince me to stay longer, but I stuck to my plans.
As we said farewell, Michel seemed older and more frail in my eyes. Despite my explanations, he couldn’t understand why I was leaving. I was glad about our reunion, but I also felt that it ended on a sad note.
Michel Fellet passed away in June 2019, a year after our meeting in Paris. He was 79 years old. I learnt about his passing some time later when I searched his name on Google and read the news on Twitter.
Michel was a wonderful gentleman. I’m really glad our paths crossed.
I wrote my first newspaper articles at the age of sixteen. My first travel story came out a year later.
It’s been exactly four years since I finished my 777-day journey around the globe. Now it’s time for a smaller adventure in Europe.