When I met Jack’s friend Matt Johnson, I thought he was crazy. Here was this good-looking kid who seemed perfectly normal otherwise, but he was in Boston en route to Europe, all a part of his 1-year trip around the world … on a motorcycle. You can read all about Matt’s adventures at 5pairs.

Growing up in Charleston and seeing the leather-clad bikers go up and down Highway 17 every May to Bike Week in Myrtle Beach–no, I am not making this up, and yes, this is a real annual event–I definitely associate a very specific stigma to bikers, and while it is not entirely negative, it is certainly not positive.

But admittedly it does sound pretty cool to tell your friends, kids, and maybe even grandkids, “yeah, when I was in my 20s, I biked around the world.” But, who even comes up with an idea like that? And who actually follows through?

For one, Matt Johnson. For two, Andrew Norton and J Hite, two kids I went to high school with, who have no idea who Matt Johnson is, but who have the same idea of going around the world on their motorcycles. Thanks for the news tip, Katelyn. Andrew and J’s travels are documented at DualsportDiary.

One Matt Johnson was weird enough, but two groups of people with no knowledge of each other all deciding to bike around the world?? Does anyone else find this odd? Who would have thought that this would the ultimate chic way to exert some manliness in this here 21 century America?