I have the greatest friends in the world!
When I emigrated to Canada at the age of 9, I didn’t know how to speak a lick of english nor did I have a single friend. The language took a few months to master, but the friends came quickly.
My first friend in the Great White North was Mark Maw, who is now by my side here in southern Brazil driving the support vehicle for me. Mark, along with the rest of my elementary school and high school friends, are still my core group of friends to this day. I consider myself so blessed for this!

In one way or another, these boys have helped me out immensely during my first journey from Canada to Brazil and now on this second Long Ride to the end of the world. Eric Forsyth, today a professional photographer who I went to high school with, shot the first photos and videos for JourneyAmerica when I still had no support. Terry Indellicato, a friend who I shared the soccer pitch with in high school  and several basement apartments during University, put me up in Toronto last summer while I met with publishers to sell my book. My good friend Eric Roberts used his birthday party to raise money for the journey. The Kellett, Hall, Maw, Potter, Brazier and other families also donated to my first trip. The list goes on and on!
Well before I rode into the city of Cascavel in the south of Parana, another friend offered his help.
Ryan Spilar flew down to Brazil to join us on the journey for a week, and to personally deliver a donation to the Barretos Cancer Hospital from his company – Heart Lake Insurance Brokers.

“I think what you are doing is so great Filipe, Heart Lake just had to offer a helping hand,” Ryan said when he delivered the donation.
Not only did the 28-year-old help the hospital, he also rolled up his sleeves and helped me with the mares. Ryan helped lug hay bails to the ponies, carry water and even saddle them up in the morning.
“Man I knew what you were doing was hard, but I didn’t know it was this hard,” he said before flying back to Toronto.
What I have learned in this life thus far is that money, cars, houses, “material things,” mean nothing. They may bring a momentary happiness, but that happiness fades. What truly matters are the friendships we make along the way.
I’m lucky to have some amazing people around me and if it wasn’t for them I would never have achieved all that I have. Life is meant to be shared.