2026 has been a year of putting myself out there professionally and facing job rejections. My big dreams have not bloomed as much as I had hoped, and that has sadly left me feeling stuck.

Rejections can be great lessons in resilience, but after a while, they began to spill into my reserves of self-belief and encouragement. After being turned down for a dream job, I felt listless and hopeless.

Then I cycled Jeju Island in a day. The 234km challenge shook me up in the kindest way, reigniting my drive and reminding me of my own strength.

A familiar love

The exterior of a local bicycle rental shop in Jeju Island, showcasing a row of well-maintained touring bikes ready for long-distance trail riders.
Setting up the challenge: Finding a helpful local bike shop was the final piece of the puzzle for a tight, 24-hour weekend itinerary. (Image by Sofia Shamsunahar)

I have been working seasonally in South Korea for the past few years, and cycling across the peninsula has brought me immense joy. I love how well-maintained, organised and beautiful the cycling routes are, as they hug crystal clear rivers, cut through blooming farmland, and whizz through mountains. To top the experience off, you can get an official Korean cycling route passport and collect stamps along the route.

This year, I finished cycling and collecting all the stamps for the “Korea Cross Country” route, earning me a medal (which, hilariously, I paid for!). This addiction to collecting stamps and completing cycling routes in the country flared up again—what could I tackle next?

With me only being able to travel on weekends, it looked like the Jeju Fantasy Bicycle Path was realistically the only route I could complete within 2 days.

However, I was unsure how realistic that goal actually was. The bike path is a loop around the volcanic island that hugs its stunning coast. It’s a 234km stretch, which people usually cycle in 3 to 4 days.

A scenic view from the Jeju Island coastal bike path, looking out across the blue and emerald sea crashing against volcanic rocks.
Pure escapism: Cycling along the edge of the emerald sea offered a peaceful backdrop that gradually lifted the lingering weight of recent setbacks. (Image by Sofia Shamsunahar)

With my impulsive decision to complete the route, I needed to fly to Jeju from Seoul for the weekend. With last-minute flight timings not working in my favour, I would land in Jeju late Friday night and fly off early Sunday morning. With bike-rental shops closing before I landed on Friday night (I found a really helpful bike rental shop luckily!), it meant I needed to cycle Jeju from 7am on Saturday and drop off the bike by 7am at the latest on Sunday and travel straight to the airport to catch my flight.

Ultimately, this meant I had 1 day to cycle 234km, the furthest distance I would have ever cycled in a single day. My friends thought my idea was crazy when I told them about it.

With job rejections looming over me, as I started my cycle journey, the thoughts that circled in my head were “Can I actually do this?” and “What if this is another failure?”

Coastlines, craters, and wind

For those unfamiliar with Jeju Island, it is a stunning volcanic island off the southern coast of South Korea. Visitors can explore coastlines lined with lava rock formations, sandy beaches, and volcanic craters, or hike Mount Hallasan, South Korea’s highest peak.

The dark, dramatic silhouette of Mount Hallasan, South Korea's highest volcanic mountain peak, standing tall against a fading sky.
A quiet anchor: The looming presence of Mount Hallasan serves as a constant reminder of the grand, ancient terrain we were pushing our limits across. (Image by Johnny Adams)

The island has a complex history and is deeply rooted in Korean culture, while its fertile farmland produces some of the country’s most beloved tangerines and carrots. Jeju is home to the Haenyeo, the legendary female freedivers who dive for abalone, amongst other creatures, for a source of income.

Cycling along the coast of Jeju was a dream, where I got to experience the best of what the island had to offer. I got to see white sandy beaches, black volcanic rockpools, and cliffs, set against endless blue and emerald seas. I saw fields of Jeju’s iconic yellow flowers and plump oranges grown on trees, and Mongolian-imported horses roaming fields.

I would stop to buy bags of fresh oranges and munch on freshly baked salt bread. There seemed to be a CU or GS25 every 5 to 10km, beloved Korean convenience shops that sell food and essentials and are usually decked out with picnic tables.

When the ride got harder

A warm sunset selfie of Sofia Shamsunahar and Johnny Adams posing happily during their long-distance bicycle journey around Jeju Island.
Chasing the light: Reaching the 200km mark as the sun began to dip, bringing exhaustion but also the sudden, powerful clarity that the finish line was within reach. (Image by Johnny Adams)

I cycled the island anti-clockwise. With the Fantasy path following the coastline, it was thankfully mostly flat. However, the voices of self-doubt and negativity crept in when I got to Seogwipo, a hill section on the South-West of the island. Suddenly, every kilometre was taking twice as long as before.

Yet I pushed through, albeit painfully, taking a lunch break to reset myself, and eventually the path became coastal flatness again.

The sun began to set when I hit 200km on my bike journey. I was exhausted, yet the realisation that I could actually finish the around-island trip before my flight gave me the motivation to keep going.

When I arrived at my last red telephone box stamp station and stamped my last stamp on my cycling passport, I felt immensely proud. I had done something that many thought was crazy to do, and perhaps a part of me had not believed I could.

I started my cycle at 8am on Saturday and finished it at 2am. I found a place to stay for the night (or maybe “morning” is more appropriate) and I woke up at 6am to finish the last 2 km and get the last stamp, before turning my bike to the bike shop and immediately heading to the airport.

Finishing the loop

A close-up view of an official South Korean cycling route passport book, showing the final ink certification stamps collected along the Jeju trail.
Loop completed: Pressing the final ink stamp into my passport, proving to myself that the resilience I thought I’d lost was there all along. (Image by Johnny Adams)

This pride reminded me of the strength and resilience that had always been within me. I never lost it; I had simply forgotten it was there. Cycling Jeju Island in a day reminded me of that, and I left the island with a renewed drive for life and the confidence to keep pursuing the dreams that had felt out of reach just weeks before.