These People Went On Epic Road Trips That Changed Their Lives

Meet Matthew Karsten, a full-time adventure travel blogger and photographer. Be jealous. He also describes himself as a Vagabond, a digital nomad if you will. Although he has visited more than 50 countries, it was his epic Iceland road trip that caught our attention. Instead of driving his own vehicle, he rented a camper van, an ideal choice because it came with a fold-down bed, sink with running water, electric cooler, a gas grill, and even a battery-powered heating system and a solar panel. Karsten tackled Iceland's Ring Road, which took him past active volcanoes, blue icebergs, and stunning waterfalls. His photos speak for themselves.

The Tesla Model 3 may be the EV and tech enthusiast's choice, but it's also one hell of a Cannonball Run chariot. Cannonball Run alumnus Alex Roy joined forces with the car's owner, Dan Zorrilla, to take part in a coast-to-coast American road trip. As its name suggests, the Cannonball Run is all about setting a record time, and these two were determined to do that in an EV. In just 50 hours, 16 minutes, and 32 seconds, the duo covered 2,860 mile, from Redondo Beach, California to New York City. Total charging cost: $100.95. This Model 3 also happened to be one of the first examples off the production line, and now it has an even better title: a new electric Cannonball Run record holder.

Malaysian couple Mohd Alfishahrin Zakaria and Diana Latief went on an incredible journey from Klang, Malaysia to Europe on their Honda Rs150r motorcycle, which they named Miss Orange. During their five-month road trip, the couple travelled to about 25 countries. They did, however have to put the bike on a ferry from France to the UK. \ Amazingly, Miss Orange handled everything thrown at it, from harsh weather to rough terrain. When the journey came to an end, it was shipped back to Malaysia by boat. All three deserve a nice long rest before the next adventures comes calling.

How does road-tripping through the Philippines in an old Volkswagen Kombi van sound to you? We thought so. Alfie Agunoy, Francis Sta. Romana, and Paul Quiambao have dubbed themselves the Baconeers. All three are architects in search of adventure, so they figured a 10-month, 7,500-mile road trip through Philippine islands Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao would suffice. They called their beat up old VW "Cupcake" because why not. The Baconeers' beloved van broke down on more than one occasion, but fortunately Francis took a pre-trip course in repairs old air-cooled engines.

Think epic road trips are only taken by couples and guys? Think again. Meet these three Indian mothers who decided to go on a once in a lifetime expedition from Delhi to London in an Indian-built SUV. Their journey took them across 17 countries, including China, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. Everything from maintenance issues to language barriers were issues the trio had to overcome and, not to mention, proper documentation for themselves and their vehicle. Things work differently in Central Asia. All told, they traveled almost 15,000 miles in just 95 days.