Rebecca Lowe is a freelance journalist from London who specialises in human rights and the Middle East.
In 2015-16, she cycled 11,000km solo from London to Tehran.
Her first book, THE SLOW ROAD TO TEHRAN, documenting her year-long journey, paints a living portrait of the Middle East through its people, politics and historic relationship with the West, and challenges much of the perceived wisdom about this region of the world. It was published in March 2022 by September Books in the UK and MVG in Germany.
During her career, Rebecca has written for the Guardian, BBC, Independent, Huffington Post, Economist, Sunday Times Magazine, Daily Mail, Evening Standard, Spectator and IranWire, as well as numerous travel, music and sports magazines.
From 2010-15, she was the lead reporter at the International Bar Association, where she focused on human rights and the rule of law, and in 2018 she contributed to the adventure travel anthology THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS: TRAVEL STORIES THAT MAKE YOUR HEART GROW, published by Summersdale.
Rebecca is a Fellow at the Royal Geographical Society and holds a BA in English Literature from Cambridge University and an MA in Journalism from Stanford University, where she was awarded a scholarship.
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Show notes
Who is Rebecca
Being a journalist for over a decade
Becoming interested in the Middle East
Deciding to quit her job and cycle from London to Iran
Becoming a new mum while finishing off her new book
The challenges of motherhood and juggling work
Being adventurous and having an independent spirit
Being into sports and playing with the boys
Where her interest in the middle east came from
Always wanting to become a writer
Explaining what the Arab Spring is (2010- 2011)
Her journey with cycling
Trying to find a bike via sponsorship
Learning to cycle with Panniers
Packing everything!!
Not feeling prepared before the trip
Learning how to deal with new situations
Getting into her cycling rhythm
Going from West to East
Feeling overwhelmed by undertaking big challenges
Concerns and fears before starting the journey
The challenges of being a journalist while travelling
Taking precautions before the trip
The benefits of being a woman in the Middle East
What it was like day to day
Having a budget of £15 per day
Trying to avoid the heat
The wonderful food!
Learning different cultures
Getting to the end of the trip and being ready to finish
Dealing with punctures
Arriving into Tehran and getting to the finish line
Missing the Uk
The lessons learning from time spend on the road
Feeling more confident and being able to cope with new situations
Connect with Rebecca
Final words of advice
Start slowly and push those boundaries
Why you can go on Big Adventures
Mantra and powerful quotes
Social Media
Website: thebicyclediaries.co.uk
Instagram: @reo_lowe
Twitter: @reo_lowe
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