Retired neurosurgeon Ralph Rydell, MD, decided to embrace his newly freed time by traveling the world for "romance and adventure," according to Tampa Bay Times. Seventy-five-year-old Dr. Rydell was in practice for 48 years.
Here are five highlights:
1. Dr. Rydell tried to mostly travel by public transportation. He avoided airports, just sticking to land and sea, because he wanted to experience the world's populations. He wanted to see peoples' agriculture, housing, transportation, history and geography firsthand.
2. He was particularly interested in gaining a deeper knowledge of "history, ancient civilizations, the spread of DNA and migrations of peoples, origins of religions and geography," according to the article.
3. His adventure started from his home in Tampa, Fla. After taking an Amtrak train to New York, Dr. Rydell and his wife boarded the Queen Mary 2 to cross the Atlantic to the United Kingdom.
4. Using the Eurail pass, Dr. Rydell made his way through Belgium, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey.
5. During his world journey, Dr. Rydell made his way through Cappadocia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and China.