Hans von Meister

Having moved every 3 years in a childhood that spanned 3 continents, Hans has always had a passion for adventure. Learning how to ride dirtbikes in northern New Jersey gave him an outlet for that passion, and after hiking the Wind River Range in Wyoming for a month prior to highschool, he knew that exploring the world would become a life-long pursuit.

Working for the USA Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo amidst pavilions full of tourism advertisements, the idea was born to stumble through South East Asia on recently purchased motorcycles. Called the Great Ride Forward, it would be a life-changing journey spanning 5 countries and 8000 kilometers over 2 months.

Hans is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder, double-majoring in Chinese and Mathematics. During that time, he volunteered teaching Chinese at local elementary schools and was the PR Officer for the largest Asian student organization on campus. Most recently, he was working for the USA Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo and currently still lives in Shanghai.