Crazy Vagabond – Andrzej Sochacki
Andrzej „Jędrek” Sochacki – is one of the most interesting global travelers in the world. From 1973 he has reside in Arizona, U.S.A. and there he evaluated his diploma. Born with passion of the vagabond, went from education of engineer than master of the mechanical achieved, with and also photographic passion. He is over sixty five years old, native of Poland, from Warsaw, with Polish and American citizenship. About traveling he dreamt from childhood, traveled in Poland, from teenager in Europe and then from maturity around the whole planet. Then “Travel Star” in the world, famous extraordinary globetrotter, spent traveling over 11 years, with interesting life, culminating into vagabond lagged over 300 000 km, and 142 countries, on the six continents. Always he travels with white eagle on the chest … own land of birth on this world; does not imagine any different.
Jędrek is the only traveler in the world who encircled the Earth eight times solo by different means of transportation („VW-Beetle, airplanes, sail boat, trains, twice by motorcycle, „VW-Caddy”, „VW-Pasat”, Toyota „Land Cruiser”, Oldsmobile „Cutlass Supreme S”, Volvo-460). Presently he is performing his longest journey of his life, around the world near the border of the continents. Started:
I. 1977-79, by car „VW-Beatle” from New York, N.Y. (U.S.A.), 35 countries, 23 mounts
II. 1979, by airplane from Los Angeles, California (U.S.A.), 16 countries, 4.5 mounts
III. 1992-94, by Yates “White Eagle” from Las Palmas, Canary Islands (Spain), 15 countries, 18 mounts
IV. 1994-95, by train from Warsaw (POLAND), 15 countries, 11 mounts
V. 1998-99, by motorcycle H-D from Phoenix, Arizona (U.S.A.) 35 countries, 15 mounts
VI. 1999-00, by motorcycle H-D from Tokyo (JAPAN), 9 countries, 7 mounts
VII. 2007, by car, VW-Caddy” from Tarnów (POLAND), 13 countries, 23 days
VIII. 2008 – ? by vehicles on the edges of continents (Toyota „Land Cruiser”, Oldsmobile „Cutlass Supreme S”,
Volvo-460, Mitsubishi “Magna Sport”, (Buick “Rendezvous”) ):
1. NORTH AMERICA (2009) from Boston (USA), 2 countries, 3.5 mounts.
2. CENTR. AMERICA (2010) – from Phoenix, Arizona (USA), 7 countries, 5.5 mounts.
3. SOUTH AMERICA (2011) – from Cartagena (Columbia), 8 countries, 6 mounts.
4. EUROPE (2012) – from Warsaw (Poland), 34 countries, 100 days
5. AUSTRALIA (2014) – from Adelaide, 66 days
IX. 2014, by airplane from Phoenix, Arizona (USA), 9 countries, 4 mounts
6. (Africa (2016) – from Ceuta (Spain), 35 countries, circa 7 mounts?
7. ? (Asia 2017) ?
He has also made many smaller journeys, which could be the dream of lifetime for just one of us: – around the United States by 32 states next to the border, and two Canadian Provinces by car „Lincoln-Continental”, – around the Caribbean, including 17 islands-countries by different transportation, – into Central America and South by trains and buses, – around the Scandinavian countries by car, “Mercedes”, – to Alaska and Hawaii, by mixed transportation, – then around the Poland.
Our “Star” travels alone always with his primary rules: various kinds of transportation and new routes, during a different times and directions, from a different place, and with a the main goal, to meet many different people, ….always different. He saved for his journeys working by as constructor engineer position. For three years he performed the function of principal at “Polish Supplementary School” in New York. Presently, he is a Lecturer of “Individual Tramping” at “Higher Schools of Tourism” in Poland. He fluently manages languages: Polish, English, Spanish and Russian. A Journalist and a hero of numerous publications and press articles. He is known from many interviews on TV, radio, and with the media, both Polish and foreign countries.
THANKS TO HIS GREAT JOURNIES AROUND THE WORLD, HE IS ONE OF THE GREATES T UNUSUAL TRAVELERS.
Based on his own experience in world traveling, in 1992 he established an International club of travelers, – „THE VAGABOND CENTER” (The Foundation of the Vagabond Center) –in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Club-harbor – all friends of healthy spirit, and a free world, where they can have three days of food and free use of facilities.
Andrzej was a guest of “crown heads” and “heads of states”. He was among other guest at the White House in Washington D.C.; also was honored twice by pope John Paul II at private audience; the Dalai Lama in Himalayas; the King of Tonga on Pacific, and at office of the Polish President. For propagating Polish heritage to the world he was awarded in 2007, The Gold Cross of Merit, by the president of Poland.
Let us leave in our memory Jędrek’s words: “World experience is too educational to not travel”
To our accomplished traveler whose life motto is: „Without travel life is boring and longer”, we wish the fulfillment of his future
– Adam Glob
Press correspondent “Vagabond Center”
Phoenix, May 2015 E-mail: centrumwagabundy@yahoo.com