He Lost His Home to Fire - Now He's "Circumdriving" the World... By Car
Historic First Circumnavitation of Eurasia By Car, by two entrepreneurs who just fell in love, lost their home in the 2025 LA fires, and their dog. Two-Year, 112,000-Kilometer Expedition Departed Rome One Week Ago, Will Touch Four Oceans and 75 Countries Before Returning to Starting Point.
Rome, Italy, February 16, 2026 --(PR.com)-- He Lost His Home To Fire, Now He, His New Love, and a dog are traveling the world’s largest landmass - by car.
Historic First Motor Circumnavigation of Eurasia
Two-Year, 112,000-Kilometer Expedition Just Departed Rome, Will Touch Four Oceans and 75 Countries Before Returning to Starting Point
And It’s Only This Couple’s Second Date!
Dr. Alex Bäcker, founder & CEO of drone teleoperations pioneer Drisit Inc., and Adriana "Bet" Bandera, Senior Industrial Maintenance Technician, have just embarked on one of the most ambitious overland expeditions ever attempted: the first complete motor vehicle circumnavigation of the entire Eurasian continent.
Departing from Rome on February 2 with their beloved rescue dog, Shadow, in a 2024 Subaru Outback, the expedition duo will spend the next two years tracing the entire accessible coastline of Eurasia. The journey will span Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and even the hitherto car-inaccessible Yemeni island of Socotra, before returning to their exact starting point in Rome, estimated to be February 2028.
A triple citizen of Argentina, Austria and Germany, inventor, entrepreneur and author, Dr. Bäcker lost his home in the January 2025 Eaton Canyon fire in California. This personal devastation led Bäcker to wonder, “What’s truly valuable, what really stays with us no matter what?” He says, “I began to look at not a building, but the entire world, as my home. In a funny way, I’m looking at this two-year journey to hundreds of places I’ve never been to as my new home.”
The expedition is expected to set multiple world records, including “First complete coastal circumnavigation of Eurasia by motor vehicle” and “Longest continuous coastal drive in history.”
"The technical challenges are immense," notes Adriana "Bet" Bandera, the expedition's Technical Director and vehicle systems specialist. "We're talking about a single vehicle operating in temperatures from -35°C in Siberia to +50°C in Arabian deserts. Every kilogram matters, every tool must be accessible, and every system needs a backup. My role is ensuring we can handle whatever Eurasia throws at us – and we're ready."
"Bet is the reason we'll make it," notes Dr. Bäcker. "Where else can you find a woman with the technical skills to fix electrical problems, the valor to face the Road of Bones in Siberia, and the beauty to negotiate difficult border crossings?"
The expedition faces formidable obstacles:
- The Road of Bones: The world's most dangerous highway, built by Soviet gulag prisoners, must be crossed, with early winter with temperatures dropping to -35°C
- Desert Heat: Arabian Peninsula crossings in temperatures exceeding 50°C (122°F)
- Complex Geopolitics: Navigating visa requirements for 70+ countries, including Russia (multiple entries), China, Myanmar, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen
- Vehicle Endurance: 112,000 kilometers over 24 months through every climate zone from polar to equatorial
- Island Logistics: Six major vehicle ferry operations to maintain coastal integrity
- Remote Infrastructure: Weeks spent in areas with limited fuel, food, or communication
But Backer is resolute: “We humans started out as nomads. The brain is attuned to change, and I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t love travel,” he says. “But even in this time of enormous mobility, too many people choose to stay stuck in one place. With today’s technology, it’s easier than ever to lead a nomadic life; the only thing holding us back is fear.”
Documentary Partnership
The expedition will be filmed by a five-time-Emmy & Peabody Award-winning documentary crew. The working title is "Circumdriving."
"We're capturing not just an adventure, but a portrait of the entire Eurasian continent at a pivotal moment in history," said Dr. Bäcker. "And we’re going to show that nothing on this beautiful planet is truly off-limits to two humans with a dog and a dream.”
The Expedition Team
Dr. Alex Bäcker – Expedition Leader & Navigator
Dr. Alex Bäcker is a neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and inventor who holds a PhD in neuroscience and has founded multiple successful technology companies, including:
- Drisit Inc. - Drone teleoperations and livestreaming software
- Top 10 - AI gamified dating app
- QLess - Revolutionary queue management system that eliminated standing in line
Adriana "Bet" Bandera – Technical Director & Logistics Coordinator
Adriana "Bet" Bandera brings critical technical expertise to the expedition as a highly accomplished industrial maintenance specialist and electronics expert with extensive experience coordinating complex technical operations.
Shadow - their rescue Gerberian Shepsky, who will become the first dog to complete a Eurasian circumnavigation.
Story Angles:
- Human endurance and determination
- Geographic/scientific achievement
- Technology meets adventure
- Female technical leadership in extreme expedition environment
- Industrial expertise applied to adventure logistics
- Documentary filmmaking in extreme conditions
- Overcoming adversity (California fire loss → nomadic lifestyle)
- Climate zone documentation (Arctic to desert)
- Cultural bridge-building across 75 countries
- World records in multiple categories
- Socotra Island (unique biodiversity angle)
- Vehicle technology in extreme conditions
- Equal partnership expedition model (vs traditional solo adventurer)
Developing Story Opportunities:
- Eurotunnel crossing (February 2026)
- UK/Ireland circuit completion (March 2026)
- North Cape arrival (June 2026) - midnight sun
- Road of Bones crossing (November 2026) - extreme cold
- Vladivostok arrival (December 2026) - Pacific Ocean
- Socotra Island landing (October 2027) - if successful
- Suez Canal crossing (November 2027)
- Rome return (February 2028) - expedition completion
Following the Expedition
The public can follow the expedition at http://circumdriving.com/ through:
- GPS tracking (daily route posts)
- Daily photo and video updates on social media
- Expedition blog posts
Media Inquiries:
Expedition Press Office
Email: pr@circumdriving.com
Sponsorship Inquiries:
Partnership Team
Email: partnerships@circumdriving.com
Follow the Journey:
- Website: http://circumdriving.com/
- Instagram: @circumdriving
- Twitter/X: @circumdriving
- YouTube: @circumdriving
Historic First Motor Circumnavigation of Eurasia
Two-Year, 112,000-Kilometer Expedition Just Departed Rome, Will Touch Four Oceans and 75 Countries Before Returning to Starting Point
And It’s Only This Couple’s Second Date!
Dr. Alex Bäcker, founder & CEO of drone teleoperations pioneer Drisit Inc., and Adriana "Bet" Bandera, Senior Industrial Maintenance Technician, have just embarked on one of the most ambitious overland expeditions ever attempted: the first complete motor vehicle circumnavigation of the entire Eurasian continent.
Departing from Rome on February 2 with their beloved rescue dog, Shadow, in a 2024 Subaru Outback, the expedition duo will spend the next two years tracing the entire accessible coastline of Eurasia. The journey will span Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and even the hitherto car-inaccessible Yemeni island of Socotra, before returning to their exact starting point in Rome, estimated to be February 2028.
A triple citizen of Argentina, Austria and Germany, inventor, entrepreneur and author, Dr. Bäcker lost his home in the January 2025 Eaton Canyon fire in California. This personal devastation led Bäcker to wonder, “What’s truly valuable, what really stays with us no matter what?” He says, “I began to look at not a building, but the entire world, as my home. In a funny way, I’m looking at this two-year journey to hundreds of places I’ve never been to as my new home.”
The expedition is expected to set multiple world records, including “First complete coastal circumnavigation of Eurasia by motor vehicle” and “Longest continuous coastal drive in history.”
"The technical challenges are immense," notes Adriana "Bet" Bandera, the expedition's Technical Director and vehicle systems specialist. "We're talking about a single vehicle operating in temperatures from -35°C in Siberia to +50°C in Arabian deserts. Every kilogram matters, every tool must be accessible, and every system needs a backup. My role is ensuring we can handle whatever Eurasia throws at us – and we're ready."
"Bet is the reason we'll make it," notes Dr. Bäcker. "Where else can you find a woman with the technical skills to fix electrical problems, the valor to face the Road of Bones in Siberia, and the beauty to negotiate difficult border crossings?"
The expedition faces formidable obstacles:
- The Road of Bones: The world's most dangerous highway, built by Soviet gulag prisoners, must be crossed, with early winter with temperatures dropping to -35°C
- Desert Heat: Arabian Peninsula crossings in temperatures exceeding 50°C (122°F)
- Complex Geopolitics: Navigating visa requirements for 70+ countries, including Russia (multiple entries), China, Myanmar, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen
- Vehicle Endurance: 112,000 kilometers over 24 months through every climate zone from polar to equatorial
- Island Logistics: Six major vehicle ferry operations to maintain coastal integrity
- Remote Infrastructure: Weeks spent in areas with limited fuel, food, or communication
But Backer is resolute: “We humans started out as nomads. The brain is attuned to change, and I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t love travel,” he says. “But even in this time of enormous mobility, too many people choose to stay stuck in one place. With today’s technology, it’s easier than ever to lead a nomadic life; the only thing holding us back is fear.”
Documentary Partnership
The expedition will be filmed by a five-time-Emmy & Peabody Award-winning documentary crew. The working title is "Circumdriving."
"We're capturing not just an adventure, but a portrait of the entire Eurasian continent at a pivotal moment in history," said Dr. Bäcker. "And we’re going to show that nothing on this beautiful planet is truly off-limits to two humans with a dog and a dream.”
The Expedition Team
Dr. Alex Bäcker – Expedition Leader & Navigator
Dr. Alex Bäcker is a neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and inventor who holds a PhD in neuroscience and has founded multiple successful technology companies, including:
- Drisit Inc. - Drone teleoperations and livestreaming software
- Top 10 - AI gamified dating app
- QLess - Revolutionary queue management system that eliminated standing in line
Adriana "Bet" Bandera – Technical Director & Logistics Coordinator
Adriana "Bet" Bandera brings critical technical expertise to the expedition as a highly accomplished industrial maintenance specialist and electronics expert with extensive experience coordinating complex technical operations.
Shadow - their rescue Gerberian Shepsky, who will become the first dog to complete a Eurasian circumnavigation.
Story Angles:
- Human endurance and determination
- Geographic/scientific achievement
- Technology meets adventure
- Female technical leadership in extreme expedition environment
- Industrial expertise applied to adventure logistics
- Documentary filmmaking in extreme conditions
- Overcoming adversity (California fire loss → nomadic lifestyle)
- Climate zone documentation (Arctic to desert)
- Cultural bridge-building across 75 countries
- World records in multiple categories
- Socotra Island (unique biodiversity angle)
- Vehicle technology in extreme conditions
- Equal partnership expedition model (vs traditional solo adventurer)
Developing Story Opportunities:
- Eurotunnel crossing (February 2026)
- UK/Ireland circuit completion (March 2026)
- North Cape arrival (June 2026) - midnight sun
- Road of Bones crossing (November 2026) - extreme cold
- Vladivostok arrival (December 2026) - Pacific Ocean
- Socotra Island landing (October 2027) - if successful
- Suez Canal crossing (November 2027)
- Rome return (February 2028) - expedition completion
Following the Expedition
The public can follow the expedition at http://circumdriving.com/ through:
- GPS tracking (daily route posts)
- Daily photo and video updates on social media
- Expedition blog posts
Media Inquiries:
Expedition Press Office
Email: pr@circumdriving.com
Sponsorship Inquiries:
Partnership Team
Email: partnerships@circumdriving.com
Follow the Journey:
- Website: http://circumdriving.com/
- Instagram: @circumdriving
- Twitter/X: @circumdriving
- YouTube: @circumdriving
Contact
Wanderlust Expedition
Rob Kutner
917-446-5919
Rob Kutner
917-446-5919
Contact
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