Teacher makes unusual proposal to take leave, rides a motorcycle from Paraná to Alaska, and prepares to return to his job in Brazil: 'We only have one life'

Teacher makes unusual proposal to take leave and travels by motorcycle from Paraná to Alaska Luis Frederico Petla is a high school biology teacher at a private school in Ponta Grossa, in the Campos Gerais region of Paraná. However, he hasn't set foot in his own classroom for over three months, as he decided to ride a motorcycle all the way to Alaska to complete the Americas "from tip to tip". The idea came up years earlier, when he rode his motorcycle with his wife to Ushuaia — the southernmost city in the world.

To make this new dream come true, Professor Fred, as he is better known, needed time. He also wanted to return with a guaranteed job, so he decided to make an unusual negotiation with his boss: he convinced him to grant him a six-month unpaid leave, while keeping his position upon returning from the trip.

Brazil's Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) allows this type of negotiation between boss and employee. See what the law says below. ✅ Follow the g1 PR channel on WhatsApp "I said: 'What if an employee asked for a one-month unpaid leave?'.

He said it was difficult, but there was a clause in the CLT that allowed it. So I said I wanted a six-month leave, that I would find someone else to teach in my place, and joked: 'Boss, if I were a woman and pregnant, you'd have to give me maternity leave..

And I'm even asking for it without pay! So if you don't accept, I'm going to try to get pregnant'.. Luckily, he's a really great guy." Teacher traveled by motorcycle from Paraná to Alaska Personal archive The request for temporary leave worked, and on February 28, the motorcyclist set off alone toward the far north of America.

The travel scenery included frozen roads, a wind chill close to -20ºC, and plenty of stories to tell. More than 103 days and 25,000 kilometers later, he crossed the border between Canada and Alaska on June 10. Until the date the professor returns to the classrooms — August 1st — he still plans to ride another route, one of the most famous among motorcycle enthusiasts: Route 66.

The road connects the western and eastern United States, from Santa Monica (California) to Chicago (Illinois). The plan from Paraná is for the total trip to reach 40,000 km, guaranteeing even more experiences under his belt. "So, my main objective was accomplished.

From now on, whatever happens is a bonus, a perk. Because I wanted to do the tip-to-tip.

I did Ushuaia (Argentina), Prudhoe Bay (Alaska).. Now, whatever else I manage to do is cool.

And if the motorcycle explodes tomorrow? I'll catch a plane, go back home, and have breakfast with my mom." Teacher traveled by motorcycle from Paraná to Alaska g1 Art/Google Maps Reproduction Browse through this report: 'Why not?' Three years of preparation and more luggage for the bike than for the rider What it's like to live on the road What the law says about work leaves 'Why not?' Teacher traveled by motorcycle from Paraná to Alaska Personal archive At the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, Fred joined the Officer Training Course (CFO), the main gateway to an officer career in the Military Police of Paraná (PM-PR). However, after completing one year of the course, he decided to leave the program.

For 'N' reasons I ended up resigning from the CFO and thought: 'Man, since I gave up something good, because like it or not, the officer career is very good, I'm going to start doing other good things for myself and my life.

So I said: 'I'm going to Ushuaia by motorcycle'". Then, when I was in Ushuaia, I told my wife: Since I'm in Ushuaia, why not go to Alaska? So it happened like that, in an informal conversation..

Because, right, we only have one life." Unlike the trip to the extreme south of America, Fred's wife couldn't join him for the journey to the extreme north because she would have no other choice than to give up a tenured public servant position. However, his wife plans to travel by plane to the US to meet her husband and accompany him at the end of the adventure, doing at least part of Route 66 with him before returning to Brazil. More traveler stories: By pickup truck: Family travels from PR to Alaska on a 35,000-kilometer journey By bicycle: Couple sells everything and pedals 7,000 km from Paraná to Ushuaia Three years of preparation Teacher carries more luggage for the bike than for himself Personal archive The teacher says he spent three years planning financially before making the proposal to his boss and successfully securing the chance to spend six months on the road. He decided to buy, repair, and resell motorcycles to create extra income and manage to save the amount needed to fulfill his dream.

"It was three years of heavy financial planning, because you spend the value of a house to take a trip like this.

It seems like if you're traveling by motorcycle, you spend less than by plane, but quite the opposite. You spend about 40 times more," he explains. The only stretch he couldn't cross by motorcycle was from Colombia to Panama, where there are no roads and the crossing is only possible by air or sea.

To transport the motorcycle from one country to another, he reports spending $1,500, approximately R$ 7,800. All the rest of the trip was done on a 300cc motorcycle, which is why concern over vehicle maintenance was a crucial factor in choosing the luggage for the trip. Fred jokes that while his personal belongings added up to 2 kilograms, the bike's gear totaled 15 kg.

Anxiety-free, I left home with three t-shirts, two pairs of pants, and a jacket, and along the way I picked up and exchanged parts. The backpack, which is a large camping one, is entirely filled with spare parts for the motorcycle: fuel pump, rectifier, cables, everything you can imagine for replacement. Then add a tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and water, right?! Because water is a must." And the precaution proved useful: during the 25,000 km trip, the teacher needed to replace some parts and make repairs to the motorcycle, both due to wear and tear and a few accidents.

On one occasion, a part broke during the only plane crossing. After the replacement, the same part was damaged again when the rider suffered a fall.

"Everyone asks: 'Oh, but what if the motorcycle has a problem, what if it breaks down? One thing I learned a long time ago is that someone on the road is never alone.

If you have a problem, someone will stop and lend a hand," he reflects. What it's like to live on the road Teacher traveled by motorcycle from Paraná to Alaska Personal archive Before the adventure, the teacher already had experience with long trips. He had previously traveled by motorcycle to Uruguay, the Amazon, Northeast Brazil, Bolivia, and Machu Picchu. To sleep, he looks for campsites and lives off the gear he carries in his luggage.

In more dangerous places, he looks for simple lodgings. He also seeks out homes of people who belong to motorcycle support groups and open their doors to adventurers.

"Regarding food, since the trip is long and expenses are high, I tried to eat the main dish of each country and, otherwise, cooked myself.

I have a camping stove that I use, and when I'm at someone's house, I try to go to the market, buy the ingredients, and cook a Brazilian dish for these people. It's a really cool cultural exchange." Teacher traveled by motorcycle from Paraná to Alaska Personal archive What fascinates the biology teacher the most about traveling are the natural landscapes, the people, and the stories he encounters along the way.

"My favorite part is seeing nature. The natural landscape is what I like most, without a shadow of a doubt, and after that, it's meeting people, experiencing these other realities.. And how you grow! I can truly say that I grew a lot personally on this trip." Teacher traveled by motorcycle from Paraná to Alaska Personal archive What the law says about work leaves Labor attorney Renato Roskosz Filho explains that the decree-law approving the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) defines unpaid leave as a temporary suspension of the employment contract.

"It is important to emphasize that this modality is not an automatic right, but rather a mutual agreement established between the company and the worker," he points out. According to him, the legislation does not require the worker to complete a minimum contract time to request time off and does not determine a minimum or maximum period for leave when requested for personal interests. The attorney also explains that the employment bond remains active, and at the end of the agreed period, the employee has the guaranteed right to resume their original position under the same conditions.

p> However, labor law does not provide a guarantee against dismissal after the leave ends. In other words, upon returning, the employee can be dismissed without just cause, unless there is a specific rule ensuring this protection in the category's union Collective Bargaining Agreement. "During the leave period, salary disbursements and the provision of benefits (such as meal vouchers and transportation allowances) are paused.

The months the employee is on leave are not counted toward vacation calculations or the payment of the 13th salary, and the organization is exempt from paying salaries and free from making tax and social security contributions, such as FGTS and INSS, regarding that employee." Most watched videos from g1 Paraná Read more news in g1 Campos Gerais and Sul.