Hitchhiking

a journey towards trust in humanity

There are no ticking clocks, no schedules, no tickets – you decide when to start this journey. It’s your choice when to depart.

Once you embraced the energy of life and decided to go with the flow, to go with the wind, that is when the actual decisions take place – to stand somewhere at the side of the road and to wait for someone to pick you up. Some decisions are more calculated than other. When you ask for a ride, you normally have a goal in mind: a city, a country, or maybe just a small village to visit – enough to create an unforgettable adventure. But there are journeys without a clear destination, because destiny is what guides you!

a journey towards trust in humanity

Your vibration is invisible but perceptible. This is what will lead you through your travels, what will enrich your thoughts and your expectations, or, even better, what will allow you to be completely open to the unknown – no expectations. Trust and love for the world is what one feels when standing on the street, during rain or sunshine, through cold and warm times. Cars are passing by, sometimes many, sometimes just one. And then it happens. It’s like a magic feeling: someone stopped their car for you, to help you, to share with you, to treat you like a brother or sister.

Connecting with others

That is when the miracle occurs. Strangers starting to communicate and bond on different levels. There is the openness, the interest, the kindness, the helpfulness – giving and feeling good about it.

Every person carries this light within themselves. It is there, and if you want to see it, you will find it. People’s internal beauty is so rich, and their diversity so colourful and bright. You can learn so much from these encounters, from these great people who probably feel the same as you: open, connected, and liberal.

More than a ride

In over ten years of hitchhiking around the world, I have gathered only good experiences with interesting, generous and lovely people, who shared their time with me. Tens of thousands of kilometers are lying behind me, but the memories of people from dozens of different countries, the beautiful moments of joy, curiosity and adventure are still fresh in my mind. I learned many languages just by trying to talk and understand the people. Pilots, soldiers, priests, businessmen and businesswomen, truck-drivers, mothers, fathers, and so many others.

What is astonishing is that despite existing differences between people, what we share in common weighs much more: the belief in a better world, in which hate and violence, hunger and starvation, war and terror are things for history books. It is the belief that together we are more than the sum of our parts.

Sharing is everything and that is what hitchhiking is all about.

Video: Nikolas Konstantin

Text: Raphael Fellmer

Edit: Anca Gurzu