And after more than a year of css-editing, it took me less than some hours to make this theme ‘mine’. For the most part it also has the same look-and-feel as my photo-site that I worked on a couple of months ago: http://photos.robokow.net

The only challenge was to customize the front-page and change some of the features that came with the default theme Irresistible from WooThemes. For example, inside the customized home-page I had to replace the Flickr-widget with ZenPhotoPress, which turned out to be a lot easier than I thought.

There is still some other things on my list (a good overview of projects I am involved in, for example as in a portfolio) but we are getting closer.

Deciding in Berlin for Somewhere in Portugal

Hundred-and-fifty people and amazing fun in Paris two years ago, just over a hundred in Odesa last year (a lot harder to get to, see video) and non-stop hitching adventures. The ones gathered are hitchhikers, first-timers and hardcore travelers. Nice reunions of friends and contacts, of people who share-alike.

Both times I helped (un)organising the events. And this year again I do my part, setting up the website hitchgathering.org and helping out with communications and outreach.

I am not so much of a scouter and both last years the location of where to meet was pretty much left to the last minute, literally. And again for this year, we have no clue yet where to meet, except for “somewhere” in Portugal. Fantastic, and perfectly alligned with a hitchhiking attitude.

It ain’t easy for people to embark on quite a big trip to Portugal if they never hitched before, and especially if people have to hitch through Spain (which can be a bit of an adventure). So there is a challenge for many of us to inspire and motivate them.

The day started with a great practical joke: on the casa-site I found myself back in a photo with the Dutch Royal Crown. If that wasn’t enough already, it came with a story “that several royals from across Europe will Hitchhike for the milestone birthday!”

Birthdays for me are always a good moment to reconnect with old friends and lost connections, which this year turned out very well. As another surprise, I even had grandpa coming over. It was great to see my 91-year-old opa here.

It is just wonderful to see how people care for you and what they do to show you their care. I received poetry, a painting, many good wishes and the people who are currently staying with me in the house, took really good care of visitors, a clean casa, and food around the clock.

My birthday this year encompassed a lot more than I expected. Therefore: a Huge Thank You!

I traveled in Europe without identification before and got held at the French-Spanish border for a little while (what do you mean “open borders”) while checking if my story was true (which apparantly wasn’t – but I got released anyhow). So I knew it could be done. But going to Germany is yet another challenge. The highways are full with German cops and they pull over anyone that looks suspicious. Not having your identity with you, is asking for to be taken in.

Traveling from The Netherlands makes you suspicious, for no other reason. Hence when my driver drove across the border, I was very unhappy to see dozens of police holding down all cars to search through. One officer was standing in front of us. A look into the car, a doubt of two seconds and we got cleared. Sigh, I took a deep breath. We could drive through and we laughed together – the price of the car, a German numberplate and the fact it had a very pretty female driver, might have helped.

But the danger wasn’t over yet. I got dropped off at a small parking-lot just before Osnabruck. It was cold and there were very few cars. After an hour a police car entered the parking and was driving slowly towards me, making me think fast of the story I would make up. Knowing that German police interrogate hitchhikers and check their papers quite often, I knew I was having a very good day as another driver opened its window just a couple of seconds later, offering me a 350 km ride. Thankfully I didn’t see more police after that (yet).

Grounded on earth, but flying like a bird. How do I decide what is next? I leave it be, I wait for ideas to come, play with them; juggle to see what stays up and which lands in my hands.

Tidal waves come in and splash their drops. There is salt on my body and I allow the rain to wash it off. Naked, I deeply wish to always be.

Roaming freely, looking further, while taking my time to embed my feet… trusting what is underneath.

My goal was to arrive in Antwerpen within 2 days, and after a short stay, to bike the last 160 kilometers to Amsterdam. The first two rides were perfect and I got close to the border with France at around six in the evening, leaving Barcelona at two in the afternoon.

So why not bike across the border, as I was on a not-so-good hitch-spot anyway? I assembled the bike, got the wheels together, the seat back up and my bags on the new bike-rack, that I had bought especially for this purpose. Just 20 meters on the road, the unfortunate happened. I was in shock looking at the front wheel axle split in two.

F***

What else to do then dump it right there and stick up the thumb again? It felt like abandoning ship but some hours later I was way into France -  tired and cold as the temperature had dropped almost 15 degrees since Barcelona. I waited 20 minutes for my Moroccan savior. He picked me up, gave me a place to sleep and fed me with breakfast before putting me back on the highway the next morning.

Three rides later I was 1000 kilometers further, on the ring of Brussels, in the middle of the highway; cars passing by in the dark with 120 kilometers an hour. It was cold and rainy. As Antwerpen was just 35 kilometers further all I could do was think back to my bike. It was as if my bike was telling me: if you leave me on the side of the road… please, enjoy my sweet revenge…

But my legs were not as broken as the bike wheels. After inner consultations, I headed back some kilometers towards the airport where I  got quickly picked up to receive a home-delivery. The nice coincidence? The driver, from the Basque countries, studied and lived in the same small city as I did in England, and we even slept in the same dorm…

Starday (the name of the bike), I do miss you.

I keep saying it, but it keeps amazing me how wonderful it is to hitch through Europe. This time things were a bit tougher than usual, I have been hitching through the night, had to sleep outside several times in parks and petrolstations, but every time there was a beautiful spot or people to help me out. And one night I even had a cat to accompany me.

Also, arriving at your next destination is even more wonderful when it takes you 3 or even 5 days to get there. From East Italy to Barcelona, with a stop-over in Avignon (France) to pick up a friend, took me that long. But somehow the rides and drivers, and how fluidly it moves into each other is simply beyond imagination… when you allow it to happen

Feeling the road

For more than a year I was looking forward to this month. The 7th of August 2009 was going to be the best hitchhiking day this year, I had this feeling in advance, but in reality it turned even better than expected.

First of all, I picked up a fellow traveler from a petrolstation rigth behind Krakow in Poland, 24 hours after a non-stop travel from Amsterdam. Being completely tired, only two rides further we were invited by a Polish family for bed and dinner. Some days later and many rides and crazy adventures including a round trip through some Ukrainan mountains to get to the rainbow festval, we arrived for the 789 festival in Odesa just in time (3 at night), thanks to numerous people, including a zen driver and two angels.

Things didn’t stop amazing me during this trip. I did not have any real plans, and so a week later I found myself back in Berlin, at a house that resembles the casa in Amsterdam very much. After having spend 10 days here, making new connections and helping to sustain the community, I now plan to go south again by tomorrow, heading to Italy. And who knows what is next. Life really is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.

And as if it was bound to happen: the day I had quit my job again, the day I was on my last day of hitching to work, I got offered new work by one of my drivers. I could not have been two seconds later at my usual spot as I was instantly picked up by her. Barely 15 minutes later she offered me to work for her, by making a television show about sustainability…

The show is already made and even broadcasted. It was a great success. The presentors and other members of the team were very happy with the work done and there is even the possibility to make more shows for them after the summer. And in addition, during this last day of hitching to and from work, I even got offered a bottle of wine by my final driver who dropped me off at my house.

Hitchhiking definitely works

There are many people who would appear here if I would list them. And way too many stories for a simple overview. Things have been really great, and there are numerous different accounts you can get your stories from. But one of the core values of these events though, might be the praxis of creation through the tasting of life and trusting.

[vimeo 3514257]

I am sure you will enjoy the video “Skipping Waste. Free (the) Food“, by Lily Barlow. While traveling and staying over at the casa, she made an awesome production about rescuing food from thrown away, and how to see waste as beauty. It documents six stories from three cities about dumpster divers, people who treasure and recreate trash.