Why and how?

Life is short, and we only get to live it once. I want to look back and say I did exciting things and lived life on my own terms, not say I spent my life reading blogs like this during my lunch break while wishing I was doing the same thing.

No one dies going “If only I had spent more time in the office!”

In this western lifestyle, you go to school, you get a job, you get married, you buy a house, and have your 2.5 children. Society boxes you in and restricts your movements to their expectations. It’s like the Matrix.

Well, I’m stepping out of the Matrix for now.

While society thinks traveling is something everyone should do at one point, it is only gap years after college or short vacations that are acceptable.

Everyone is told how to live their lives in a programmed schedule and money-based manor.

I just want a taste of not living my life like that. And if I like it, I’ll try to find ways to extend it as long as possible.

So now I’ve given you an idea why I decided to go on this trip. Now I’ll try to explain how I want to achieve it without money.

First things first. I won’t be the ‘homeless’ guy begging for food or a place to stay the night. I’m willing to pay for my daily needs and give back for what I get. Just not with money.

It might not be that straight forward, but that’s the goal.

I’ve got myself some backup money for emergencies. And if people really want to pay me money for my work, I won’t deny it. I’ll just use it to keep using my phone, save up for emergencies and maybe sometimes ‘take a day off’.

So basically I’m gonna try to work for food and accommodation day by day. Maybe sometimes for a few days, but I want to keep moving and see as many places as possible.

For the traveling part itself, I’ll be mainly hitchhiking. This might take some time to get good at, but challenge accepted!

I think there’s a lot to learn about myself, communicating with others and especially the world itself. I want to learn these things in my own way, at my own speed.

Simple things like:

• How do I handle rejection?
• Feeling more comfortable talking to strangers.
• Different perceptions on life.
• And most of all, really getting to know myself and what I want to be.

So there you have it. This is why and how I’m planning on going on a no budget trip around Europe.

I’m not quite sure for how long I’ll be traveling. I mean, as long as it’s fun and I’m still learning on a daily basis, there’s no reason to stop.

For anyone interested or hesitating:

Just live your dreams. Everything’s possible if you really want to.