The Birth of a Hitch-hiker

They say that the world is an open book and those who do not travel read only one page. I agree. But I also think that those who travel as tourists, read only the headlines. Excursions are a good thing. They give you the opportunity to visit different countries, to take a lot of selfies in front of many famous landmarks, to try the cuisine served as part of the all-inclusive menu on the trip offer you found. It's all good and most of all - it is safe. Vacation travels come with an itinerary, a list of places you will visit, description of the ways and lenght of transportation you will take. And if something bad happens on the road, you can always hold the travel agency responsible for it. But this luxury also comes with a luxurious price. And perhaps that's the reason why the majority of people consider travelling as the habit of the rich.

But as I said, excursions are nothing more than reviewing the headlines. You can't immerse yourself in the country's culture, to live as a native, to understand the worries and concerns of the nation, to know how they have fun, for whom they vote, what's worth visiting off the beaten path. To get to know their habits and their language, to get beneath the surfice and to realize that in the end, they are no different than you are. To find yourself in them and to love them. Here is what Erasmus gives you - a chance to read the entire page.

My book's pages didn't flip far. From Bulgaria I went to Romania - a neighboring country I knew almost nothing about. My choice was inconceivable to my loved ones - "What are you going to do in Romania? They have only Gypsies there. Are you gonna eat Mamaliga or what? They are worse than we are. " According to my fellow Bulgarians, there was nothing good waiting for me, and my expectations did not outweigh the pack of vampire dogs I imagined to be chased by.

I think the key to happiness is to have low expectations. That is why I couldn't be happier when I discovered this country of history, traditions and breath-taking nature. I was fascinated. I wanted to conquer it. To see everything it had to offer. To breathe the air, to taste the food and to splash the water in my face. To make it my own. To sign at the bottom of the page and to be able to say - I know Romania.

I started making research of what is there to see. I drew routes, created plans for trips. The Railway that became free for students was the main choice of transportation but there were places where the train didn't reach. Locations known only by the locals and not published in the guide. So, immersing in the wild nature of the Carpathians, I found a new way to travel. Far from terminals and shiny lobbies. Something I've only seen in the movies and thinking - you have to be crazy to do it. Especially in this world of murder, rape, and terorists. Romania opened my eyes for the Hitch-hiking.

If a friend of mine had told me that she was planning to hitch-hike in a foreign country so she can visit places, I would have thought two things - she's completely mad; this is insane. What if she gets into a car with a pervert? What if someone raped her or killed her on the road? What if they leave her somewhere in the wilderness and there is no one to bring her back?

Maybe some of these thoughts crossed my mind for myself as well, when I saw how many young and old people are lifting a thumb on the Romanian roads, and I felt tempted to try it. Maybe I was acting reckless, even stupid. But knowing what I know now and seeing the places I saw, I could not imagine acting in any other way. Romania has taught me that the world is safe and full of good people who would help you without expecting anything in return. Just because they have good intentions and helping you makes them feel better. Also, I discovered that my mom was all wrong - it is good to talk to strangers, especially when you are on the road. And strangers are nothing more than potential future friends willing to prove themselves as such if you give them a chance. I have learned that every country, even the one with a bad reputation, has something to offer if you are ready to accept it. That beauty is in the eye of the beholder and if you are walking around with your eyes closed, you will never discover what beauty is. But perhaps the most important thing that Romania has taught me is to love life and to not limit it to just one page. And this is how a Hitchhiker was born, ready to flip many more pages from the book called World.

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