A new question for my Ask Me Anything (AMA)! This person wrote the following message, which doesn’t really have a question, but I was very happy to receive it. She likes that I don’t do much travel planning: So. OH MY GOD. You are my new hero!!!! I am totally excited for you and I can’t wait till I get a minute to read your whole blog. I have actually never tried hitchhiking before but I want to (I normally travel by motorcycle), and I absolutely love how little you plan and such, as I am the same way, IContinue reading
Miscellaneous
Yeah, you did it! You found the least-findable category page: miscellaneous!
Miscellaneous (adjective)
mɪsəˈleɪnɪəs
consisting of a mixture of various things that are not usually connected with each other
On this page, you’ll find all sorts of things. Anything I’ve written that doesn’t belong elsewhere belongs here.
Some posts don’t belong in a very specific category, such as ‘Danube’ or ‘Africa.’ Of course, some posts can belong to multiple categories, and ‘miscellaneous’ can be one of them. Some posts are deeply personal, some of them are goofy. And I guess I tried to make some of them useful and generic. The pattern is that there is no pattern. Categorizing stuff is hard for people like me: an agent of chaos.
Who knows, I might one day find that I have no use for the category of miscellaneous anymore. Perhaps I’ll change it. But I think you deserve a badge for finding this page at all. Kudos!
AMA: When you first started hitchhiking, did you do it with a mate or alone? Any tips?
A new question for my Ask Me Anything (AMA)! This person wrote the following message about how I started hitchhiking and tips for first-time hitchhikers: Hey! I’m going to Europe next July (I’m Australian), starting off in Istanbul then wanting to make my way across to the UK. I’ve been over there before and pretty much just stuck to trains and whatnot but I’m thinking maybe this time hitchhiking is the way to go (not the whole way, I’m not that ambitious and have limited time). When you first started out did you do it with a mate or didContinue reading
Tourist vs Traveler Debate: Don’t Be an Asshole
The tourist vs traveler debate is a real thing you’ll hear about often when on an extended trip. I think it’s a tiring, irrelevant debate that really bores me by now. So often you hear people self-importantly tell you at a hostel, hotel, or bar that they’re “not a tourist”. Is this a matter of feeling insecure? Apparently being a tourist is a bad thing, but why? Most of us who travel start out as tourists. We book a tour that includes a flight, hotel, food, and trips to the most important sights such as the Pyramids in Egypt andContinue reading
AMA: Did you have any major concerns hitching in Central America, such as Nicaragua?
A new question for my Ask Me Anything (AMA)! This person called Dave wrote the following message about hitchhiking in Central America (CA), in particular, Nicaragua: Iris, thank you so much for the very thoughtful and insightful response to hitchhiking in Central America, particularly Mexico. Very quickly, did you have any other major concerns hitching in CA (Nicaragua, ?) I followed your @Hitchhiker_Mind handle on twitter because I only signed up for Tumblr to message you. But thanks again, I really look forward to staying up on your travels in the future! Dave Here’s my response: Hey again Dave! NiceContinue reading
AMA: What is sleeping alone like while wildcamping?
A new question for my Ask Me Anything (AMA)! This person wrote the following message in Dutch. I’ll translate it to English and put the original in Dutch below. The topic is: what is sleeping alone like while wildcamping? English translation: Yoooo! You’re Dutch I assume? Respect for your lifestyle anyway, few people hitchhike solo, great to see. I wonder: what is sleeping alone like? Is it always scary to some extent, or are you getting used to it? I am planning to hitchhike alone and go wildcamping soon and I am curious what I can expect! My response translated toContinue reading
No-Budget Travel: Why I Can’t Be Arsed to Budget
Long-term travelers receive the same questions all the time about this dreadful topic called “budgeting your trip”. I am the last person to have solid advice for you because I practice no-budget travel. I cringe upon hearing the B-word and the following nonquestions: “How do you fund your travels?” “What’s your daily budget?” “(How much) Do you save for your travels?” My answer to all of them is either “I don’t know” or “who cares?” This is absolutely the most boring topic of travel, and that’s why I’m usually reluctant to share my views. So here goes nothing: First ofContinue reading
AMA: Were you afraid of hitchhiking alone in Central and South America?
A new question for my Ask Me Anything (AMA)! This person wrote the following message about hitchhiking alone in Central and South America: Hello Iris, I guess you got million times this question but it’d be fantastic if you could help with your advice. I need to get rid of my doubts and I finally push myself to follow my dream of hitchhiking Central and South America. I’m planning to do a similar route to what you have done. However, as a solo woman, I’m concerned about safety in these countries. Were you ever afraid of hitchhiking alone? How didContinue reading
AMA: Why do you think people are afraid to live free and trust one another?
A new question for my Ask Me Anything (AMA)! This person wrote the following message about the inability of many people to live free and trust people: I love your life and the way you see people. Why do you think people are afraid to live free and trust one another? My response: Oof, that’s a difficult one. I’m not sure if I know much about living free. I don’t really feel free. But I’m also not very focused on the pursuit of freedom. Trusting people is one of the most difficult things to achieve and maintain I guess, andContinue reading
23 Signs You Were Born (Privileged Enough) to Travel
Ahh, ye good ole entitlement issues! Nobody’s born to do anything in particular. Have you looked at babies? Yea, I thought so. Here are some signs that you were born privileged enough to travel the world: 0. No man, company, institution, or government owns your freedom. Privileged! 1. You’re not a stateless person and own a passport. You can go to an institution of your own government to ask for and obtain your own passport to travel abroad. Moreover, there’s no need for you to first obtain permission from a male family member. Likewise, you can travel as a singleContinue reading