Hitchhiking through France!

August and September I was back in Europe for 6 weeks, of which I spent 5 weeks in France.

What made me want to take a break from Asia?

Was it a rice overkill? A time out of zillion mosquito’s, sand flies and other stinging creatures? To find a store where my size underwear is not classified as XXXXL? The need for red instead of rice wine?

although all of the above hold true, it was not for those reasons that I fled the continent. I went to France for the sake of Love.

But as romantic as that may sound, my boyfriend and I are both low-budget travelers and France is a very expensive destination. Especially when compared to Southeast Asia.

So we decided to hitchhike our way through France while camping ‘in the wild’ (how wild can it actually get in France.. but anyhow, you get the idea.)

Carrying a tent, two sleeping bags, two air mattresses, some basic cooking gear, clothes, toiletries, groceries and of course paints, paper and the guitar on our backs transformed us into walking backpacks.

But honestly, this trip was the highlight of all my travels so far.

Hitchhiking is such a fun, personal and surprising way to travel. We met countless unforgettable people, taking us to places we would have never found out about on our own. They shared their car, stories, company and often even food and music with us.

It was heart warming, we experienced a level of generosity that I would have previously associated with non-Western cultures. Finding that, and even more, close to home opened my eyes and heart.

Thumming on the side of the road

When waiting takes long.. just make some music!

One of our ‘rides’. We did fit in!

camping ‘in the wild’ 😉

Bllowing up air mattresses.. And this.. every single day !

Cooking “In the wild”

Beautiful countryside of France!