An overcast but warm Sunday afternoon lends itself to attention divided by skype, maps, coffee top-ups and turning thoughts into words. Attention diverted from un-certainty and stillness to opportunity and
living high, mighty and righteously. Among the scatter of the table, a leaflet advertises the
Henry Hudson 400.
The man above may or may not be Henry Hudson. No known portraits exist but encyclopaedias and history books around the world offer this as the real Mr Hudson. He was a 16th century English explorer. Amsterdam is where he called home and where he re-charged his ideas and limbs. I agree, Amsterdam is a great place to be, just
be. Whatever that means for you. It's always nice to travel but the feeling of returning to the city where BMW's give way to bikes is warm.
Its sad the vocation of full-time explorer has disappeared from our collective existence. We've fallen into habits of consulting books, bombarding forums and finding comfort in knowing each corner of our globe is covered by a Lonely Planet guide. Personal experience and reflection teach that is both helpful and tragic. Sure, the LP books are helpful when you're stranded at Manila bus terminal at 2am on Christmas morning. I used mine as a makeshift pillow. But in the grander scheme of gaining an enriching experience from your inter-continental adventures, its no fun trying to explore surrounded by McDonalds signs and internet connections. Mr Hudson didn't have a Lonely Planet guide. He travelled with a thirst for adventure and childlike curiosity.
Children make good explorers. Their innocence eliminates risk and curiosity becomes the governing body. I express gratitude for the recent lower school assembly and the learning of Henry Hudson. I also express gratitude to the children i share my workspace with, i learn as much from them as they do from me.
So, with lessons in
being open and
being an explorer in mind, i'll soon take to the roads of central Europe to discover and explore tiny pockets and unknown (to me at least) villages of Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Italy and France. I'll spend no time on motorways, little time in cities and all my time with a Korean girl i've never met. The back of the jeep will be decked out with a tent, a backpack full of clothes, a BBQ, modest cooking utensils and no laptop.
When setting out on his explorations, Henry Hudson was searching for a northeast shipping route to India. My premise is much simpler. I'm travelling for hedonism. For pleasure. Because i want to. Because schools out for summer. Because i have some modest money in the bank. The pleasure of waking up on a beach to make bacon & honey sandwiches, the pleasure of driving through ancient French villages with a nice iPod playlist, the pleasure of making a bed under the stars, the pleasure of sharing a few minutes or a few days with friends i've not yet met, the pleasure of eating authentic cuisine & drinking locally made wine, the pleasure of no schedule, people to see or things to do, and the pleasure of packing life into the back of a jeep to move on to the next coastal village.
Apart from the mechanics of the jeep and the strings & pegs of the tent, my other tool in exploration is a website and philosophy called
Couchsurfing. I've been a member for nearly 4 years and it's the only piece of social networking i swear by. In a nutshell, you build a profile and you're free to interact with the world under the premise of sleeping on the worlds sofa's and crashing it's spare rooms. In times when hitch-hiking is dying out, hospitality towards strangers can be hard to come by. Couchurfing has more than a million people registered in 232 countries. That's a million people open, ready and willing to meet you at the station, show you some sights, cook with you, share an evening, share breakfast and send you on your way.
And i'll return the favour.
Throughout these past 4 years, Couchsurfing has given my travel adventures flavour and stories i could never have imagined. I've met with strangers and departed good friends in far-flung corners of Asia, and hope to cross paths again. But in keeping with living now,
Yumi is my newest Couchsurfing buddy.
Since close friends and their circumstances politely declined invitations to share my summer adventure, the thought of solo travel briefly flirted with me. After all, solo travel gives increased opportunity to slouching around in ones undergarments. As attractive and appealing that idea is, i decided to open up the passenger door of the jeep to Couchsurfers worldwide. Yumi replied to my invitation and after several e-mails she's already a friend. We share most things Korean, a love of Jaso Mraz and a favourite film. We'll meet for the first time when i pick her up at Frankfurt Airport.
Go build yourself a Couchsurfing profile and see what happens; couples, groups, the gay, the elderly, the rich, the poor and families are all welcomed.
Surf, host and explore where you live, you wont regret it.
It's easy like a Sunday afternoon.
Thanks for hanging around,
- GlennP.S... For exploring acoustic music without standing in a large crowd, look no further than your own
living room.
Life was perfect.
The blissful optimist and Korean Princess then made a home in the village of Simmern while they waited for news of the jeeps repair. Simmern was kind. The village provided a first-rate Suzuki dealer & workshop, refreshing Bitburger beer and a comfortable hotel on Schloss strasse.
Even Frank Sinatra was happy to be in Simmern.
The stay in Simmern was short. Having returned to homely Amsterdam, the blissful optimist and Korean Princess thought long and hard about a costly repair bill as the jeep lay restfully back in Simmern. The decision process aided by a very helpful and wise man and woman.
