We’re just grabbing a free ride, right? Lowering emissions a little by hopping on someone else’s bandwagon and telling our stories to keep strangers company and entertained.

Well that’s all true, but what we’re actually doing by hitchhiking is planting seeds for change.

I didn’t fully realize this until a picker-upper told me this:

“You’ve just changed my outlook on life. I think I’m going to try hitchhiking. What did you call it? Wwoofing? Keeping what you’re doing. It sounds awesome. And remember, if you’re ever down South look me up. You’re welcome in my home any time.”

That was it.

I couldn’t believe an hour of talking to a complete stranger about my philosophy on life and the events that had changed me on my spiritual quest had actually created change.

I began looking back at my previous hitchhiking adventures and there it was: their ears always pricked up with curious delight when I told my tales of trusting strangers and getting back to nature.

I was spreading my knowledge and creating change. I wasn’t decorating it with what others talk about—it was merely my own personal experience.

I wasn’t advertising my lifestyle or permaculture, I was simply telling them my story: the journey of a girl who left behind everything that didn’t serve her spirit and went off into the world alone to seek a better way—a way with nature, a way of peace, a way of humanity and love—and how I changed from a corporate-clung drone to a free spirit and citizen of the world.

I told them how I began my journey a year ago as a wwoofer on a farm in France—how I’d never touched a cow before, never considered taking care of animals or living self sustainably, and never would’ve imagined I’d be building houses out of clay and straw.

I told them how easy it was.

I told them the hard part was letting go of everything I once had so I could follow my heart.

Some drivers cried, some inquired about the specifics, some seemed like they realized something important and others were shocked, but nodded in awe.

Each one was moved in some way, and that is no small step for humanity.

If there’s one thing the hitchhikers of the world have in common, it’s that we are believers.

• We believe in humanity.
• We trust people’s beauty, kindness and love.
• We love people so much we want to visit as many of them as possible from all over the world and share our smiles, stories and joy with them.
• We want to tell them that we trust them.
• With every couch we surf on, with every finger we stick out on the dusty highway, we hold a sign of trust.

That alone creates change.

By grounding ourselves in the depths of our intuition and placing our trust in the universe and its people, we create space for change.

Once that trust is reciprocated, game over. We’ve done it.

We’ve planted the seed.

Change.

That change is a revolution of people pulling down their barriers and defenses from one another, melting any anger, hate or fear and making way for love and connection.

In the end, it all comes back to us. If we can heal the disparity between one another, we can also reconnect with the land once again.

But it has to start from somewhere.

Someone has to stretch out their arm first.

Hitchhiking is just the beginning.

Trust me, trust each other.

Hitchhike and see the change we can make in the world.

Author: Tara Minshull

Editor: Evan Yerburgh

Photo: courtesy of the author