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Todo Sobre Nuestra Casa.

HOME from martin de thurah on Vimeo.

A few people have asked me about the idea of "home" for a nomad. "Home" is a special concept, and nomads tend to make special types of homes for themselves, be them tents, yurts, caravans, or simply backpacks... or none of the above. And, occasionally, we come across a whole different category: nomad bases.

This is the story of a special "nomad base" in Amsterdam called "Casa Robino".


Below is a re-posting from the original website article,
12 Questions You Never Dared to Ask:



0. What is CasaRobino?

A self-organized travelers' home, a nomad base. It is also a real social network of traveling friends that keeps on expanding, who comes to their «Amsterdam based house» once in a while, to stay for just a couple of days or for much longer, who comes here to learn and or to contribute.

The essence of the casa's philosophy is that anyone here is everyone's host. We are all independent travelers who know perfectly well how to live our lives and who have a lot of experience in terms of hosting others. Therefore we are all hosts here and no 'guests'. We all share the house here and we try to reach to its potential, take care of each other and of the house.




1. When was Casa Robino set up?

The Casa is a process without a given start-date or end-date. There are different periods within the development of the Casa and it is not easy to be very factual about this. Some facts though: February 2008, robino started renting this house and the first hosts arrived shortly after to help building up the house. In June 2008, things started rolling with a hospitality exchange conference here. In August 2008, many hitchhikers arrived after the European hitchhiking day that gathered 150 hitchers to Paris. In October 2008, the website was set up by one of the hosts, which was also the birth of the name «CasaRobino». This name wasn't robino's idea by the way. He agreed to it, as the house is named after him, but not as in robino's house. This is an important difference. In principle the casa is of each who lives here, who has been here and who yet has to come.




2. Why did you come up with Casa Robino?

There isn't one source. It is a coming together of multiple factors, of multiple people and multiple ideas. The first factor was when robino was traveling in Istanbul and had the opportunity to stay with friends and friend of friends for umlimited periods. He could basically stay as long as he needed and as long as it was possible. That blew his mind and from that moment he believed in unconditional long-term hospitality as a new way forward in the hospitality exchange movement.

The second factor is that we have a large network of friends of friends who travel a lot, who don't have real homes, who are nomadic. We want to offer them a home where they can be themselves, where they won't be judged for what they do, where they can contribute with sustaining and building up the house and our networks, and relax at the same time and feel free to do whatever.

The third factor is that robino just wanted to live in the way he wants to, i.e. as free as possible and among people who can further inspire. The best way of doing that is to invite these people in a house which is theirs, and to give them open access. And as soon as he got his own place, he decided to share it with anyone who could fit in the house.




3. How many guests do you have on average?

There is no average and we don't believe in statistics. We have moments where we are with 4 or 5 people or sometimes with a lot more, which also depends on the moment of the day and the moment of the week. There are many sleeping places and it really depends on the amount of space someone needs, to determine how many people the house can take in.






4. How long do people stay on average?

It really depends on the amount of space there is. In principle people can stay as long as they need to, or as long as is sustainable for the house. People decide themselves when they leave by taking their own and other peoples interests into account. There are people who have been staying for multiple months and even longer. There are nomads who keep coming back, and nomads who never left.




5. How do people get in touch with you?

Most people are connected with us through our networks of friends' friends and through hospitality exchange networks such as bewelcome, couchsurfing and warmshowers. People also get to know about us through other friends, and new hosts are sometimes also literally send over by other friends. We hardly have to deny hospitality to these people. When there is too little space left, they mostly have enough flexibility to show up at a later time. Other people also contact us through the website or just show up. We also sometimes pick up people that we meet on the streets or at a meeting or gathering. It really depends per person and per situation and there is no official bureaucratic way.




6. What are the best things about Casa Robino?

- the people
- the atmosphere
- resourcefullness
- the love, caring
- we are all hosts
- punks & hippies
- the hackers
- the food
- trash/ dumpster diving
- trashwiki.org
- the garden
- the bikes
- the website
- the swapping
- hitchhiking
- mutual empowerment
- mutual inspiration
- lack of microwave and tv
- the hugs
- the casabook
- the dynamics




7. What activities do you share with the other hosts?

People here in the house share many things together, and undertake many activities. These things happen quite randomly, and range from traveling together by bike or thumb, going out clubbing, hanging out in Amsterdam's coffeeshops, etc. But we also for example organise clothes and book swapping events, and invite the local community and travelers alike to come and get some new old clothes and books. We also do a lot of skillsharing in terms of free software, such as the gnu/linux operating system and also web-applications, design, etc.

Every Thursday - for half a year now - we also have open dinners in the house. We go and collect food from the market, food they give away for free that is otherwise thrown away. We then cook together multiple dishes and invite anyone who wants to come along. The preparation and the dinner itself take on average 7/8 hours. We have welcomed well over 250 people for these dinners in the past 6 months.

Apart from these open dinners, we tend to cook a lot in general and in doing that we exchange our skills and knowledge. Since recently we also make our own bread. We have had two hosts coming over who travel around Europe by making bread (http://www.pastamadre.org), and who share their skills on how to do this. They travel with a type of dough that can be extended and which forms the basis of the bread. We now also cultivate this dough ourselves and make a lot of bread with it.

Other activities that we do: gardening, building things in the house, painting together, making art, philosophy, building/repairing bikes. We also do a lot of collective brainstorming for projects that people here are thinking about setting up.




8. Have there been any conflicts/issues that have risen since Casa Robino was set up?

Just some minor things, people bringing in meat for example, or people who are just here to 'consume'. But a conflict rather arises in the way you deal with it. And we tend to be very resourceful in explaining what we like and what we don't like, and why. Because of our approach to any potential conflict (in a caring way) they don't really arise.

Most issues might arise on a personal level. People come in and some can get a bit confused by no-one taking them by the hands. We expect a lot from the people who come in, and some need their time to adjust to the fact that we are trying to live collectively, no matter how short or long you stay here. For some people this brings up conflicts within themselves, especially when they are confronted with how other people perceive their consumptive behaviour.

The house basically loves initiatives. Sometimes new people ask 'can I do anything to help', 'do you need a hand', or 'let me know if there is anything I can do to help'. This is generally seen as a way for people of not taking initiative, as a way out for not doing anything. We then explain the new people there are many things one could be doing, and it really is the best way to look around what one could do, and to come up with suggestions themselves of what they could do. This way of being straight in our communication can be quite challenging for some people.




9. What kind of people show up in front of your doorstep?

A bit of everything but mostly travelers, nomads, cooks, hitchhikers, artists, spiritual people, cyclists, people who move to Amsterdam, squatters, hippies, business people who are looking beyond, cultural refugees, vagabonds, etc.




10. What are the rules of the house?

There are no rules actually. We have nine guidelines and one connecting rule, but we don't remember that one rule and the person who made it up isn't here. The guidelines are called "guidelines for sustainability" and are pretty straightforward:

'Guidelines for Sustainability'
* The house does not like dead animals nor fish;
* You take what you need and share what you want;
* Once you are in the house, you share the house;

'As a guest: be a host!'
* Open the door when the doorbell rings (and ask for the password);
* Welcome new people to the house & offer them a hug;
* Think of others first, before you think of yourself;

'Work Consciousness'
* Look around and act for what could be better/ improved;
* Think about what unique gifts you have to offer;
* Ask for help if things are blocking you or slowing you down;




11. How do you see the future of the house?

Bright! The future of the house is very much connected with how it is now, with who shows up and what is being contributed. There are however many ideas of where we would like to go from here. We really would like to encourage more people to create this kind of communal living spaces with a lot of space for travelers and nomadic people, where they can stay without having to pay, where they can contribute with their hands and their ideas. And we are committed to create more spaces for people in terms of dynamic collaborative spaces where they can live and learn.

Nomadic Collections

Question from: Anna
23/05/09 1.43


>> As a nomad, where do you keep your things?

>> Do you accumulate physical mementos when you travel?
>> Free clothing, letters, journals, sketchbooks, pamphlets
>> (not necessarily touristic)...things like that.

* * *

For ages now, I've stored my stuff at CasaRobino in Amsterdam. Before the existence of CasaRobino, my stuff was staying in a small 2-bedroom attic flat in De Pijp district of Amsterdam, where my ex-boyfriend and Robin subletted from a friend, together. When Robin moved into what is now CasaRobino, he and my ex moved my stuff along, as well. At that time, I was in Morocco for the first time (Winter/Spring of 2008), and wasn't sure they'd handle my stuff, particularly my artwork, well. At the same time, after not having seen or touched those things for the better part of a year, at that point, I wondered what was actually mine.

Being nomadic forces one to be less possessive, but I still enjoy accumulating little souvenirs: small wooden carvings from Thailand, handmade bracelets from Cambodia, a Mexican tin mirror, hand-painted ceramic Sevillan tiles, and countless personal postcards (as I'm pretty much visually-addicted), for example. The more I went on, the more I collected. In the beginning, I was mostly only getting rid of things. But by now, I've also been very fortunate to accumulate a lot of free clothing from friends, which carry a lot of memories and sentimental value for me. I love maps and journals and sketchbooks, too. I carried a lot of my stuff with me to Turkey, as I intend to re-base myself here. I bought some purple flowers at a market in Belgrade and hitchhiked with them to here, as well. They survived, and have finally been re-sprouting.

photo by Mert Şahbaz


I watched friends of mine who travel by bicycle pack their bags once. Although they could only take a limited amount of weight and mass, a good percentage of their gear was sentimental paper things.



Related Links:
World Passport
Swimming Cities of Serenissima

FAQ. Frequently Asked Questions, round I.

Frequently Asked Questions.
From: Nearly Everyone.



1. How do you pick up languages so quickly? How can I start to learn a new language?


The more languages you speak, the easier it becomes to learn new ones. We all develop different methods for learning. Here is mine:

Start with a few complete sentences that would be useful to you in some context, plus the most basic everyday words/phrases (which include: thank you, yes, no, maybe, tomorrow, later, now, a little... and so on...). These will form your basis, for pronunciation, grammar, and basic understanding. Compare the noises to sounds you already know in whatever language(s) you already speak to help you remember them. Write everything down and repeat frequently, so that you can absorb spoken sounds with written text.

Have a native speaker help you to break down these translated sentences into verbs, nouns, subjects, etc. Examine the structures: How do you form a sentence?

Next, pick the most commonly used verbs (like: to have, to be, to go, to do/ to make, etc.) and examine their rules of conjugation in present, then past and future tenses (it will get more complex for some languages further on... but start simply).

Once you understand the structures of sentence-formation and verb conjugation, you can plug in new vocabulary and start speaking naturally. Having a small dictionary on-hand makes it easy for you to look up words as they occur.





2. What is your favorite country?


I prefer a world without political borders. This doesn't mean without variant historical, cultural and social boundaries/ saturations, simply without nationalist alliances.

Morocco

Question from: Anonymous
01/02/09 16.42


Hello Amylin

I'm planning to travel Morocco in February and searching for people to give me some tips or contacts.

Sad enough that we will just have two weeks time, but we're planning to go along the coast and then maybe back inland cause we're taking the ferry to and from there. My experience is that it makes a huge difference to stay in hostels or to stay at other people's place that you know or that you get to know because that opens new and absolutely different perspectives on a country. I'm already searching at couchsurfing.com for hosts but I would be more than happy to get some insight information about places to go and visit or maybe contacts to people there.


* * *


Salaam,

Cool to hear from you. Morocco is one of my favorite lands, so I really hope you will also enjoy your trip.... Needless to say, it can be a frustrating/ irritating place, especially for Western females, but I'm sure you've already heard all the warnings a million times over. Instead, I will tell you that it is also filled with hidden charms, genuine hospitality, hilarious kitsch, natural wonders, delicious food, brilliant architecture, glorious sunsets, and adorable stray cats (if you want to sum it up into a nice little package).



I love Moroccan people, who are simultaneously strung-out and easy-going; this combination of contradictions, of unstoppable energy, of trade and movement-- And still in the same common thread of understanding, the same stream of consciousness, the same land that they know so well and are so proud of... You can spend two weeks in one spot doing nothing important, making small-talk with every soul that you encounter, or you can see virtually the entire territory in one breath, because it is, after all, not so large, despite everything. There are loads and layers of history, mixed in with cheesy Westernized modernity, ridiculous wealth and homelessness, like you might have in New York City, but except the dress code doesn't vary as much.



Oh, and motobikes! Marrakech, which is my favorite city, despite it's touristique bla-bla, and Chefchaouen, which is just "zouina", in general...

But best of all is any place tiny and off the beaten tracks. Avoid Casablanca; avoid Tanger; in fact, you can eliminate the coast from your itinerary all-together, unless you like being hassled, pushed around, and gawked at. In fact, I have been to all of these places several times despite their downfalls, but the most rewarding places are in the South, near the desert, and in the mountains. If you are open to it, you won't need to couchsurf at all because strangers will invite you into their homes. For the most part, you can trust anyone, as long as you also stand somewhat on-guard. The best hospitality comes from families, who are more than willing to accommodate you, treat you to incredible home-cooking, share anything, give without expecting in return, and ensure your utmost safety and comfort. Luckily, Moroccans tend to have a certain sense of positive fascination regarding foreigners, and are extremely welcoming. In big cities, it feels annoying and contrived, but in the country-side, it is simply adorable, and not-to-be-missed.



The very obvious and general tips that can almost go without saying are as follows:
1. You can bargain your way through anything. All prices can be lowered, with a small or big amount of effort, even fixed prices in seemingly Western-looking boutiques. You can even get free gifts in this way; people tend to have a giving nature, and that's a beautiful thing that we miss here, in the age of the EU.
2. Have patience, even when people are swarming around you. Staying completely calm, confident, and stoic is the best way to calm down others around you and get out of less-than-nice situations.
3. If you need something, you can ask anyone. Strangers are approachable in a different way here. Everyone is accessible, but some are more so than others. Women wearing full head-to-toe coverings (although there aren't so many left) are less approachable, and possibly uneducated in languages, so incapable of communicating, anyway... But, local authorities (gendarmes), hotel clerks, bus drivers, and café baristas will offer help without expecting anything in return. Of course, remember that you never owe anything to anyone, anyway.
4. There tend to be a lot of beggars in big cities, which especially target Westerners. Didn't target me, actually, but friends of mine. Generally, Moroccans assume that you will always have more money than they do, even if you are traveling with no money. On the contrary, there are also enormously wealthy people (families) in Morocco, as well.
5. When local people ask if you like Morocco, this is almost a test: To pass the test, talk about how much you adore the country and the beautiful hospitality that you've received from strangers. This encourages locals to live up to the reputation of simple generosity and sincere kindness.
6. The "medina" is always the most charming (and cheapest) part of any city. Don't drink the tap water, but do drink the fresh orange juice, without ice, and ask them to make it in front of you.
7. Learn simple words,and be prepared for cheesy jokes and silly riddles.
8. Hitchhiking is easy! Don't let anyone convince you otherwise-- and locals do it, too! (Not local girls, but whatever... it always worked well for me).
9. Nights can be very cold. Houses are ill-equipped for dealing with cold weather, and roads are ill-equipped for strong rain, which can be frequent and persistent. Morocco is a cold country with a hot sun.
10. The best way to bathe is not the public shower (unless you are shy, because they ARE more private than public, anyway), but the HAMMAM! Hammam is a Turkish-style steam bath, separated by gender, where you bring a bag full of supplies and enter a series of heated chambers, pick a space, and sit for possibly hours, scrubbing the skin off yourself until you at last emerge, renewed and refreshed in every way.




bislama,
amylin

P.S. You can hitchhike the ferry for free (assuming you are a hitchhiker, and can speak at least Spanish, French, and/or Moroccan Arabic). At the port in Algeciras, around the parking lots, ask all of the camion (truck) drivers that you can possibly find if they are going on the next ferry. Truckers have the right to take 1 passenger along for free. Once you load onto the boat, you can exit the truck and go to this special dinning room for truckers only, where they eat for free, using some coupons/vouchers their company gives them. This is a neat way to see the inner-workings of a travel: from a worker's point of view. And, it's free. Otherwise, the ferry crossing Algeciras-Tanger is the most expensive ferry in Europe, when you calculate distance vs. price. You go through passport control on the boat, when crossing from Spain to Tanger.


All photos from Amylin Loglisci, April 2008.

just vegan desserts

Question from: Nina Bacinger
25/01/09 14.56



I'm writing a vegan dessert cookbook as part of
my bachelor's work for university.
I was wondering if you maybe
had some recipes to donate to my book.

I'm trying to make it feel personal,
so I'd love to include many
contributed recipes.

* * *

Olá Nina!

I'll try to experiment a bit more and then give you my
favourite findings, because I don't make many
desserts very often.

However, a few of my usuals are here:

Vegan Fudge Cake (or Brownies!)



Violet Coconut Rice Pudding (with crushed pistacchio)



Sugar and Wheat-free (dumpster-doven ingredients!) Fruit & Nut Cake

Is there an age limit?

Question from: Khaled
09/01/09 01.30

Do you think that there's a limit age for hitchhiking ?
Because I'm thinking now about stopping hitchhiking, now that I'm 28 years old. Once I talked with somebody who hitchhiked a lot when she was young, and she said that when you're 20 years old, drivers understand that you're young and using hitchhiking as a way for free travels, but when you get over 25 years old, they will wonder why don't you get your own car instead of hitchhiking ?

* * *

Like anything else, age limits are completely relative for each person.

One of my best friends started hitchhiking around Europe at age 27. He is now a 30-something and currently hitchhiking around the Middle East, after he continued through South & North America, New Zealand & Australia, & Southeast Asia.

I always tend to think that hitchhiking depends greatly on both the image and the energy that you present to others.

I also think that there is really no reason for every traveler to have his or her own car, not only because of the horrendous environmental disasters (and traffic jams) that excessive cars cause, but because sharing (and trusting in strangers) is still a magical experience... As is letting go and dropping out: leaving things up to chance and coincidence; dropping out of the commonly-accepted monetary system.

A few months ago, when I was hitching to Morocco for the second time, I encountered an older-aged female hitcher at a petrol station. She was French and spoke some Spanish with a funny accent. She had a head full of wavy white hair and a big smile, but a seriousness in her tone, when she introduced herself as an "auto-stoppeur professionnel" ... "d'accord, Moi aussi!"

How do you start a huge trip or begin a nomadic lifestyle?

Question from: Sina Opalka
28/12/08 17.49

my dream is to do a big trip next year. i feel that i need it, but i have difficulty finding out how to do it. i'm not looking for the best or easiest way; just for the answer: "how to start?" and, how to start hitchhiking on my own? i've traveled a lot with friends, and sometimes by hitchhiking, but not hitchhiking alone.

* * *

The transition between domestic and nomadic life is one of the most difficult borders you will face in your travels. For me, it took some drastic action to push me out into the world... But ultimately, I learned that we do not need money or false concepts of safety to get moving: we simply need the will-power. If someone had told me that in the years before I set out, I don't know if I would have believed it. (In fact, someone had, and I savored the idea for a while, without moving at all.) But now, I know it. With the right intention, with a strong will, with pure action: everything will fall right into place.

In practice, for a single female, I think it's best to start out hitchhiking in your own country (whatever that means to you-- Although, I no longer want to see political borders in the world, there are still territories that we each claim to be our own; where we can feel comfortable speaking the language and grasping the culture). Besides having the natural advantage that you will have already mastered your own native language, it is interesting and inspiring to rediscover your home-country, by means of hitchhiking. If nothing else, it will help you develop and get further in the future of travel and life.

Consider that you know nothing right now, even if you have traveled around before, extensively. Erase whatever you might have learned. Start over. Re-learn. See it again. And, tell all of your drivers that you are visiting each place for the first time. They will treat you differently, more warmly, more openly. People do that when they want to make good impressions; when they want to show the most basic, reasonable form of hospitality, of self-generosity: they welcome you with open arms. You will find your power in growing comfortable with different types of people, in making conversation with strangers, in spreading your energy, in sharing yourself, as well.

You must abandon your fears. Hitchhiking works on the energy that you put out and others receive. You must be confident, and overall, comfortable. Hitchhiking is natural, and it is common in places where owning a car isn't the norm. Everyone who says: "hitchhiking used to be more fashionable, back in the day, but it is going out of style now..." doesn't know that hitchhiking is making a huge comeback because of new networks and online communities, which spread knowledge, advice, ideas, and most of all: support.

I support you because I think that hitchhiking is the best way for you to learn about the world around you, as you grow and move within it. This is your world to take. this is your opportunity to live and learn up to your potential. Hitchhiking is freedom.

How to "go home"?

Question from: Dennis Collective
2/12/08 17.02





Dennis Collective in Amsterdam, photo by amylin


Dear Dennis Collective,

I also revisited NYC around this time last year and faced generally the same set of challenges with re-introducing my new self to old friends, as well as finding new people to connect with.

At first, returning to New York felt like a regression for me. My fear was that, in returning to the place that I've "started out" from, all of my far-away travels would lose their meaning. New Yorkers are consumers of convenience, too lazy to leave their own boroughs... But I knew (know) what life is like outside the bubble of street-fashion, idiosynchrology, and over-priced 24-hour organic mini-markets. The busy city is constantly moving but going nowhere fast. Would I forget everything I've learned? Would I get stuck there, just like everyone else?

The first thing I tried to do was make mini-escapes. I hitchhiked a few times to Montréal, took the cheap Chinatown busses to Boston, hitched a weekend in Rhode Island. This only mildly helped to assuage my guilty feeling of stagnancy.

Back in The Big Apple, seeing familiar faces felt strange after such a long span of only seeing new things. I had changed in ways I couldn't even exactly put my finger on. It was better to acknowledge these changes, rather than pretend like I had continued on in normal fashion. True, my old friends didn't all quite understand what it meant to travel as a "non-tourist"... But I had a lot of stories to tell them, and this also helped me to remember (squat toilets in bus stations, cold showers every day for months, walking for hours on roads under construction until a vehicle came to hitch, the first morning naked in the cold New Zealand ocean, Cambodian children, the way Jeremie dumpster-dove mango and sticky rice in Chiang Mai then realized afterwards it could have been a bad idea, riding in the backs of Chinese dump trucks, all of the bright blue skies everywhere, all of the cold days in the rain, learning tolerance, freedom and hospitality... )

And people tended to respond in cliché ways like, "Wow, you should write a book!" Maybe so, I'm working on it... But more disappointing was the fact that, overall, they didn't really have the capacity to understand because they didn't have the nerves to get up, leave their jobs, and start living for themselves. I needed to find more people who already knew how to do this. And, most of all, I wanted to be a traveler in New York, not a local. I needed rediscovery. It didn't matter that I was already familiar with the city; I told all of the people that already knew the "old me" that I didn't know where I was; that I was just traveling here, passing through.

And, I started introducing myself to new people, slowly... then quickly. I wanted to meet other nomads, artists, like-mindeds. And some wonderful things happened. I made new connections, even without really losing the old ones. It just fulfilled a different part of me to meet people who could understand me, and who could also inspire me. I continued learning. That was the biggest accomplishment, actually: realizing that I could learn new things in an old place. I continued growing. And later, I continued traveling.

"Going home" can be a short visit or a long stay, and either way, it doesn't have to swallow you up and take your identity back. "Going away" can teach you so much, but it all depends on the person you are, not the places you go.

You've got so much energy that you can't allow yourself to sell out the way all the average boring people do. Plus, Brooklyn has so many layers of charm, so enjoy it while you're there.

abrazos,
amylin


Related Links:
CasaRobino

Just the basics... ?

Question from: Erik Livingston
19/11/08 20.42




Hey Erik,

This has taken me a while to respond to, because it's one of those big, intense questions. I guess it's not so much a question of "How does it work?" but "Can it work? Is it possible?" I think you're looking for proof that this way of life exists; that it's feasible. So, I want to write the thing you've been waiting to hear: Yes, anything is possible.

Now, let's break it down:

1. Your most basic life needs are not universal to everyone else's.

Sure, we all need water, food, air, etc, but we have other needs, too-- the things that really keep us going. These are variable, and once you know what yours are, it makes traveling lightly a lot easier, because you'll know where you stand and where to set your boundaries.

For me, I live comfortably the way that I want to, but I have certain basic requirements to maintain health/happiness, according to my standards. I want to eat well (vegan!) and balanced. I want to live in spaces that are not too dirty or chaotic; that feel warm and flexible and free. I want enough positive stimulation from outsiders to keep me learning and motivated, and enough privacy to allow me to digest, respire, and create. I need other things, too, but these are just a few basic examples. After traveling for so long, I know what my needs are and when they change.


According to these principles, I've learned that
2. a person's level of happiness does not always coincide with the amount of money that they have.

I haven't spent any money this past week, but I've accomplished a lot of the things that I was looking to, and I've met some interesting new people, as well. I've noticed that I don't eat any less healthy when I am completely broke; I just acquire food in different ways (i.e. dumpster diving, invited hospitality, whatever seems to be the best for the time and place).

Money doesn't say anything about the character of a person who has it. It's like how some people have blue eyes. I have brown eyes. It just happens that some people have it and others don't. (Of course many people do not share this opinion. Many people judge themselves and others by their financial earnings. That's also something


3. Obviously, mobile phones are not obligatory and/or necessary to nomadic survival.

Living without a mobile phone is like cutting off the strings to a marionette. Without this "tracking device", however, it becomes your responsibility to contact the people that you want to meet, so when you feel a need to make phone calls, you must do so at the mercy of others. In New York, it always worked well for me to stop a random person on the street and ask to make a quick call on his phone. In the Netherlands, I would say that I'm "on holiday" and "can't find the payphones" (There are none, but somehow culturally, the Dutch seem to be more willing to help if they think that your intention was to pay for the call, not just bum a free one off of them. They'll usually happily oblige and let you make a quick local call or SMS on theirs if they have the credit for it.)

The (dis?)advantages are that others (like your hosts or old friends) are forced to be more creative when it comes to finding ways to contact you. However, the benefit of this is that you leave yourself open to "bump into" the right people in a random way. In the time before cell phones, people still rang each other's doorbells randomly, and I truly miss that sort spontaneity. I miss random curiosity and friendly intrusiveness. I'd replace it with all the plans and dates and schedules and preparations, any day.

As far as internet goes, I see that as a necessary evil. I don't want to spend sunny afternoons behind screens in rooms with closed doors, however, I do like to keep in touch with people I meet, and the internet is a free and incredible way to do this. If you are really going to be traveling for a very extended period of time and don't want to lose all of the new contacts that you'll meet on the road, internet is one of the best ways to keep ongoing dialogs. But it's also a choice.


4. Preparation is (mostly) futile.

You can't really prepare yourself for the big surprises that you will encounter. You can buy gear ahead of time (i.e. a backpack, a tent, a knife, a camera, raincoat, whatever), but you'll only know what you really need after trial and error. Things that you need also vary according to season, place, culture, and sense of comfort. Be flexible. If you don't use something, don't be afraid to lose it. If you need something, search for it.

I could go on and on about the nitty gritty difficult things that I've experienced, but I don't know if it would help you or not, since everyone's experiences are different. These stories are entertaining and worth hearing for their own sake, but as far as surviving in harsh conditions, finding your own way is what teaches you the most.

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Basically: go for it. All of the mistakes you make will be your own and will also teach you something.



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