HITCHHIKING ADVENTURE

An 1100-Kilometre Eye-Opening Hitchhike to Paris

It was a fun adventure, but I wouldn’t recommend it to my kids

Chris at Junction 21 on the M1, just outside Loughborough, February 1, 1985. Photo by the author.

Have you ever done something you enjoyed and don’t regret but wouldn’t recommend to anyone else?

When my friend Chris and I signed up for the Loughborough University RAG hitchhike to Paris in late 1984, we had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for. Hitchhiking from Loughborough, central England, across the channel to Paris, France, sounded like an exciting adventure — and it was!

RAG stands for “Raise and Give.” It is a student-led fundraising initiative that allows students to plan, organize, and run events and other activities to raise money for selected charities. It’s also a fun and flexible way for students to experience how working together can contribute positively to the community.

At the RAG information meeting, the organizers instructed us to start our journey on February 1. We were to hitchhike to Paris and check in with three Loughborough RAG Reps at Charles de Gaulle Airport.

These reps would be our lifeline and our connection to the RAG event. They would verify our arrival time and check we arrived home safely. There would be prizes for the first arrivals in Paris, the…