Hitchhiking, Where Does It Truly Lead Us?
There’s more to it than just saving money while traveling
It was another failure. I felt the knot in my stomach tighten as the third car passed by. The driver not even taking a glimpse of me as it speeds through towards the long winding road ahead. I’m starting to get worried that my experiment will turn out to be a disappointment.
Here’s a simple fact
One day we are all going to die, and we’ll regret the things we could have done but never did.
And so when I decided to try my first solo international trip to Japan, I decided to go all-in and try hitchhiking as well. At the hostel I was staying in, I asked the receptionist to write for me on a piece of napkin how to say, “I’m going to Kirameki Hill. Can I ride with you to go there?” in Japanese and how to properly say it. I told him as well where I’d be heading and around what time I’d be coming back.
I have been looking forward to trying out hitchhiking. It’s a great way to save money on transportation while traveling and to meet locals. But I’ve been postponing doing it for a long time because I was very scared to try. First, we are taught as children not to talk to strangers, and secondly, we are told the world is a very dangerous place. Hitchhiking resonates both.
Asking for a favor from a complete stranger and sitting in a vehicle with them is not something a lot of people would do or even think of doing. But I’m tired of being like a lot of other people. I’m tired of not doing what I wanted to try because of fear or just because society dictates it’s not the usual, normal, or safe.
So on my way to Kirameki Hill, I stood on the side of the road, raised my thumb, and prayed to God that a stranger would stop and allow me to hitchhike in their car.
At first, I had a moment of hesitation. I couldn’t muster the courage to immediately do it. I let a few cars pass by, unsure if I should really do this or not. I’m not used to begging, especially to strangers. But in the end, I thought, What the hell, I’m in Japan, traveling here for the first time, alone, and nobody knows me, let’s do this!
After the third car passed me by I decided to start walking. I’ve read that it really takes several cars before somebody stops, so I shouldn’t lose hope. As time slips by, I begin to realize that spending my time moving towards my destination is better than just standing and waiting.
Then the magic happened
I was walking uphill for almost 20 minutes already, trying to enjoy the breeze and the sound of the rustling leaves from the trees on the side of the road when a car going in the opposite direction stopped in front of me. The driver lowered his glass window.
“Are you hitchhiking?” he shouted as he leaned on the open window of his car. I was shocked, I wasn’t even doing the thumbs up when he saw me.
“Yes, I am! Hai!” And with that, I ran towards his side and read to him the Japanese words written on the small piece of napkin I was carrying.“
Kirameki no oka ni ikitai desu. No sete itadake masuka?” I asked, hoping he’d allow me to ride with him, completely forgetting he is heading in the other direction.
“Hai. Hai. I’m going to Tokyo but Kirameki is near, just up on the hill. I drive you there. I’m going U-Turn.” He answered in English.
He looked young but older than a teenager. Lines form on the corner of his eyes as his lips form a kind smile. He opened the passenger door and invited me in.
He opened a cabinet in the middle of the seat and scrambled his hand inside as he tried to reach out for something. His eyes completely on the road while he continued to drive. I started getting nervous remembering in movies this is how it usually happens when the serial killers are about to pull out a gun or a knife. Am I going to die? Have I been crazy to try hitchhiking?
But instead, he produced a refreshing tea in a sealed bottle and offered it to me. “This is very good, you can drink.”
“Arigatou gozaimasu,” I replied in Japanese, feeling relieved. I accepted the cold bottle which I placed on my lap to drink later. Then I introduced myself to him, “Watashi wa Ranah desu.”
“My name is Minoru.” he replied in English.
“You are very brave!” he added. His lips formed a gentle smile lighting up his whole face in the process. I thanked him for his comment. I repeated that he is very generous; especially that he’s going the other way and had to turn back. But he just disposes it by waving his hand. “No, It’s nothing.”
We chatted more along the way and I learned that in his 20s he also traveled alone to Australia. That is where he tried hitchhiking for the first time. I told him I’m from the Philippines and thanked him again for his generosity.
I listened to more stories, the places he’d been, and the activities he did. Probably seeing me on the hill, walking with my backpack over my thick coat, on a road where nobody else is walking, created a warm feeling of nostalgia for him. He must have remembered the time he did the same when he was traveling. That is what connected us two strangers; one is a local and the other a traveling foreigner.
He was 24 and I was 28 at that time. I suddenly realized that it took me 8 more years to do what he had done in his 20s, and now I understood why it was necessary for me to try this.
We often think something is not normal because we are not used to it. But after we try, we realize it could actually be an ordinary part of ourselves and suddenly it’s not as scary anymore. What we fear is just something that is not familiar to us and in the end, our fears are not real.
Our fears are only our unknowns.
I felt brave at that moment, but being brave doesn’t mean the fear completely goes away. It only means despite the pounding in my heart, I decided to move forward instead of turning back. I was more afraid of regret, more than I fear trying.
When we arrived at Kirameki Hill, Minoru offered to take a picture of me and even stayed for a while to explain to me the history of the area. Then after a few minutes, he said his goodbye to go towards his way back on the road to Tokyo.
It was my first time traveling in Japan, my first time traveling alone, my first time hitchhiking, and my first time trusting a total stranger. It was scary, but I am now excited to try out a lot more firsts, to discover more of the unknowns.
Don’t stop living!
“Do one thing everyday that scares you.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt
I found this quote this morning and it made me remember this story. We still need to be careful and I’ve read several articles about hitchhiking before I did it myself. There’s a lot of information written on what to do in case something goes wrong. Safety is still very important. But in the end, I’m glad I tried it. I am still smiling inside as I type every word, as the images of that day come into my mind, as the feeling of bravery energizes every bone in my body the same way it did on that memorable day.
Thank you very much for reading!
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