Thousand Kilometers from London to Lisboa
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I had long been a big fan of Van Gogh like any other human in the world. When I see his paintings, even just digital image, I could tell that he had to draw what he saw and what he had in his mind. I wouldn’t say him as a painter. He was a warrior battling his own mind. He couldn’t escape from seeing twirling stars, distorted vineyard, soaring trees, only exit was to draw.
I had this chat with my friend. She asked me who was my favorite painter. It was late summer of 2016.
Then she said she loved Van Gogh paintings when she saw them in France. I felt a bit ashamed. I had never seen his real paintings. Am I allowed to say that he is my favorite painter? I started to wonder and made my mind to see his paintings in real to not embarrass myself saying I love Van Gogh. Not only Van Gogh, I was very much into Western cultures in general. I had been consuming pop musics and movies from ‘Western’ from far too young at age. Even did I love to study English.
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Never questioned it before but then it seemed so delusional. As an Asian and as an alien I was not entitled to love Western culture. Okay then I will go Europe and witness it all and will return qualified.
Now I can tell it’s a silly idea that there’s ‘a qualification’ enjoying certain culture, but I was serious back then.
Problem was I had no money. I had not enough money to travel Europe and return, maybe I could afford one way ticket and couple of nights there but not for a trip. I had not much choice. I sold my laptop. That very day I called my friend to join me and we bought round ticket for London. It had to be London as I am a proud gooner. It had to be London.
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Still I was short of money. And my friend too. I knew that money problem will never be solved just sitting around and long for more money. It had always been my problem. I could have done some part-time job and earned some money in exchange for my labor. But I wanted to break the law of Capitalism. I need no money to be myself and live my life. I wanted to test my theory.
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As I was looking for ways to travel extreme budget, I knew there would be some ways, I discovered part of this world battling capitalistic and consuming society. There's this wonderful community called Couchsurfing. It’s something like helping fellow travelers and exchange thy culture in return for nothing. Sometimes you offer your couch or even food, or even a bit of information that might help your traveler. It is pure hospitality and belief in humanity that runs this community. I wouldn’t have done it have I not burnt all the options, it was the only boat ahead the wildest sea called life I was about to be forced to sail. Sometimes you gotta do it without ever thinking turning back. I had nothing to lose, I would hitchhike and couchsurf all the way from London to Lisbon. Then I would return home with hopes and love for humanity.
I was hopeful and afraid at the same time. It always take some stupidity and courage to do something you never tried before. For me it was stupidity that drove me to do. I was angry that I haven’t had chance to travel farther than I could afford. What’s the point of life if I’m not allowed to do what I want.
There I was landed on Heathrow with 500 euro and my friend, we had 30 days of our life to hitchhike and couchsurf all the way to Lisbon and comeback to London to return home. I would live beyond the border, we were about to break the border.