Who are we?
posted by Katja & Augustas @ 9:09 AM
Since the beginning of this year we - Katja (German) and Augustas (Lithuanian) - started our journey with the name "Follow the road". So far we have explored the South of Mexico, and a little bit of Belize, but our dream is to see the rest of the world. During the trip we do not have any expectations, no matter where we go or what we do. We have no time limits, so we have no reasons to create plans, which would only raise useless expectations. We believe that everything that happens, happens for a reason. That is why any experience - be it good or bad - is valuable to us. All above requires us always to think positively. We travel only by hitch-hiking as we believe in the basic goodness of people.
This was a brief collection of our ideas for life. But the following will give you a little closer look at who we are and how it came we are on our "Follow the road" trip.
Katja:
Growing up in a six-head family without a father, as the oldest daughter, I became the second adult in our family when I was seven. It meant lots of responsibilities in the family, which did not leave space for me to grow like other children. Moreover, two years later I gave up all my friends, because none of them showed up for my birthday party, even though they were invited. I was a lonely child.
With the age of fifteen I changed my spare time activities from apparatus gymnastic and dancing to karate and fitness. This created for me a new environment to grow. I became rebellious. I recognised that having a lot of responsibilities at home was not good for my personal development. Thus, being eighteen I moved out. I got a job in a bank, did cleaning of apartments, later on I got a position in a housing office and worked as a cashier during the weekends.
I was not happy. I needed a change, something completely different! I finished my first long-term relationship and quit my job. I decided to move from my home town Leipzig to Berlin. Here I started studies in the high school. Life in Berlin was not easy. I broke my meniscus, three surgeries followed, I could hardly walk for two years. One day I found my apartment burned down because of a short-circuit in the old wire installations. Berlin brought me a lot of challenges...
After the high school I signed up for the Industrial Engineering and Management studies. Shortly after I went to The Netherlands for a two-weeks cultural exchange event, where I got the travel bug. Being active in a European student association, I travelled extensively around Europe. I also attended two intensive language courses in Spain and later was accepted to have 1 year exchange studies in Zaragoza, Spain.
After an internship in the West of Germany, I moved to Zaragoza. Instead of studying, I started to work in an Irish pub. This way I quickly learned Spanish, made a lot of friends, had fun, did a lot of creative things and found out what I really want: to travel the world.
I had to finish my studies, so I knew it will take me about three years to realise my dream. I had to learn about cheap ways of travelling. I searched information about hitch-hiking and signed for a database of free accommodation - www.HospitalityClub.org. Through this website I met Augustas who had the same dream as me...
Augustas:
At the school I always enjoyed Mathematics. I thought of studying this subject in the university. Finally I started the Computer Science studies as it was more fashionable and, as people said, more perspective. As soon as I enrolled to the university I felt I need something more adventurous for my free time.
Once in the newspaper I found an article inviting to the presentation of Vilnius Hitch-hiking Club (Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania). It was a new organisation, which I joined immediately after the event. Soon I became one of the most active members of this club. Sometimes I was escaping my afternoon work, or classes at the university, in order to have three days off during the weekend and to hitch-hike to the neighbouring countries. Seemed I found what I was missing in my life - adventures and exploration of new places.
Today is exactly nine years since I understood what life I want. During all this time, I was combining studies, work and intensive travels. I have been in 43 countries (you know, Europe is full of them :) and have covered about 130'000 km by hitch-hiking, which equals to three journeys around equator. As you see, I love counting ;)
We had 2,5 more years to go until we could realise our dream to travel the world. While Katja was finishing her studies in Spain and Germany, Augustas was working and living in Lithuania, Denmark and South Africa. In 2004 each of us we did a two months trip in African countries. Augustas hitch-hiked through East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia), and Katja travelled with locals on overcrowded mini-buses and trucks through Southern Africa (Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia).
Katja defended her diploma in November 2005 and we hit the road by making a two-months tour of visiting friends around Europe. On 31 December we booked our flight to Mexico. Since Friday, 13 January 2006 we are simply following the road.
This was a brief collection of our ideas for life. But the following will give you a little closer look at who we are and how it came we are on our "Follow the road" trip.
Katja:
Growing up in a six-head family without a father, as the oldest daughter, I became the second adult in our family when I was seven. It meant lots of responsibilities in the family, which did not leave space for me to grow like other children. Moreover, two years later I gave up all my friends, because none of them showed up for my birthday party, even though they were invited. I was a lonely child.
With the age of fifteen I changed my spare time activities from apparatus gymnastic and dancing to karate and fitness. This created for me a new environment to grow. I became rebellious. I recognised that having a lot of responsibilities at home was not good for my personal development. Thus, being eighteen I moved out. I got a job in a bank, did cleaning of apartments, later on I got a position in a housing office and worked as a cashier during the weekends.
I was not happy. I needed a change, something completely different! I finished my first long-term relationship and quit my job. I decided to move from my home town Leipzig to Berlin. Here I started studies in the high school. Life in Berlin was not easy. I broke my meniscus, three surgeries followed, I could hardly walk for two years. One day I found my apartment burned down because of a short-circuit in the old wire installations. Berlin brought me a lot of challenges...
After the high school I signed up for the Industrial Engineering and Management studies. Shortly after I went to The Netherlands for a two-weeks cultural exchange event, where I got the travel bug. Being active in a European student association, I travelled extensively around Europe. I also attended two intensive language courses in Spain and later was accepted to have 1 year exchange studies in Zaragoza, Spain.
After an internship in the West of Germany, I moved to Zaragoza. Instead of studying, I started to work in an Irish pub. This way I quickly learned Spanish, made a lot of friends, had fun, did a lot of creative things and found out what I really want: to travel the world.
I had to finish my studies, so I knew it will take me about three years to realise my dream. I had to learn about cheap ways of travelling. I searched information about hitch-hiking and signed for a database of free accommodation - www.HospitalityClub.org. Through this website I met Augustas who had the same dream as me...
Augustas:
At the school I always enjoyed Mathematics. I thought of studying this subject in the university. Finally I started the Computer Science studies as it was more fashionable and, as people said, more perspective. As soon as I enrolled to the university I felt I need something more adventurous for my free time.
Once in the newspaper I found an article inviting to the presentation of Vilnius Hitch-hiking Club (Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania). It was a new organisation, which I joined immediately after the event. Soon I became one of the most active members of this club. Sometimes I was escaping my afternoon work, or classes at the university, in order to have three days off during the weekend and to hitch-hike to the neighbouring countries. Seemed I found what I was missing in my life - adventures and exploration of new places.
Today is exactly nine years since I understood what life I want. During all this time, I was combining studies, work and intensive travels. I have been in 43 countries (you know, Europe is full of them :) and have covered about 130'000 km by hitch-hiking, which equals to three journeys around equator. As you see, I love counting ;)
We had 2,5 more years to go until we could realise our dream to travel the world. While Katja was finishing her studies in Spain and Germany, Augustas was working and living in Lithuania, Denmark and South Africa. In 2004 each of us we did a two months trip in African countries. Augustas hitch-hiked through East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia), and Katja travelled with locals on overcrowded mini-buses and trucks through Southern Africa (Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia).
Katja defended her diploma in November 2005 and we hit the road by making a two-months tour of visiting friends around Europe. On 31 December we booked our flight to Mexico. Since Friday, 13 January 2006 we are simply following the road.
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