Since one year I’m working in the german part of Switzerland, close to the place where I grew up. But as I’m living in the french part, I’m driving a lot with my car between the two.
In late November 2016 on a cold, rainy Tuesday, I took my car once more in the late evening to drive from Moudon to Aarau. The first 25km I have to drive on a countryroad before joining the highway. As I reached the crossover to enter the highway, a person was standing there hitchhiking in the dark, cold night. Whenever it’s possible, I take hitchhikers with me, also this time. I stopped some 50m further than where the person was standing. When the person reached the car, I realised its a young woman, wearing a hooded coat and with tousled hair. She was just carrying a little backpack, where different kind of tissus had been looking out left and right.
As we were driving again, I started talking to her in french, but I realized quickly that she was not native french speaking, but english. To my question “where do you wanna go?” she just answered “north!”. I switch to english talking to her, but she continued more badly than good in french, so I stuck to french too, as far as I understood what she was saying. She talked little, I learned that she came from France, where she stayed for two months doing the “vendanges” (grape harvest) and that she was living in some kind of community. At some point, she switched to english and she told me that she arrived in Europe 1.5 year ago by flight and since then she just let herself carrying by the wind (german expression) with no precise goal or plan. Actually, having no plan at all was exactly what she was looking for on her journey, just to keep enough free space to let herself guided by whatever felt right to her.
The girl was 21 years old and she came from America. I asked her what she thought about the election of Donald Duck… oh sorry, I mean Donald Trump? She answered: “I’m not interested in politics, but I heard somebody saying that he could become our spiritual leader. Not like the Dalai Lama or so, but more in terms that he shows us what nobody wants to be.”
We were still riding on the highway when we came close to the place where I had to leave the highway when I asked her, if I may leave her at the next highway restaurant or if I should take her to the city where I was heading to. After a little hesitation, she said “the city”. On the last kilometers I thought to myself if I should give her my phone number or ask her if she wants to sleep at my place, as it was a cold winter night. She had no cellphone, neither a map or something on her and as I was going to sleep at a place where I’m also a guest, I was not sure if the person would appreciate when I bring a hitchhiker with me. And anyway, this girl was tough enough to survive on her own.
When we reached the city, I stopped at some spot to let her leave the car. We were sitting there for a few seconds before she said to me: “I have smiled so much in this car that my cheeks hurt now.”. I gave her a hug and she gave me a little kiss on my cheek before leaving the car. I asked her if she needs some food….she said “I have”.
It was pure heart-connection. We didn’t have one of this crazy discussions about the world and everything, but I asked some precise questions and I guess she realized that I had deep respect for what she was doing! I think, she must not often cross people who respect so much a person who chooses to renounce all pleasures, securities, dreams, wishes, achievements and satisfactions most of us are living for.
I decided to not keep any trace of this girl, just to do as she does. Let life be (come)
