Walking Across Britain as a Lifestyle
by Bonnie Alter, London on 11.18.08
These three young men having been walking across Britain without any money, camping out and relying on the kindness of strangers to survive. Calling themselves "singing adventurers", they have taken three major trips in the past three years, sleeping wherever they can and foraging for food. They sing three-part folk songs, ancient and modern, wherever they are welcomed. They "busk in heaving towns, chant in crumbling chapels, and get feet tapping in many a-pub across the land."
Why? and what have they learned? It started out as long hike, to see if it would be possible to leave home without any money or mobile phones and make it across the country by foot. Now it has developed into a kind of environmental mission. They have learned about survivalism and herbalism and finding edible plants. They have learned all of the basic life skills of living with nature that people have forgotten. And they have experienced wonderful responses from people along the way; some have taken them in, fed them meals and enjoyed their music.
Travelling troubadors, they are contributing to the communities where they are welcomed. They have visited schools where the children have named them "Robin Hoods" and have found "There's this idea that if you leave home you're going to be stabbed, mugged ... we've found the opposite is true. We have found a far greater openness and hospitality than people expect in Britain."
On this latest trip they are taking a handheld video-camera, so that they can record their experiences and share them with others. As one said: "People ask us why we're doing this, and we don't really have an answer. Are we trying to save the world, or become famous, or pretend to be Robin Hood? We don't know. But there's one thing that we've learned about this life that we'd like to share: it's much easier than you think." A Walk Around Britain Via : The Guardian
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I know that if these guys were in Australia, nobody would ask them why they are doing it, they would simply say "Oh, you're on walkabout. How's it going?" I met many Aussies in Canada over the years, doing theirs. Its surprising how affordable and flexible a round-the world air ticket is.
Seriously, I think this is a fantastic use of the years either between high school and University, or immediately after graduation from University, depending on the individual. I have met too many people who think a bit of travel is beyond their means, or simply not possible due to career, children, etc. and I think that is very sad.
If you can't afford the airfare, then just do what these guys are doing, and go exploring on foot, by bus, hitchhike, whatever. Expand your horizons, expand your mind! There is so much more to the world than your little patch.