Gill White, a Canadian backpacker, told students that backpacking through Europe on only 84 cents a day by hitching rides is a relatively safe thing to do.
“Some people think that to survive on 84 cents a day, I must have slept in ditches and fields and picked through garbage cans and . waited all day just for one single ride,” White said. “But it couldn’t be farther from the truth.”
White’s event, “Backpacking Through Europe,” was held in the University Student Commons Tuesday, and its purpose was to teach students to travel in an unconventional way. The event attracted about 30 students eager to hear White’s animated narratives of his travels to more than 60 countries.
“I thought exploring other cultures might be applicable in some way,” student Thomas Hedgepeth said.
These students and others in attendance were impatient to find out how White possibly managed this 84-cent budget. White was eager to explain.
“I was very creative. I came up with 28 fun ways to get a ride – they are all legal, just so you know,” White said.
White said the best place to find rides is at gas stations. White also suggested travelers carry a sizeable piece of cardboard with destinations written in large letters.
Stand on the highway, White said, facing the wrong direction. Inevitably, a car will stop to tell the traveler they are facing the wrong direction. This, White said, is the ideal time to pleasantly request a ride. Also, look at license plates to figure out where drivers are headed and leave notes on car windows.
“I’ll be the first to admit that some of my ideas are strange, some are wacky, some are very unusual – but the fact is everybody wanted to help me out, and it will be the same for you,” White said.
White did not just find transportation, but also found housing and food through friend connections, random people he would meet, or most commonly by going to local universities and asking students if they would be willing to house him.
White encouraged traveling students to not just stay at foreign universities, but also, he said, travelers should immerse themselves in that particular student culture.
White found random jobs to make money for food in unique ways, as well. White’s most unusual foreign job experience was his employment as a yacht assistant on the French Riviera. When desperate for money, White swam from yacht to yacht until he was hired to captain a yacht during the night hours.
While many students might find this kind of trip unsafe, White said, safety is not an issue. He said that Europe is a very safe place and traveling alone is just as safe a form of travel as traveling in a group.
VCU student David Fary has backpacked through Europe twice, once with friends and once alone. Fary said that his trips have been some of the most meaningful experiences of his life.
“It gets you out there,” Fary said. “It let’s you see the world from a different perspective, and you grow and learn a lot.”
White said he does not just travel as a backpacker to save money, but also to gain a true cultural experience and grow as a person.
“The whole point is to make sure you really meet the people, (and) you really learn the culture. Meet people face to face, and come home with great stories to tell your friends,” White said. “You really can’t get these great stories if you travel the conventional way.”
White told stories about how he would stop at small homes in the European countryside, and he said his visits resulted in educational and cultural experiences. When staying with a family in Italy, White learned that the Italian culture is made up of close-knit families. The worn expressions on the faces of an Israeli family summarized in a moment the struggles of the Israeli people, he said.
“You can’t gain greater insight than by staying with a family,” White said.
With these methods, White took a trip spanning 30 countries in four months with less than $1,000 in costs. He said he was able to see an extra five to 10 countries by sticking to a strict budget.
White said one element of backpacking is repaying others for their hospitality. He emphasized carrying small gifts representative of one’s own country as a way of expressing gratitude to hosts. Stamps, T-shirts, sweatshirts or CDs are items White said he gave out to families. White also found another way to give back – offering to do a small chore for hosts.
“You must repay people for their hospitality,” White said.
White ended his presentation by giving 10 practical suggestions for packing for a European journey. A heavy-duty backpack and about $150 should be brought, along with a raincoat, a camera, a journal and a small radio, he said. A set of wrinkle-free dress clothes is a necessity, White said, because opportunities definitely will arise when you will need them.
White also said an International Student Identity Card is essential because the card provides health insurance.
“Everyone should travel by themselves at least once,” White said. “You will learn to be more outgoing, more independent. It really is a great chance to really grow in many different ways – to grow your character.”