Arriving in London, the Migration department was curious about why I was going to the country without any flight to go out, without any reservation or even cash. “I’ll let you in, but you’ll only have one month,” the policewoman said.
Some weeks ago, I knew I had to move from Macedonia, but there are always some issues while doing a Cultural Travel, because not always is possible to find the best scenarios to get to a place, like hosts, volunteer projects, or even money (some places can be very expensive).
And that was what happened when I decided to go to London. I didn’t find any host in Couchsurfing, and all my friends did their best to help me get accommodation, but it was impossible. And against any logic, I decided to go anyway.
And after this encounter with migration, and getting to get in, the question was: so now what?
Homeless but Hopeful
I was in the middle of one of the most expensive cities in the world, without any cash, volunteer work, or accommodation.
Nevertheless, since I took the decision I was sure that it was going to be hard. The last time I was here, I only stayed for three weeks and it was a challenge; this time was going to be for a month.
The difference: is the Travel Strength. I had been already two months traveling around Turkey and Macedonia, with a lot of obstacles, so I trusted that I was going to find something in the end.
Also in WHere?!: Discovering Strength and Opportunities: Lessons from Cultural Travel Volunteering in Macedonia
I walked throughout the city looking for last-minute volunteer work, as if everything depended on it. And sometimes it’s like that because there’s no other place to go.
“I trust that I was going to find something in the end”
With two backpacks, I moved from Hostal to Hostal, meanwhile it was getting dark. I couldn’t make it though, so in London, every night is more than £18. That’s why I decided to use that money for the meals of the next few days. I had to sleep on the streets that night.
The only thing needed is to trust in people. Asking for help may be difficult, and more when it can be misunderstood sometimes, but intentions are what matter in the end.
Why do we ask for help? Because we need a meal, a place to sleep, we need a friend? The reasons are human, and they deserve to be listened to.
Although it was a hard experience, I learned many things. Overall, I survived the first day and felt I was about to find something soon. And it happened!
After visiting for the second time a hostal from LHA, they said they were looking for a person for a short stay like me for the volunteering program. And couple of hours later, I received a welcome message at their house (I leave you above the link where you can try to apply too with anticipation).
Hope brought me to be allowed to live in LHA New Mansion House, a real English building in the middle of London, with a big family where I can share life experiences.
Nomad’s Hope in a Cultural Travel
During this journey in London, many people helped me. From friends asking to their families or others acquaintances whether they could host me, to Couchsurfers which accepted me a last minute hosting request.
“The strength of a travel is related to the humility we develop”
When you solo travel, you may feel that you are alone, and mostly in places you have never been, but we are never alone. There is always someone who takes care of us.
And there is always something out there ready for us, we just have to believe in the path and when we do the right things, good things happen. And this applies to Cultural Traveling as well. In my case, Sara, Vikram, Jeffrey saved my life and helped me during my first week in London.
The strength of traveling is related to the humility we develop during the journey. As Cultural Travelers, our real power lies in our trust, our hope, and the acceptance that we can’t do it alone. That’s the real secret to an enriching experience.
Most of the time, Travel Strength comes with hope and humility. And when you learn this on the way, you find out how every trip has a purpose in your life.
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