We all have a fairly clear conception of what it is to hitchhike, often finding vast pop culture references and far-flung anecdotes involving this economical mode of travel. But like all things, the public image is often a long way from the real experience. 
Hitchhiking, how we would recognise it today, originated in the United States during the Great Depression, when travellers were unable to afford gas or public transport. However, in the UK, it’s typically synonymous with stingy students of the 80s and 90s. Today, with the advent of low-cost coaches, and the continuous advancement of public transport systems around the UK and Europe, hitchhiking looks to be a dated culture of the past, with the exception of Jailbreak sponsored and university-organised hitchhikes. Yet few are now venturing out without the aid of a university or institution at all. In the face of all this, I’m hoping a little insight into my recent experience will entice and inspire.
The splendour underlying the experience of a hitchhike, is that one requires very little when it comes to equipment or journeying paraphernalia. The essentials are obvious: passport, comfortable clothing, small funds for bad food and emergencies, water, a garden-gnome etc. Although if you’re heading abroad, having someone who is multilingual always helps.
What you will desperately require though, is luck! Imagine this scenario: we had just been driven to Royston, a town south of Cambridge, by a sympathetic ex-York Uni maths student (a coincidence which already seemed bizarre enough). My weary, travel-worn companions and I retired temporarily into a local kebab shop (much like our beloved Efes, although devoid of all its majesty) to watch the dying moments of a Euro 2012 group stage match between Spain and Croatia. Just as we had walked in, that in the 88th minute, Spain’s Jesus Navas scored the only goal in the drab 1-0 encounter. We had begun vacating this glorious culinary establishment, when one of the kebab vendors informed us he was heading to London, with room in his car – an offer we didn’t dare to refuse. If any of the aforementioned events hadn’t taken place in the precise manner in which they did, we may not have reached London. Serendipity galore! 
As clichéd as it sounds, it seems that luck is found by those who look for it. If you remain patient, open-minded and determined, you will eventually find you succeed in hitchin’ a ride. Service stations are also crucial, this I cannot emphasise enough. It soon became clear that it’s infinitely more effective attempting to coax a stranger for a ride if you’re able to have a conversation first. Rather than simply standing idly and ineffectually on the side of the motorway. Unfortunately, threats and blackmail don’t work on most. Alternatively, perhaps open with a witticism, mention the recently erratic weather, and compliment them on their complexion.
If you were to compile a list of all the cons, hitchhiking would seem a gruelling process. Ordinarily, the prospect of a lengthy wait in Skellow, a bleak locale on the outskirts of Doncaster, is one that seems totally unappealing. Yet in the context of a hitchhike, it is merely a part of the whole extraordinary experience. Insipid Tesco sandwiches, lack of sleep and stodgy small talk with strangers may sound nightmarish when compared to the comforts of a train or coach, but these drawbacks only add to the sense of adventure that encompasses the spirit of a hitchhike. A truly liberating experience.
Typically, we would plan with foresight when travelling; such planning would rest one’s mind and appease any potential anxieties or worries. Yet, strangely it is this complete uncertainty that deems hitchhiking such an exhilarating experience. Perseverance and sharp-wittedness begin to form your mentality – you have no choice but to linger patiently around motorways and service stations, ingratiating yourself with the public. 
Having shed some light on the reality of hitchhiking I earnestly urge you all (especially those of you that are newly-initiated freshers) to try it for yourselves, for there is no adventure like one that is entirely unpremeditated!
York is a fabulous geographical vantage point to begin your journey, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised as to how easy it can be to hitch a ride, provided you’re in the apt mindset. To make use of another overused platitude, it’s the journey, not the destination. Although, if you’re Paris-bound, the destination is astoundingly swell too.