Wondering Upon Society

As a little girl, I would sit in front of a map, close my eyes and imagine the world. I am from Bulgaria so when I was little, I didn’t have the chance to explore. When I was 10 years old, I and my parents moved to England to build a better life.
Two years ago, I had the amazing opportunity to visit Sweden to see my beloved cousin who was studying at Malmö University. The word ‘free’ to her, dominates her life. The government is something she doesn’t agree with and lives her own way of life. She introduced me to squatting, hitchhiking, skipping food and being a better person.
The way in which we were brought up was by spending money on anything your eye sees. We were taught the ‘right’ way of life and living someone’s master plan of growing up, attending university, getting a job and having our own family. However, she changed my perspective of life…
She was squatting in England where it is legal and dare I say it is adventurous. I understood that the houses which she has lived in were something you could only dream of. You live for free and one day, you could be living in a shop and the next in a 15 bedroom mansion. Living with new people, experiencing new traditions and dishes which could only enrich your taste buds.
Food in supermarkets like Tesco have rapidly increased in pricing due to the recession and especially when you are a student, money don’t exactly grow on trees. On a daily basis, supermarkets throw away food which is neither damaged nor contaminated. If you look in the food bins of shops, you can find fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. Not to talk about crisp, Quorn meat, tin food, alcohol, chocolate and anything else you desire. The best part is that it’s legal and 100% yummy.
After finishing college this year, I am taking a gap year in which I will be travelling around the world. I don’t have much money but my cousin taught me that I don’t need it. Media portrays hitchhiking as a death trap and most of us believe their nonsense. I have tried it out for myself and I couldn’t be more excited to engage in it every single time. If you know the right places, you get picked up within minutes of standing and waving your thumb. You meet amazing new people with stories which you want to write a novel about. That is exactly what I am planning on pursuing next year. Travel, meet a lot of new people, experience diverse traditions/culture and write a novel to encourage young people to go out in the world and explore.