Without wanting to bother you with too many philosophical reflections straight away - obviously there will be plenty of time for that later on - I would like to introduce myself in a way that surpasses my personal idiosyncrasies. I will tell you a bit more about my life as I lived it up till now in another post, but WHO I am, or might be to you as I walk from my hometown Leiden in the Netherlands to Santiago de Compostela, Rome and Jerusalem is something I would like to address first.

I am the little voice inside your head that goes “What if…?”, or even better “What if I…?”. No, I’m not THE actual voice inside your head, but if I am to be anything to you, I should be at least one answer to that question.

You may be happy with your current life: your family is loving, your friends are supportive, your job is fulfilling and you have that stunning apartment and your really cool looking car, but still, “What if I…?” is a question that can sneak up on you at any time. It is the positive form of asking yourself “Is this it?”, because wondering about a change of course is not always fed by discontent. I should know, because hey, I may not have that stunning apartment and a cool looking car, but the rest of the picture is pretty much in place.

I have chosen to give it all up. Not my family and friends of course, although I may not see them for a while, but my job, my house, my car, my furniture and everything else that doesn’t fit in a backpack. It has been a dream of mine for a long time to just be on the road and meet new people and new places. To find myself confronted with other ways of thinking, new insights and unknown challenges and to take each day as it comes. Everyone can do it, but there are often too many excuses not to. That’s OK if everything is the way it should be or as you have always wanted it to be, but if you have an itch, a certain nagging wish that won’t let you be, I say go for it! Who knows what you’ll find or where it will take you?

I am certain that I will come across many unanticipated lows and many hoped for highs and I will share them all with you. I have always been a strong believer in everyone’s own responsibility to chase their dreams and make them happen. Mine may be different from yours, but I hope to be able to inspire people to take some chances if that’s what it takes. You may doubt that you have the courage, the perseverance or the ability to make your dreams come true. Just be sure that I have the same doubts and that I have let them hold me back for way too long. It’s time to take matters into my own hands. On September 11 - absolutely coincidental, I promise you - I’m taking the first step. Will you twalk with me?