by Roland McShane

Created on: March 14, 2009   Last Updated: March 16, 2009

Though not as common in the United States, many in central Europe regularly travel to and from work or school by hitchhiking. It is common to see hitchhikers, especially on Fridays and Sundays when many students wait at the edges of larger towns hoping to get a free ride back home. I am not advocating that everyone should pick up hitchhikers. But I have not had any problems and have had dozens of problem-free trips. Well, unless you count the one time my wife and I picked up a middle-aged teacher who had missed her bus and didn't want to wait another hour for the next one. We thought she would never stop talking! Here's my favorite true story of the time I picked up a hitchhiker.

It was not even an hour from the house at the beginning of a nine-hour trek across central Europe when I saw someone standing on the side of the road. As I got closer, I saw he had a sign. It's always an easier way to pick up someone with a sign because you know where they are going before you stop. It was in Bertotovce, Slovakia; not the biggest wide spot in the road. Written on the sign was one word: Mexico.

How could I not stop?

He comes up to the car and asks through his wide smile, "You going to Mexico?"

"Of course," I answered and we started the trip.

Turns out, Martin really was going to Mexico. What else does a twenty-something year old doctor do who does not like his job? A guy who met a beautiful girl from Mexico several years ago when he was asked to teach her his language since he had worked in Playa del Carmen and learned Spanish? A young man who was in love and wanted to go see his girl friend? What else does a young guy do when he is tired of living under his mom's thumb, but still wants to honor his parents? He packs his bag and hitchhikes to Mexico.

It was a fascinating ride together. I asked Martin how he was getting all the way to Mexico? "Oh, I am going to hitch a boat. I have drugs and scalpel in my bag and can do surgery. For appendix if it is needed in emergency. There was a book on Amazon which was about how to hitch a ride on a boat. I want to go to Spain first, then to the Canary Islands. From there, it will be easy to get a boat to Mexico." He had his trip all planned out and I just happened to cross paths with him on the day after he fought with his parents and decided it was time to hit the road.

We had already ridden together for hours when he bought lunch by paying when I was away from the table. Near the end of our journey together, I had an errand to run and

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