I’ve been keeping this to myself for a while, and I’m busting to tell you.
Herald Scotland has let the cat out of the bag now, so I can fill you in!
Back in March I got a random email from a marketing company in London offering to sponsor me.
They explained to me that they have a client, Innis & Gunn, who is a brewer of craft beer in Scotland. They have dreamed up a promotional campaign where they deliver their new IPA beer from Scotland to India – which doesn’t sound very attention grabbing, until they tell me that they want the beer to be delivered by hitchhiker.
‘You’re a hitchhiker’ they tell me. ‘We’ve read your blog and you seem to enjoy doing odd things. How would you like to be our hitchhiking delivery guy? We have a small budget to help support your travel, and the campaign will mean lots of media exposure for your blog.’
This is a big deal for me.
I’ve been making this blog for a few years now and it’s something I’ve put a lot of myself into. I get a lot of satisfaction from doing this, and the sweetest moments are when people write to me and encourage me; tell me they enjoy what I’m doing.
Innis & Gunn inviting me to work with them is massively encouraging. When you’re creating, and people want to get involved, it’s so motivational.
I’ve said a few times here and there that hitchhiking is like an extreme sport.
Rock climbers have sponsors.
Mountain bikers have sponsors.
Skateboarders have sponsors.
Why not a sponsored hitchhiker?
On a purely material level, Innis & Gunn have already made some amazing adventures possible for me this year.
For all of you who were asking me over the last few months “how are you affording to be flying all over the planet like this?”; now you know: the awesome people at Innis & Gunn have been footing the bill!
Back in May they bought me a ticket from Thailand to London. Then, they flew me from London to Ecuador, in South America. I traveled across Ecuador and then Colombia, and then they flew me to the USA!
That’s more flying in the last six months than I’ve done in the previous 2 years put together, and my partners at Innis & Gunn made it possible.
Thank you I & G!
Right now I’m setting out from Edinburgh and the big mission is starting.
I’m heading off to hitchhike my way across Europe to the east, all the way to India, the spiritual home of IPA.
I’m going to be in lots of countries and cultures I’ve never seen before in the next couple of months.
As usual, I have no clear idea which roads I’ll take, or what I’ll do on the way. It’s going to be an improvisation. Whatever roads I take, I know it’s going to be exciting, and definitely a challenge.
Just in the next few weeks I’m aiming to visit France (I love France), Prague (never been, very exciting) and Poland (where my mum’s family is from).
It’s been a lot of beautiful weather here in Edinburgh this week. Lets hope it’s going to be like this as I go across Europe. Fingers crossed for sunshine.
Whatever the weather’s like as I hitchhike to India, I hope I’ll have your company on the way. You’re a great listener!
Cheers!
