Hitchhiking changed my life

How my wanderlust began

Once, while editing a music video at work, I saw an incredible shot of a waterfall near Charvak. At that time, I was actively developing the InstaMeet photography community. Without thinking too much, I suggested to the whole community that we go on a hike to photograph that waterfall. The idea was well received, and now I can say that all my travels started with that waterfall shot.

About the Opening New Horizons project

The hike to the waterfall marked the beginning of a group with which we continued to travel, posting photo reports on social media. Gradually, our reach grew, and comments with questions about the locations started to appear. Sometimes people didn’t even believe that such views could be found in Uzbekistan. I think the reason is that photos taken during hikes are usually amateurish, while we approached it more seriously, so our photos were often mistaken for foreign landscapes.

The community grew, and after a couple of such trips, I gave our community the name Opening New Horizons. Our hallmark was a certain spontaneity: we didn’t plan the trips at all. We would just pick a destination and not think about how to get there or what difficulties might await us — each of us was ready for any adventure.

About the hitchhiking journey

This was really the most spontaneous decision I have ever made. During my university years, it was hard to balance studying and work — I simply didn’t have enough time. My creative side won out, and I decided to withdraw from university to dedicate myself fully to photography.

A week after making that important and difficult decision, I realized I needed a break and to clear my head. At that point, I already had five years of travel experience: I had explored the entire Tashkent region, had been to Surkhandarya and Kashkadarya, and knew how to behave in the mountains to avoid unforeseen situations.

I had bought a ticket to Baysun, but hitchhiking hadn’t yet crossed my mind. I was simply heading to visit a friend in the Surkhandarya region, where I often stayed for a couple of days to rest. Usually, he would drive me to Baysun himself, but this time I decided to get there on my own. My friend dropped me off at the main highway, and from there I planned to catch a ride.

I had a large backpack with a tent, sleeping bag, food, and a change of clothes. I also sported a beard, glasses, a cap, hiking boots, and shorts — everything about my look said “tourist.”

About 15 minutes later, a car with three girls on their way to a wedding in Baysun stopped for me. They easily picked me up, but even then, I hadn’t yet planned to travel by hitchhiking.

After they dropped me off in the city and refused to take any money, I started to think: “What if I tried to explore Surkhandarya by hitchhiking?” Twenty minutes later, I was in another car headed to Denau. That’s how, in 10 days, I covered nearly a thousand kilometers, spending only a few bottles of water’s worth of money.

During the trip, I met truly kind people who invited me to stay in their homes, and I never once went without food for the road. Maybe I was lucky, but I believe we have a kind-hearted nation, ready to welcome anyone as family and help them out.

Do I regret those ten days spent? Not at all. The experience of hitchhiking recharged my life.

About safety

If you want to try hitchhiking, be sure to choose the right time of year — spring or summer.

I don’t recommend setting out without any money at all because hitchhiking is always full of surprises. You can’t plan every step, and having cash will definitely come in handy.

Always pack a spare set of clothes. Remember that hitchhiking is traveling without comfort, but that doesn’t mean you should neglect hygiene.

Always bring food and water: don’t exhaust yourself, because travel should bring you joy.

Be prepared for the fact that you’ll never know exactly when you’ll get back. Maybe your trip will end in five days, or maybe in two weeks.

On the popularity of hitchhiking in Uzbekistan

I know a few communities that have traveled around Uzbekistan by hitchhiking. Some went from Nukus to Bukhara, while others chose the more challenging route from Tashkent to Khiva. I think this kind of travel is very relevant today since it’s become technically easier to do than it was ten years ago.

However, I can’t say exactly if there’s a specific community dedicated to this — I’m not familiar with one. Usually, it’s small groups of people, which also makes sense considering the time required: to go hitchhiking, you need at least a week, and for most people, that’s a luxury.

Future plans

Right now, I’m not planning another trip because I don’t have the time — most of it is devoted to family and work. So I feel I took that life-changing trip at just the right moment.

But if I get even the slightest chance, I’ll hit the road again without hesitation. And it doesn’t matter what the route is. I’ll pack my backpack and head wherever the road leads.

So if you’re thinking of hitchhiking somewhere, go now — it might just be the perfect moment, and you might not get another chance.