Riga teen hitchhikes from Stockholm to Bergen with almost no money

A 19-year-old resident of Riga, Artis Tračums, set off this summer on an unusual adventure: a ten-day trip from Stockholm to Bergen, covering roughly a thousand kilometers by hitchhiking while trying to spend as little money as possible. His only luggage was a 14-kilogram backpack.

Along the way, Tračums slept in forests on several nights and spent long hours waiting by the roadside for rides. At one point he found himself stuck partway up a mountain with no suitable place to spend the night. Still, by his own account, what stayed with him most vividly wasn't the hardship but the strangers who picked him up, fed him, and even offered him money without being asked, helping him exactly when he needed it most.

This year Tračums graduated from the percussion program of a music secondary school and has since enrolled at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music. He is also a member of the percussion ensemble "Ekho," which keeps his everyday schedule packed with rehearsals, concerts, coursework, and various other musical projects.

An idea years in the making

The idea for this kind of trip had been on Tračums's mind for several years, inspired by watching others hitchhike, sleep outdoors, and let their route take shape on its own. The final push to actually go came from a conversation with a friend who had already had a similar experience and convinced him that the "perfect moment" to do it would probably never arrive. Right after that conversation, Tračums bought his ticket to the starting point within just a few minutes.