People making the transition from business life to hippie life

By Frits Ahlefeldt – postet in thoughts

Modern life, where you juggle multiple screens, social networks and expectations, while keeping updated and informed, while rushing towards the next milestone, contract or job, is the urban, digital reality more and more of us all over the world live in.  But is there an alternative?

The slow movements, the wellness movements and I think maybe also the whole pilgrimage movement, that at least in Europe is getting more and more popular, is about making this shift, away from the screens and the routines and a stress-filled life over to an ambition about something very different.

I meet more and more people who want to get out walking, just to get a chance to think (or not think). And more and more often I also meet people that dream about ipad-sliding their whole career plan into the digital trash bin, go offline and walk out of the glass walled office, away from air-condition, mortgage loans, business-mail, outlook and sales-reports forever, to become happy hippie snails instead.

And sometimes I hear about people doing that, who make the transition, take the first steps, walk the Appalachian trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, or move to Bali, The Keys, Mexico, Costa Rica or Patagonia, after putting on their new relaxed t-shirts, and a good pair of hiking-boots ( sandals or fivefinger shoes)  in the best old hippie style.

Those stories of people who jumps of the wagon and put their life in a backpack have always kind of fascinated me, and even though I haven’t seen a wandering hippie snail jet, I always look for people or stories about people who made the transition to a different and more  Earth caring life(style)