Community Driven

We are a community driven magazine and only volunteers are behind everything we do. Our server-space, the forthcoming print-editions and other costs are covered by donations. The current volunteers are here to set up the basis for a hopefully long-lasting community-based magazine. Ideas that you have for a next printed issue or your involvement in any other way, are very welcome. This is a collaborative effort.

A Printed Magazine

We are a printed magazine, one that travels from one person to another, one that travelers can give to their drivers or other people they meet on the road. As such, our magazine is a great way to create further bonding between hitchhikers, and to have something we can give away that is representable for our culture.

We will be in need for funding. We want to be able to give the magazine away on a pay-as-you-wish basis. We intend to print it 2,500 times sometime in 2010 (full-color) and will be needing an amount between 1500 and 2500 euro for it. To reach that amount we will be doing some serious fundraising.

Hitchhiking Magazine

Stick up your thumb, go from one place to another. Feel the road, hear the cars, find your drivers. In your hands a sign, in your bag your towel, food, clothes and... this magazine!

Showing your driver something tangible like a traveling magazine is a great way of showing where you come from, what you do and the culture you are part of. How will your driver respond when he finds out there is a hitchhiking community with even a magazine? And why not offer it to your driver for a donation or give it away for free? Support your hitchhiker, buy this magazine!

Basic Idea

Random Roads covers all forms of traveling that are part of our "nomadic culture", a culture of people who leave behind their "fixed home" and are set for a nomadic journey which - as many nomads out there believe - can bring them further than anything else at that moment in their lives. They often travel by hitchhiking and most of the time are want to interact with people they meet.

Hitchhiking isn't the only form of traveling that we cover at Random Roads. We also cover stories of people who roam the world by bike, or even on foot. Therefore we rather talk about the broader concept of being nomadic and "Free Fall Travel", a way of traveling by which you "let go".

Background

The idea for Random Roads was born after a gathering of traveling hitchhikers in Paris, on the 8th of August 2008 (888) when more than 150 hitchhikers gathered to celebrate the act of hitchhiking. We became more aware of the community we are.

Ideas were floating around, a documentary-movie was made, we set up more meetings to keep in touch and we organised yet another festival, this time on the 7th of August 2009 (789) in the Ukraine. And at the same time, we also had this idea of a magazine about our culture of hitchhiking and nomadic traveling.

Your Role

Random Roads need writers, artists and photographers to publish their work. We also need (experienced) editors and proofreaders who are able to change style and grammar into good English if needed and who see what an article is missing to be really good. We also need more designers and artists, to improve our website and our magazine. Do you see what your role could be to make this common project better?