One Hill, Two Bags, No Ride

In March 2024, I made a bold decision: I offered to take photos for the owners of Raikes Farm’s Airbnb listing for free, in exchange for a reduced rate stay at their hut. They accepted the deal, and I got to stay in a beautiful hut in the heart of the Peak District National Park.  

During my time there, I hiked around The Roaches and Thor’s Cave, wandered by the river, through the countryside, across valleys and hills, and along peaceful kettle trails. It was an unforgettable experience.  

A few days before leaving, I booked a taxi to take me to Hartington village, where I was supposed to catch a bus. That bus would take me to another bus stop, where I’d board a third bus to get to the train station. From there, I’d travel to Malmsbury in the south of England – my next temporary home during my housesitting journey. Yes, it was going to be a long journey.  

But on Monday, the day I was meant to leave, I accidentally deleted my taxi booking. I was supposed to leave at 6:00 am, and since I was expecting to have an online lesson at 1:00 pm, I knew I wouldn’t make it on time without that ride. I panicked. I couldn’t find any other way to reach the village, which was a 30-minute walk away—not too bad under normal circumstances, but I had a backpack and a medium-sized suitcase, and the area was hilly. Dragging my luggage there would have been a real struggle.  

With time running out, I decided to start walking. I made it to the bottom of the first hill, dragging everything with me. It was exhausting. Desperate, I decided to hitchhike. I was tense, and after 20 minutes of trying, no car had stopped. My patience was wearing thin.  

Finally, someone pulled over. A man on his way to work. Instead of just taking me to the village bus stop, he took me even further, to the next bus stop after that. That meant I got to skip two bus journeys! What was even more surprising was that he told me he normally didn’t take that route to work, but for some reason, that morning he decided to go a different way.  

I felt incredibly grateful.