Let’s create a virtual network of the barefoot community!

It was a winter morning back in 2000, just after Christmas: I was ready to board my flight to India. My feet were already bare while I was waiting for the train which would take me to the airport. The air was a bit chilly, and I noticed a couple of people, staring at my feet, obviously unable to believe what they saw: A pair of bare feet, decorated with a leather-anklet and a shiny little toering… I didn’t know that I was about to leave Europe for good, returning only occasionally for short visits. But I was ready for the big adventure: Spending many month on the road, exploring almost every nook and corner of India on my bare soles – from Kanyakumari to Gangtok and from Gujarat to West Bengal… It was SO much fun! I didn’t even carry any shoes in my backpack, and soon, my soles were tough as leather! Finally, the unexpected happened: I managed to settle down in India! I’ve been able to live my life barefoot ever since…



Living and travelling barefoot is a beautiful experience, not only in India! An experience I want to share with as many people as possible… Can you remember the very moment you entered “barefoot”, using one of those countless search engines – FOR THE FIRST TIME? I “did it” almost eight years ago, and it was like opening the door to a new world! Adding a new word to my vocabulary – “barefooter” – I realized: I’m not alone! I’m part of a worldwide community, many people “out there” are sharing my passion for a life on bare soles! Think about it: Isn’t it amazing how different we are and yet how similar? Age, sex, religion, race and colour – these things simply don’t matter if it comes to our tribe. We have LOADS in common, not only our tough (and most of the time black) soles and tanned strong feet! We’re sharing all those incredible sensations which make our barefoot lifestyle so special, we’re facing the same reactions… Leaving the house without shoes, re-discovering the world on bare soles – it’s different. Just think HOW much we have in common…



Living barefoot isn’t a “spleen” of a “bunch of freaks”: Many share our passion, all over the world! That’s one thing I came to know SLOWLY, over many years – bumping into more and more web pages, message-boards, forums, e-groups and articles dealing with all aspects of a barefoot lifestyle! It’s in fact already a veritable virtual network, but one thing is missing: A good map, showing us our way! That’s what I’m trying to create…



The first step was: Creating a place for those of us which are literally “on the road” - travelling, backpacking, hiking barefoot… I’ve opened the Barefoot Traveller’s Tepee as an online-meeting place for our tribe! I’ve done my best to tell others “out there” about this new Yahoo-Group, posting in countless travel- and backpacking forums, hippy and rainbow message-boards, eco-related groups etc. – places where open-minded people meet… The result: More and more like-minded souls find their way to the Virtual Tepee, more than 200 so far!



But that’s not yet a virtual NETWORK, it’s just another place in the midst of the jungle… The next step was: Making use of the Link-section of the group! You’ll find almost 70 links (so far), opening you the door to a new world, a whole universe of barefoot activities! You’ll be surprised to read about barefoot teachers and workers, parents and children, about fellow barefooter from Australia, UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, Malta, Canada, the US and China, about barefoot hiker, biker, backpacker, bush walker and survivalists, a famous pianist performing barefoot, the spiritual aspects of living barefoot, the bare-pawed furry community, travelling barefoot, running barefoot, barefoot sport…



There we go… Now, it’s YOUR TURN: Visit my Yahoo-Group, the “Barefoot Traveller’s Tepee”



http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barefoottravelling/



and go straight away to the Link-section!!! I hope it’s inspiring for all of you to know that there are many others like you, enjoying the countless sensations of a barefoot lifestyle… NOW: PLEASE AD NEW LINKS – and tell others about the group… And of course: Share your thoughts and experiences!



One more thing: It’s gr8 that there are quite a few e-groups, message boards and forums available where we can meet online to share our experiences. But I feel it’s even more important to promote our barefoot lifestyle elsewhere: Be it to motivate other people to join us, to experience themselves the joys of a life on bare soles, be it to enable them to understand us better.



I’ve joined many online-communities, and I’ve done my best to explain how much fun it is to live and travel barefoot. Please join me and promote our way of life elsewhere in cyberspace! Especially as there are still some people with deep-rooted prejudices (or should I say: fears?) … It would be cool if a whole bunch of barefooter would participate in this campaign! For example: If you love travelling barefoot – why don’t you log in to some of those countless travel sites, explaining WHY you’re roaming around without shoes?



Let’s share & spread the barefoot spirit! And: Let’s keep ‘em bare!



barefootingindia@yahoo.co.in