It all started on 2010, I was holding packing my backpack after finishing my routine 9 to 5 job in my ex-company. I knew I always hated this job yet it didn't hold me back. Finally hard day was over, I left office early went downstairs to catch the World Cup match, Denmark vs Japan. I had to leave early to get a seat at the regular McDonald's (they were the only one with live TV screening in the area). Commuting back home would be too late to catch the match, ended up every soccer fans hustle down to regular McD's for that.
My colleague and I went down to look for seats but we're too late. An hour before the match started, seats were all filled with some of them occupying empty seats for their friends. And that's when I caught an eye of a white man sitting right in the middle of the pack, with 2 empty seats. Perfect! He was there alone, and I think somehow the Asians there were so shy to sit next to a white guy. He was a middle aged man, wearing a plain white shirt and a tourist hat. He had this cup of coffee on his hand while he was lost in his focus on the tv screen. It was easy to spot him in the pool of audience, since he was the only white guy there. I couldn't care less, I just wanted to catch a match, so I asked the white man and we got our seat.
I was a Denmark supporter that day despite them losing to Japan. During the whole screening, everyone was too intense to even speak a word. I did not talk much to the white guy, we were all focusing on the match ignoring each other. Right after that match we started ice-breaking.
We greeted and introduced our names. He called himself, Haslwanter. A man from Austria.
"So you come here for holiday" I asked.
"Yes exactly, another 2 weeks I will be off for Singapore" Haslwanter replied.
"Must be nice to always travel around, so you're taking a month off from work?"
Haslwanter shook his eyebrow as if work sounded like a foreign word. "Ohhh no! I do this all the time. In fact, I travelled from Capetown weeks ago, its as beautiful as you can see on TV just now"
"Wow great. Wish I can travel there some day."
He continued on telling me what a nice place Africa can be, and describing all about the decoration and events they were having prior to world cup. On and on.... But I couldn't help but to think that this guy must be rich to be able to travel that much. "So you travelled a lot? How long have you been hopping around from country to country"
"Mate, it was since last year since I was in Austria. All I do now is to travel different places and relax"
It intrigued me even further, my curiosity kept me going, "You must have a lot of savings from your work to travel this much. Are you a top management director of some big MNC??"
"Me? Haha! You must be kidding mate. I hate office work, I don't work regular hours. Just whenever I like."
"You run your own business, sir?"
"I have a business, but wouldn't need to work everyday. That's why I don't work when I travel, it runs by itself while I was away. I love travelling and this business kept me going. I like what I did since I can always travel without worries"
He continued on with what he was doing and so on. Whole conversation took hours before we realized that it was almost time to go home, before the commuter train closed their service.
"This is very interesting, sir. I would hope to keep in contact with you in future perhaps. So do you have a Facebook or page that I may be able to contact you?"
"I would love to keep myself free from all communication stuff. I don't have those."
"You don't? Then how do you contact people?"
"I don't even have a mobile phone. That is how free I wish to be when I am on a holiday. No phone calls, no contacts, no emails, no boss. I can be whoever I like and nobody's going to care. My business run by itself when I am away so that settles my problem."
I can't tell how much I envy such lifestyle. I love travelling, and I wish I have as much freedom. "So there's no way to even contact you in future I guess."
"Oh yes, I have an email address. Once a while I'll get to that, it depends."
He gave me the email address and we left for the day.
I never see him again after that day, I guess he was off visiting some other travelling spot before moving to another country. Still I admire him lifestyle, he got his freedom and from that moment own he wouldn't have to work 9-to-5. No bosses to scold him for screwing up. No need to worry about money problem. Just travel as and when he likes. That is when I know, I need to be like Haslwanter. I need to have my freedom.
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