Night of the Refugee

Thanks for your support. With your help I collected almost double of what I aimed for and finished walking 40 kilometer. In total, more than 10,000 people raised a record amount of 2.1 million euros for refugees around the world.

Ok, my muscles feel a bit sore now, but it was a good experience. Walking at night is special. Especially when you forget to bring a light and stumble through the forest without seeing the uneven path. A ribbon of walkers in front and behind helps you to orientate in the dark. In spite of the night, it is not that hard to have small conversations with people that you walk with and learn where they come from and what they do. There is a friendly atmosphere. At other times, when you walk by yourself, you hear new sounds: Nightbirds, frogs, or the wind in the trees. The warm summer night, sweat on your face.

The walk was organized well, with stops and refreshments every so many kilometers. After leaving the second stop, the humidity increased and rain was approaching. In a group we decided to cross a stretch of forest, but rain and thunder reached us earlier than expected and became pretty fierce. We doubted whether to return or quickly cross this patch. I started counting the seconds between the light flashes and the thunderclap to estimate the distance (1 kilometer/3 seconds). First very far, then suddenly very quick: Boom! We started speeding up to find a shelter. Fortunately, we reached a villa and sheltered under the front porch with a large group standing close together. Exchanging jokes, stories, and risk assessments. More wet walkers joined us. After half an hour the rain became less and we could continue. This instance became the dramatic peak of the night.

Earlier than expected the sun rose and the early morning light welcomed us to continue to the finish.

Night of the Refugee

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