Man becomes hitchhiker to make his father’s dreams come true

ISTANBUL

A man has become a famous YouTuber for hitchhiking across the country with his wife without a penny in pocket, just after finding a letter penned by his father before his death, depicting his regret that he could not “run after dreams.”

Burak Ovacıkbaşı’s life changed ten days before finishing his military service in 2015, when he got the news of his father’s death.

Going back home, Ovacıkbaşı found a four-page letter in his father’s jacket. The letter, starting with “Dear son,” was penned for him.

“My only dream is to go fishing on a boat and tour some cities with you. Due to financial problems, I could not do it. I had to postpone my dreams all the time,” his father wrote.

The moment he read the letter was the time Ovacıkbaşı promised to follow his father’s dreams. Getting married a year later in 2016, Ovacıkbaşı took to the roads with his wife, a backpack, a fishing rod and a teapot.

In four years, the couple toured the country, and camped in all 81 provinces.

“We caught fish or ate sea urchins. Once you feed your stomach, you don’t need money. If we had to earn money, then we made wristbands and sold them,” Ovacıkbaşı told daily Milliyet.

His advice is like a reference to his father’s letter, saying, “Do not postpone traveling. Tomorrow may be too late.”

The couple had a baby last year. So, now back in Istanbul, the Ovacıkbaşı family stopped hitchhiking and is now considering continuing their tour with a vehicle or a caravan they will buy as soon as possible.