A Life of Vibes
Iris Veldwijk is a world traveler, the person behind Mind of a Hitchhiker, a cat-sitter, and a total vibe. Originally from the Netherlands, she has been traveling almost continuously since November 2013, reaching about 90 countries in 2026. What began with hitchhiking became a life built around curiosity, resourcefulness, and a willingness to find out what happens beyond the familiar.
She’s now trying to make the raw-yet-polished city of San Francisco and the Bay Area her main base of operations. She wants to talk to anyone and everyone about literally anything—looking hella fly (by American standards) while at it. Some may call her a professional yapper, first call plus-one, side quest-maxxer, suspected personality hire, or simply morbidly curious. Iris always says yes to new things to experience, places to visit, and social circles to meet.
Her travels have taken her along poorly paved roads through Latin America, across dodgy borders in the Caucasus and Iran, on boats in both East and West Africa, through concrete jungles in Southeast Asia, a short stint in Palau, literally all countries in Europe, on 90 dates in two months in the “Bae Area”, and into conversations with strangers whose paths she would otherwise never have crossed. Along the way, she has kayaked the entire Danube River, crewed a few yachts in the Med, hitchhiked one airplane, walked the entire Dutch coastline, and embraced the awkwardness that is life.
Turning Experience into Useful Stories
Through Mind of a Hitchhiker, Iris turns those experiences into detailed travel stories and practical guides. She writes, photographs, makes maps, and handles the less glamorous work of getting it all onto a website. Her attention often goes to the details that other people leave out: where a journey actually starts, how a border crossing works, and what she wishes someone had told her beforehand. Some may diagnose her with a touch of autism and a sprinkle of ADHD.
Years of independent travel have taught her to research carefully, ask direct questions, and adapt when an apparently straightforward journey becomes an afternoon-long project. She brings that same combination of persistence and curiosity to Total Together.
An Eclipse Worth Waiting For
Her connection to eclipses began long before she joined the team. In August 1999, eight-year-old Iris traveled with her family in France, where her father René hoped to show them a total solar eclipse. The clouds had other plans.
It took until August 2026, in Aguilar de Campoo, Spain, for her to finally experience totality. After that childhood disappointment, watching the Moon cover the Sun alongside the Total Together group felt like a redemption eclipse.
Bringing People Along
At Total Together, Iris leads guest communication and helps tell the story of what the group is creating. She writes newsletters and articles, works on the website, answers inquiries, and helps prospective guests turn their interest into practical plans.
She also takes that enthusiasm beyond the inbox. While in the Bay Area, California, she organized informal eclipse gatherings in Berkeley and San Francisco, bringing together experienced eclipse chasers and people curious about seeing their first one.
For Iris, the eclipse is an excellent reason to travel somewhere. The culture, nature, cuisine, conversations, and new connections are all ways to enhance the experience of watching our orbiting outer rock move past the fiery gas ball from our own rotating home rock at just the perfect distance. Totality may last only a few minutes, but the experience lasts in the mind.