Wherever we go...

 

Hello and welcome to my old blog :-) 

Glad you found your way somehow to this remote place.

That’s where I am right now. Some may seem that’s a place far away from home but it is not (at least physically). I started my journey probably in December last year when I had the feeling of something growing inside…some feeling of ‘stuck’ some bigger need of change maybe.

After many years I guess of 'just living' and not really feeling that something is missing, it luckily  became very clear when I looked back to some time. Some time many many years ago actually. The time I started my last journey back in Australia, the time you can read below. Maybe this blog is a blog about changes, about chances or choices, who knows if I always need to step aside out of the actual pattern of life to get to the point I seek. Maybe it’s that what defines my life as it’s purpose or maybe it’s just a time out of the ‘real life’ how many people call it (haha which may be an illusion all together).

December last year after little changes in the previous years (breakups, changes in work, moving flat…) it felt like no matter what I try nothing really helps the state I’m in. The state I can’t even name yet. A state of stuck of ‘where are all the cool things’ a maybe just boring state.

The paradox is my life’s not boring at all :) , I do have many friends in the place I live. My week is full of so many fun things, dancing, singing, gym, watching shows with friends, discussions and cooking seasons with flatmates…just to name some things.

Crazy I guess that’s the life people want to live or people tell that’s how you live a good life …idk

So how the hank that’s not what made me happy in the end. It all left me sit with some kind of ‘that’s it’ …’that’s all there is’….can’t be… feeling.

And don’t get me wrong, it’s not the ‘more’ I’m seeking, during lockdown I luckily learned that less things to do/have is sometime more to win. I’m very thankfull for this experience!

Back so December :P haha. All I didn’t change during all those years has been my job. Well there have been some changes within my job but in the end of the day I was more stressed than finding it fulfilling (I guess that’s a good indicator that something’s odd). Hard to say what it has been….was working in a nice team (did laugh a lot) had good relationship with my boss and still I had this ‘and now’ feeling. Can’t even tell from where it comes.

So in new year’s eve and some days later I was thinking a lot and decided to change the last thing I didn’t try to change yet…which was my job.

My thoughts went from…’I’ll quit my job as soon as I find another one’ over ‘I’ll quit my job and then try to find another one’ (in case I don’t find another job straight away I said I’ll take a break and go travelling)…then I thought but what if I find a job straight away, then I can’t go traveling :)

That was the time when I figured out…I have to quit my job and go traveling :D

Do you know this situation if you can’t decide between two meals u have to choose…u throw a coin which decides for the 2. Meal but then u said….no I take the first one :D (u actually knew it already but u didn’t know u know) that has been the case.

It was also the time where I again was so sure about what I really need. It’s like a voice I didn’t listen to for many years when I try to live life as I think it’s the way to.

 

So I decided in December/January to quit my job and travel around à Destination Bhutan/Nepal maybe some further Asian countries. The plan was to go on land with hitching a lift or trains and busses through all the countries meeting all this beautiful cultures. But yea plans where different for everyone back in January. Sadly Bhutan and Nepal had closed borders all the time I checked.

So many things to learn and change I thought by the time I finish the last big project I was mainly involved (by June) maybe things change and countries will open up again…. Yeahh :D I tought…

In the end even though many strings pull to those countries (I now add Taiwan and Philippines to the list) I decided to travel with a camper van and stay within ‘driving home within a few days if necessary’-reach, named Europe.

I bought a camper by the end of June …went through fixing and administration process to get it registered as a ‘historical vehicle’ (which has many advantages in Germany and is possible with vehicles older than 30 years), changed gearbox and got new TÜV by the end of July and drove it all the way to my parents place to repair, fix and add many many little and big things to get the inside into shape. There is a workshop and many tools and a car port at my parents place which is very convenient to ‘do’ things at the car…Plus it was nice to not think about lunch/dinner while I was working, and my parents even could help with smaller or bigger tasks :)

I thought I can finish all jobs within 1 or 2 month…but even I cut out all not entirely necessary jobs of my list e.g. pulling all windows out and reseal it, repaint everything inside/outside…it took me 3 month to do everything which I decided is necessary. A huuuuge part of the time I was reading how to install and fix things, researching if the information is really correct (I found so much bullsh*t in those online forums) browsing different discussions, watching youtube, contacting sellers and producers and ordering things.

The car (named Jack) has now new bath floor, new bath wall, built in dry toilet, fixed the ‘sink’, new tap and a little decoration…almost complete new electrical wiring with 480W solar, 500Ah LiFePo4 Akku, charge control for power from grid, light machine or solar, inverter 3000W for 230V, many power plugs and USB charging points, new built in bed (140 before 120), fixed leakage at 3 points, fixed gas cooker, installation of LPG tanks for LPG usage for fridge, heater, warm water and cooking (now I can fill up LPG (Gas) at every patrol station without getting a new bottle each other country I’m traveling to), new curtains, new GPS Android radio with 4 speakers, made passenger chair to be able to turn, insulated the floor for winter camping, fixed all hinges and doors to the cupboards, changed and installed new lightning, bought a scooter to but it on the back of the van to be more mobile, sealed and finally decorated Jacky so I can pack and move in…    

As an example I attached some pictures of the bathroom fixing process 

 Before state:

 

Process.....

After finish state:

 

 To be continued ……