About Me

High School graduation in the US with my American sister and cousin

Apart from vacations with my family, I could really experience different cultures through another kind of traveling. When I was 14 years old I did a school exchange visit to Paris, France, and stayed with a host family for ten days. Even though I didn’t speak a lot of French, it was great to experience how other people live. One year later, I did a similar program with my school in England. This time, communicating was easier and I could get a better idea of the British culture.

Even though these were nice experiences, I felt like two weeks were not enough to improve my language skills and to really get to know another culture. So I decided to go to a high school in the US and stay there for 10 months. Thankfully, my parents supported me and I could travel there in 2007, aged 16. It was my first time alone on a plane and being away from home for such a long time. I was very nervous and excited at the same time.

But luckily, I lived with a lovely host family in Richmond, Virginia. And I went to high school together with my host sister who is only one year older than me. I enjoyed learning many new things, making new friends, and living the American way of life. My host family became my second family and remains close to my heart up to this day. I visit them as often as possible.

With one of the indigenous Shuar kids in the Ecuadorian jungle.

Two years after returning to Germany, I graduated from my German high school and went abroad again in 2010. This time, I traveled to Ecuador because I wanted to work as a volunteer and learn Spanish. I stayed in the capital Quito for five months and in the jungle for one month. In Quito, I lived with another nice host family and worked at a daycare that children could go to before and after school. Together with other volunteers, I helped them with their homework and played with them.

In the Amazonas, I lived with a guide and an indigenous tribe without electricity or running water. In the mornings, I walked for one hour through the jungle to a school of 15 students, all in one classroom, aged between four and 14 years old. I tried to help teach them according to their level of knowledge. And in the afternoons, we did some ecological work. I was very sad when I had to leave and was sure to return one day. During my six months in this beautiful country, I learned so much more than just Spanish because the Ecuadorian culture and way of life were unlike anything I had ever experienced before. And I met Mama Ayahuasca for the first time and she greatly influenced the course of my life.

Beach trip with friends in Ecuador

I also learned how to backpack. Before arriving in Ecuador, I thought it would be pretty dangerous to travel around in South America. But I was very wrong. Together with other volunteers, I did many trips around the country on the weekends and found out how easy, affordable, and fun backpacking really is. Like in most other Latin American countries, there were cheap buses going to most places regularly. We also found good and affordable hostels or guesthouses everywhere. If you take some precautions, like avoiding walking around at certain places at night, you can travel without problems there. It definitely helped that we knew how to speak Spanish and we were usually 2 – 8 people.

When I returned to Germany, I moved to Cologne to study Media and Communication Management. On the weekends and during my semester breaks, I traveled as often as possible. My housemates introduced me to Couchsurfing. I really love it because it allowed me to travel better, cheaper, and find good friends from all over the world.

The Mayan pyramid in Tikal, Guatemala, was built around 730 and rises 44m / 145 ft.

Besides studying, I worked as a waitress and promoter to save money for my next big trip. After three years, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree and flew to Australia. There I met up with my sister, we bought a car and drove up the east coast in 2.5 months. We had a great time living the backpacker lifestyle, exploring new places, sleeping in our car, and Couchsurfing. I continued alone to the US and traveled from San Francisco, California, through Central America to Montañita, Ecuador. It was my longest solo trip (three months) and also the best time of my life up to that point.

When I came back to Germany I continued working as a waitress and bartender until I found an office job in Online Marketing. Luckily for me, I really liked the work and my colleagues, so I could bear to stay in one place even after traveling for half a year before. Of course, I started saving money and planning the next big travel again. After some time, I found out about the Digital Nomad Movement. Even though I had heard about it before, I thought it was too difficult to join. But the more I read and informed myself, the more I realized: This is exactly what I want, and probably even have to do! I had the right mindset, a digital background through my studies and work as well as the travel experience. 😉

So in 2017, I quit my job, and my shared apartment, got dreadlocks, sold or gave away most of my stuff, and started my full-time travel. Here you can find out how I prepared for this travel and how to make money online. It was a bittersweet goodbye. On the one hand, I was very excited to finally do what I had always dreamed about, but on the other hand, it wasn’t easy to leave everything behind. Of course, I knew I would return regularly to visit.

Working in a bar in Holbox, Mexico.

When I first set out on my adventure, I lived off my savings for a few months until I began finding clients and earning an income. Those initial months were an exhilarating mix of travel and exploration. I had the best time visiting Portugal, the US, Jamaica, Cuba, and Brazil. In Brazil, I met up with my boyfriend, Tarik, and together we explored the vibrant culture and stunning landscapes of this beautiful country. It was also there that I launched my career as a freelance digital marketer.

Our next stop was Ecuador. In December 2018, I had to travel solo to Germany for a couple of weeks, then moved on to Mexico, a country that quickly captured my heart. After five months in Mexico, I returned to Germany for the summer, visited my American family, and then made my way back to Ecuador.

Unfortunately, life in Ecuador wasn’t as enjoyable as I’d hoped. Just as we planned to leave, COVID-19 hit, and we found ourselves stuck. The strict curfews, from 2 PM to 5 AM, took a toll on my mental health, and I experienced depression for the first time. By October 2020, I was finally able to leave and went to stay with my family in Germany and Switzerland. Despite my dislike for the winter cold, it was wonderful to spend so much quality time with my family—something I hadn’t done since becoming an adult.

In September 2021, eager to escape the impending cold, I headed back to Mexico, one of the few countries without travel restrictions at the time. I knew from my previous visits that I would love it. My plan was to return to Cozumel, an island and scuba diving paradise I had visited in 2019, but first, I decided to spend two weeks in Playa del Carmen. Having lived with my grandma in a small village with less than 300 inhabitants, I craved some city life before settling into a smaller place again. However, Playa del Carmen captivated me. The vibrant energy, the amazing consious community, and the countless incredible natural and cultural sites made it impossible to leave. The city offered a unique blend of positive energy, personal growth, and healing that I hadn’t experienced before.

I found myself so deeply connected to Playa del Carmen that I decided to stay indefinitely. In fact, I’m still living here now. After my six-month tourist visa expired, I became a Mexican resident in 2022! 🇲🇽🎉

Of course, my travels haven’t ended. Playa del Carmen is my home base where I spend most of my time, and I always love coming back. In the summers, I usually travel to Germany to visit friends and family. This balance of travel and home has created a fulfilling, dynamic lifestyle that I wouldn’t trade for anything.