In fact, today is the day we have now been travelling the world for exactly 365 days.On 10.10.2018 we packed our bags and moved out into the big wide world. The time has passed so quickly that it almost feels unreal when you think about it.
A trip around the world is not always a luxury, a trip around the world is not always fun, a trip around the world involves a lot of work, planning and also strains that only someone who has made such a trip himself knows. Even just trying to get through the day at an altitude of over 4000 metres, waking up in the middle of the night because an earthquake rips you out of your sleep or in tropical areas, mosquitoes and other creatures are horror stories for many people, but as a world traveller you have to be prepared for them in order not to go crazy!
Another obstacle is the time schedule, which comes on top of that for us. We work for our own company in Germany and so we always have the hurdle of having to have good internet or to plan for the time difference. It sounds easy, but if the client wants to have a meeting at 8 o’clock in the morning in Germany, you as a service provider have to be ready to take part in such a meeting at 2 o’clock in the morning.
All these challenges scare many people, but we are happy about it and see it as a challenge to grow exactly at such things.
What has changed for us after a year of travelling the world?
Change #1: Looking at things and the world
Once you have seen and experienced some things, your view of certain things often changes. We have seen things that often appear in the media but in no way just convey what the situation really feels like. Whether it’s the brown algae plague in the Caribbean, the monkey deaths in Peru or even the Amazonas fires which has enveloped the whole of Sao Paulo in a thick cloud of smoke, pictures and news always only show a fraction of the situation, people who are directly affected by it experience these situations much more intensely again.
We have felt climate change first hand, some regions have been out of water for a long time, some regions are on fire, some regions are infested with algae and other parasites, and other regions deny these incidents and still claim that there is no global warming. After seeing all this we have to disappoint you,our planet is changing and this change will not bring any positive things for most of us.
Change #2: We have become more spontaneous!
At the beginning of our trip we had to plan everything, it was almost an urge to know what was coming next. Now we are more relaxed about many things in the future.We only plan what is necessary and otherwise let ourselves drift.
Change #3: Improvisational talent
What doesn’t fit will be made to fit! It might sound like something we stole from an advert, but no, that’s how our improvisation skills have really improved. You wouldn’t believe how annoying a dripping shower or a flushing toilet that doesn’t work can be, but the worst are beds that make a strange sound every time you move! This is where you become a real improvisation talent, superglue, duct tape and leathermen are now a permanent part of our luggage. An old razor can be turned into a holder for a shower head or a piece of thread into a device to stop the shower from dripping.
Change #4: We’ve become bolder!
We had a plan but we don’t know if it will work until we execute the plan. Yes, one becomes more courageous – perhaps one also lives a little more spontaneously and thus more carefree. Even if various foreign offices warn against a country we dared to visit it and were not disappointed most of the time. We have learned to dare to do something that other people advise against, to go one step further, to do what we feel like doing and not to act stupidly. Whether we look back on our 5-day tour through the Amazon or the high plateau of Bolivia or just the swing across the Amazon without belaying or maybe the swap ticket – it was awesome!
Change #5: We’ve become even more digital!
Yes you heard right, we have become even more digital! Max in particular has always been a few miles ahead of digitalisation in Germany. Alexa, iPad, voice assistants, the latest payment methods and, of course, the connected home have always been up to date – you have to know how clean the air is in your bedroom. But since we started travelling around the world, we have become even more digital. Uber, Grab, Alipay and the like are just a few of the keywords that work great all over the world and have found a permanent place in the everyday lives of millions of people, but in Germany people still look at you strangely when you want to pay with an EC card at the bakery.
Change #6: Luggage – What do I need for a round-the-world trip?
We have since switched from a backpack to a suitcase with large wheels. Why no more backpack for our world trip? When you have to cover a longer distance at 35 degrees with a backpack that weighs almost 15 – 17 kilograms, you will no longer ask this question, unless of course you are into such inhuman strains. In addition to our suitcase with wheels, we also have our daypack which is of course ideal for short hikes and other adventures. But not only the luggage itself has changed. As already mentioned above, for example, armour tape and superglue are now always an integral part of our luggage. Since the quality of sleep also suffers due to the constant change of place or bed, we have treated ourselves to a small travel pillow, so we always have a little luxury with us. We also make sure that we use many things together, such as soap and shaving foam, and thus save a lot of weight on cosmetics!The lighter your luggage, the easier it is to travel with it!
Change #7: Things we value in accommodation!
We remember very well when we first picked out accommodation in Cuba and Mexico. It had to have a pool, a view and, of course, breakfast. Here our requirements changed significantly. A warm shower, a tight toilet, a quiet air conditioner (when it’s very hot), a room with a window (lockable) and a good internet connection make us very happy by now and here the internet connection is also more due to the fact that we need it for work reasons.
.Change #8: Understanding and other perspectives
The Amazon is being deforested and politicians are quietly watching, but has ANYONE ever questioned why all this is happening? We in Europe have already deforested our primeval forest to a large extent tens of decades ago, part of our prosperity has probably also come about in this way. Why do we now criticise other peoples and people for something we did many years ago? Criticism alone will not solve any problems or save any rainforest. We humans have to understand that we can only save the lungs of the earth if we pull together and support poorer people who currently live from deforestation, poaching and overexploitation with financial means. This is only one example of many how a world trip can change your view. One gets an understanding for many things, questions and sees people and things from other perspectives.
Change #9: You become more communicative!
Ok, admittedly, we were already quite communicative before our world trip. Making contact with unknown people has never been particularly difficult for us, but travelling makes it even easier. One is even dependent on talking to strangers in order to not travel through the world as a solo couple.
Change #10: Structure in everyday life
Since we are digital nomads travelling the world and not just selling fun e-books and t-shirts that don’t do anyone any good, but actually still working, our daily travel routine naturally needs structure. This means that we also have to plan our day according to German office hours in order to be able to satisfy our customers here. Depending on the time difference, this is a real challenge. On top of this very important part, of course, we also have to organise our everyday life, blogging, travelling, enjoying places and foraging for food – getting all this under one hat is like a logistical feat, which we now successfully accomplish every day.
However, these changes not only take us a long way in our everyday world travels, but also make life much easier and more successful everywhere we go. We believe that these are exactly the soft skills that employers want from their employees in order to bring good results in the working world. For us, our world trip is the best training we have ever had. Here’s to the next 365 days!
