23 February 2024

While my loved ones are probably on their way to work or dropping their kids off at kindergarten somewhere far away, I stroll barefoot along the marina pier. It’s just after midnight in February 2024, and I find myself in the southernmost part of Mexico. Stingrays glide beneath me, their bodies catching the moonlight, and I can’t help but smile at the sight.

No longer quite in my mid-thirties, I live a somewhat unusual life. A few years ago, when those around me began crafting long-term plans for careers and families, I took a different path. Instead of settling down, I felt the need to break physical ties to home and detach myself from the idea of a "normal life."

The normal life—whatever that is. I tried it, as one does. An apartment, a job, regular working hours, commuting on the German train system. Hobbies on weekends, friends when they had time. Relationships, coming and going. It was okay, but somehow, it wasn’t "it". At least, it couldn’t be everything there is.

So I started saving. The years were tough, and in retrospect, I could have done things differently. Perhaps it needed time. But eventually, the day came. The day it all ended. I set myself free and began a journey without an end date. No plan, no destination.

For three years now, I’ve been a nomad. Living in ever-changing places, under ever-changing conditions, with ever-changing people. And I like this life. 🙂

I’ve lived in vehicles, slept on mountaintops, sailed across the Atlantic, and lived here and there out of a backpack. The longer this journey goes on, the more I feel like it was just the beginning. I’ve only just moved into the world—my world, my home.

Now, I’ve created a blog to share this life. Although I probably always carried the nomad gene within me, it took almost two decades before I could break free from the "ordinary" and embark on an endless journey. I want to help others shorten this chapter, to encourage all the "nomads at heart" to follow their calling and pack their bags. Life is out here. You know it, even if you sometimes forget.

At the moment, I’m a crew member on a sailboat, sailing up the Pacific coast of North America—all the way to the U.S. border. With watch shifts, cleaning, and cooking, I earn my place on board, allowing me to live here without financial expenses. Because I have almost nothing left of my savings. And that’s okay. I will figure it out.

My cabin is tiny, tucked away in the part of the boat where the waves hit the hardest. And yet, I feel at home. For now. Until the next chapter of my nomadic life begins. The journey continues — and I can’t wait to see where it takes me next. 🙂