To see, to wander, to live

What a cliché. I’m sitting here in a cozy XXL-cotton sweater (men’s collection), black tights and knee-high boots at a small table in a Starbucks coffee shop in Zurich, Switzerland. Staring at my computer, trying to find a suitable start for my new blog while sipping at my overpriced Java Chocolate Chip Frappucino (most women have a handsome male muse, I find my inspiration in chocolate). Don’t worry, this will neither be another fancy fashion-blog nor an organic-vegan-whatever food-blog.

As a 24-year-old Flight Attendant I have seen quite a lot of this world in my rather young age but I have never been somewhere for real. Like living abroad, working with people from other cultures for a longer period of time or building another home in a new place – never happened so far. And that’s why I decided to quit my job, basically quit my life here in Switzerland and leave. Alone.  Just me, my camera and my laptop. And of course some clothes, oh and shoes, and a lot of other stuff (I’m a woman, what did you expect?). I will start my adventure on 10^th November in the evening; already got my flight ticket to Singapore and my connecting flight to Bangkok two days after. Got my first-aid-kit, my travel towel, my Lonely Planet-guide for whole Southeast Asia (another cliché I know), got my new trekking shoes and will buy a suitable backpack tomorrow in Johannesburg, Southafrica. Yes, tonight’s my last flight. At least my last flight where I have to deal with rude passengers (it wasn’t that bad at all but after hundreds of flights serving people tomato juice;  I’m happy to leave).

I loved my job. Two days in Hong Kong, one day in New York, two days Los Angeles, one night in Rome and the month hadn't been over yet. It was a crazy life and I enjoyed traveling the world (actually it was more like jumping from one place to another like a kitten chasing a laser pointer). But now I’m looking forward to dive into a culture, really get to know a country not just step in for a few hours, totally jetlagged, and be forced to leave again the moment you finally realize in which city – or sometimes even on which continent –  you find yourself.

My traveling route’s going to be a surprise – even for me. I don’t want to plan anything and get inspired by the stories people are telling me on the road. I will use “workaway.org” to find people I can work for and therefore experience working abroad and get a room & some food for free. I don’t have much money to spend, so this isn’t going to be an I’m-so-fancy-and-only-live-in-5-star-resorts blog. You will read funny stories about a girl, traveling solo and trying not to get lost (too much), wandering the countries in Southeast Asia on a low-budget, meeting people from all over the world and maybe –  just maybe – find the purpose of life (haha, you should set your goals high, remember?)

Sometimes the only right thing to do is to leave.

To see, to wander, to live.

Cheers,
Ari