Hey there, wondering why a couple is planning to leave their entire, comfortable life in Berlin? Just to travel the world on a bike for a year? That’s actually a long story, but the video below is a good starter.
Finding out who we are.
Who are we? That’s a tough question. Simple answer: We are Nina and Simon. Two Austrian high school sweethearts, foodies, globetrotters. We usually start our days with a drip coffee and a good morning dance party, because life is way too short to be anything but happy.
The long(er) answer: Over the last few months, we noticed that we were doing things we are not passionate about anymore. At the same time people kept asking us what we want to do after we graduate, if we already have any jobs lined up and what we want to be when we “grow up” (um, seriously?). Even though we couldn´t answer a single question (honestly, can anyone?), we both realized that we were not ready to jump into a 9-to-5 routine for the rest of our lives. Just the idea of it gave us the chills. Instead our minds and bodies needed a break.
We didn´t expect that a place like this would still exist.
In early 2017, after being apart for quite a while (Simon worked for a tech startup in Silicon Valley, Nina for a food startup in Berlin), we decided to go on a short adventure to Kauai, Hawaii. And even though this sounds cheesy, this trip truly opened our eyes.
First, we realized that life without each other sucks. No money or job in the world will be able to separate us again. Second, we noticed again how incredibly traveling impacts our wellbeing and happiness. And finally, by hiking through the untouched nature of Kauai and living on the beach, we rediscovered what is deeply rooted inside us, but what we have lost by living in big cities for too long: being offline, being one with mother nature, and filling our life with the kind of adventures that make unforgettable memories. Kauai somehow changed our minds. It changed how we wanted to live our lives.
Back to the roots on Hawaii
A seed was planted …
Ever since we have been planning a new, longer trip. And what started out as a small project (three weeks in South East Asia) grew bigger and bigger.
The World is too big to stay in one place and life is too short to do just one thing.
Fast forward a few months. Suddenly it wasn’t about what cities or sights we wanted to see anymore, but about the continents we want to explore and how many months we can afford to travel before we’re entirely bankrupt. And while this is still an ongoing and ever-changing process, we both agreed early on that we would rather travel longer and take the time to see more places, than having a bit more comfort on our trip. So we have decided to replace our suitcases with backpacks and hotels with camping gear. By then, it wasn’t just about traveling anymore, it was more than that.
We don´t just want to travel the world, we want to make a difference!
Over the past few months and years, we slowly but seriously changed the way we live our lives. Consuming less, living simply, buying local and eating veggie. We no longer want to accept how mankind is depleting our planet–ecologically, economically and socially. We no longer want to agree with the common consent, because we care a great deal about our unique, green planet and its beautiful human beings. Our actions–however small they might be–have a big impact on the world and we want to make sure it is a positive one.
The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.
So our goal is simple: exploring and protecting our planet. Therefore, we have decided to replace airplanes by cargo ships (yea, you can actually do that), buses by bikes, and source and plan our trip carefully and in a sustainable manner. We want to minimize our ecological footprint while maximizing our experience. Through the ways we travel, the regions we visit and the choices we make on our trip, we can create awareness and have a positive impact on our planet and the people who live on it. We want to educate people about their impact on even the most remote areas of our planet and spread the word about sustainable traveling and simple lifestyles.
We count on you!
But all this doesn’t mean anything without the help and support of all the people out there. Check out the rest of our website to find out more about how you can support our mission (e.g. by donating to one of our fundraisers), helping us to get around the world or by simply being more curious about sustainability and our environment.
We hope you like our blog and stay tuned. Feel free to share our story and reach out to us anytime!
Nina & Simon
Something to say about us traveling the world on bikes?
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