Just Another Millenial Travel Blog

The dawn of a new day. The feeling of departure and a new chapter I am slightly addicted to. Today is the day. I am actually heading into my adventure to Asia. I am leaving behind my protestantic work ethics for 2,5 weeks (how should I live without e-mails?; hard when you have the sense of duty of a Prussian officer) and start an exploration instead.

Do I have slight respect doing this trip, especially to China, alone? Yes, for sure. To feel alive choosing uncertainty and discomfort is focal to me and so do it anyway – jump or pull the trigger. As someone who is and always has been an exam person using the same approach towards my trip to China is helpful: be prepared as perfectly as possible (with toughness and mercilessness) and than letting loose and go in the exam/trip with confidence and the inner pledge that I have done everything possible.

As I have entered the airport today I swiped away my doubts (VPN and payment) and instead switched to the self-confident, English speaking side of my personality who loves adventure, internationalism and sees uncertainty as a challenge.

Currently sitting at the gate in Zurich airport I only feel joy, curiosity and true excitement. As you might know airports feel like a proper home to me, as everyone is in transition – a condition I love and as person who moved 12 times (or maybe more often) and lived in three different countries in her 20s I am well familiar with.

Excursus: My Asia trip will have for sure the magic of doing something for the first time. Let me share my two New York’s trips here. First time I was a cute, but slightly naive, 16 year old school girl who went to New York with my very beloved dad. My English was already clearly there but still school girl like and I was very happy that dad guided me through New York and organised everything. I went shopping at Hollister and Abercrombie and was very proud wearing the shirts to school after summer break. Even though my dad has seen potential (and wanted to leave at the command bridge of the Intrepid) it took me another decade to unfold.

Second New York trip in 2023: a very close friend of mine was celebrating here 30s birthday with her best mates in the city. I flew alone and we were about to land at JFK. I was about to finish my book and was looking forward meeting the girls. But than we just didn’t land which is slightly scaring when you have 9/11 in mind. After moving in circles we left New York without knowing what was happening. After 30 minutes we were informed that we had to fly to Canada due to a thunderstorm. We landed in Toronto and after being locked in the airplane for two more hours we could enter Canada. The next morning I was, in my than very polished international student English, trying to catch another flight to NYC, without success. So I decided I will take the Greyhound bus for 14 hours (as a frugal person I didn’t had an eSIM which definitely increased the adventurous character even further). I made it to New York at 3 am the next day and took my Uber. A sense of pride of who I became remained even though New York wasn’t the glowing magnetic city anymore in my eyes that I perceived as a 16 year old (still love NYC and one of the greatest cities in the world to me).

So I am very much looking forward to the magic of first times in Asia, as the older you get the less first times you have, which makes you more composed but also sceptical (and sometimes cynical). BTW if you are interested in the soundtrack of my trip: Jay Chou (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0PJXvrJQG7PWY6z4o3McEQ?si=smR5YH-XTFik2l3zCmHoLQ&pi=YQskS6w9Ru-NC) it is (thanks to my favourite London girl – delivered as always). And mom: don’t worry – you moved to Paris alone in 1980 (just a small reminder on how fearless you were). Your girl has always thrived abroad and is a tough one so I can and will make it.

Do you have any recommendations for my trip (Singapore/Beijing/Shanghai) – reach out or leave a comment.