The next adventure

"What would life be if we didn't have the courage to take risks?" (Vincent van Gogh)

Now sit here and reflect on the past time.

Our big adventure began on April 30, 2023. Madlin's parents had invited us to what would be our last breakfast together for an indefinite period of time. During breakfast the doorbell rang unexpectedly twice. Mali and Steffi came to say goodbye to us again. There were already many tears here.

We wanted to go to the airport at 11 a.m., but by 10:50 a.m. Madlin was back in bed. She was determined not to get on the plane to Bali. With the tongues of angels, Chris was finally able to change her mind. Madlin's parents drove us to the airport a few minutes late. The mood was strange. Chris was full of anticipation, Madlin was very sad.

Laura and Andre surprised us at the airport and, together with Madlin's parents, took us to security. A tearful farewell followed.

As soon as we landed in Bali everything was forgotten. It was the start of something really big. We were brave, left our comfort zone and took a lot of risks.

Our conclusion is that it was all worth it! The world is beautiful, colorful and diverse. Although we spent most of our time off the beaten track and often attracted attention, we only met nice people. We were able to experience a lot of warmth, curiosity and hospitality. Locals gave us an insight into their lives, invited us to their homes and revealed their life stories to us. We were able to get to know a world that we never knew before. We gained a completely new perspective on the world.

As a couple we have grown even more together. We have both grown beyond ourselves, gained new experiences together, overcome hurdles and gained new perspectives. We are very grateful to each other for daring to embark on this adventure together.

We are still in contact with people we got to know. Saman from Kandy (Sri Lanka), Obay from Ella (Sri Lanka), Hamidi from Mombassa (Africa) and Dung from Vietnam (our motorcycle guide).

After our return we were often asked whether we had changed as people. We don't find it. But one thing has changed a lot and that is the awareness and gratitude for all the luxury we have in Germany. Running water, clean tap water, a stable power supply, a functioning infrastructure, decent roads, safe means of transport and all the other "little things" that we all take for granted.

Despite all the formative experiences, we have also become aware that we are not people who want to be separated from our home and the people we love and are loved by indefinitely.

We often think back on our journey, which taught us so many positive things.

It's crazy how quickly time flies...

... everyday life begins for us tomorrow. The first working day after our trip around the world is upon us. At least for Chris. Madlin is currently banned from working because we are having a child and this is the start of our next trip and our next adventure.