How we decided to throw ourselves into the unknown

Swinging my legs under my office desk last summer, I clicked on one of those dreamy beach pictures that make every 9-to-5 job holder count their days until the next vacation. It was a post shared by a page called Workaway. That website gathers thousands of volunteering opportunities around the globe. In exchange for a part-time job, you’ll get free accommodation and food.

I scrolled down dreamily, knowing perfectly well that I should be making phone calls, researching story ideas or doing anything work-related. But the airless office slowly swallowed my willpower and carried me into a dream world. And then I found it. An island in a lake in Nicaragua, two volcanoes on top of that little piece of land. In the middle of these two fire mountains, an idyllic guesthouse was looking for bloggers who could write about adventurous things to do around the island. All of a sudden, my half-baked brain was very awake. I copied the link and sent it to Tom.

Working life is like a train that you have to catch every day. There is no moment to relax or rewind. Buckets of assignments are being poured all over you, and there’s not a second to look around, breath and think about who you are and why you are here. Days, months and years fly by in the blink of an eye. The dream of the volcanic island slowly drifted away until it was forgotten. And the day I finally decided to recheck it, the possibility was gone. Deleted from the webpage. Yet we knew one thing for sure: we had to do it. We had to go to Central America, to do Workaway. When the next opportunity showed itself, we didn’t let it fly away. We hung on.

The train slows down until it comes to a full stop

Now I’m sitting and sweating in the dining room of a beautiful farm in Belize. On three sides I’m surrounded by enormous leaves of lush plants and trees. The only sound present is that of loud birds. I’ve stepped off of the train of achievements, away from the need to prove myself and the need to be worth something. I have left behind the endless carnival of formal events, dress codes and waiting in line for the next cup of coffee. My mind is in peace- I have time. No rush.

Somewhere further away, a rooster cock-a-doodle-doos. Instead of swinging my legs under the office desk, trying to find another phone number, I’m thinking about the adventures ahead. About the weekend in a hut on a hilltop, the visit to the local shaman, the iguana garden and that dreadful three-mile-long cave trip.

The train of life has slowed down until it has come to a full stop. Finally, I can step out and notice an orange butterfly flying by. Why do we feel so alive, fulfilled and happy when we travel? Because we enter into the unknown and let ourselves marvel and discover. Usually, we go back to our old habits and forget that the world around us is wonderful. My mission is to keep travelling even once I’m back.