Juliane Schaub
The world is my oyster
Juliane Schaub
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain
I love airports - to me they are portals to exotic worlds full of mystery and adventure. Ever since I was a child travelling has been my passion. The German word "Reisefieber", travel fever, describes this inner yearning to pack your bags and explore the world very well. It is a feverish anticipation that grabs you and drives you constantly to be on the move, to experience new cultures and discover new shores; and it's an inherent part of who I am. For years I had to suppress my wanderlust since the need to "earn a living" kept me trapped in the confines of the 2- or if I was lucky 4-week-holiday - just enough to feed the addiction but never enough to satisfy the hunger.
The past couple of years have been fraught with painful events, culminating in the death of both my parents within 4 months of each other. But these events were only the catalyst for a decision that was conceived a very long time ago, and that has been taking shape slowly and steadily over years of conforming to a life of expectations and demands. And eventually the moment has come: I have sold my house, quit my job, packed my bags and am now sitting at Heathrow Airport, waiting for my flight to Kuala Lumpur.
The first few months I will spend volunteering - first at Sepilok Orang-Utan Sanctuary in Borneo and then as a dive master intern on a marine conservation project in the Seychelles. After that I'm looking forward to exploring Asia followed by Australia and New Zealand; Hawaii and Alaska are on the list and I'm sure I will add many more destinations as I go along. The world is a big and magical place, and for the time being at least I am happy to call it my oyster...