«Happiness travels with you»: a crazy idea comes true

«You're brave!» is a statement we hear again and again. What also resonates in the undertone: «You're a bit crazy!», «You're irresponsible», «Are you sure this is a good idea?».

Selling the flat, giving up two secure jobs and travelling with a ten- and a twelve-year-old child. With an open end, no fixed time frame and no fixed destination. Is that sensible? Probably not. The path to realising that this is nevertheless the right path for us comes gradually.

Dreamingat the bus stop

We spend many evenings sitting on the «bus stop». That's what my husband and I call our sofa, where we sit next to each other after a long day at work and wait - for the bus to pick us up and take us somewhere away from everyday life.

What's more, we're always dreaming of a big trip together at the family table. Wouldn't it be marvellous to have plenty of time to discover Europe? At some point, the children get to the heart of the matter and put us in need of an explanation: «Do we always just talk about it or do we really do it?»

Asthma as a valid reason for travelling

There are actually very good reasons to make a change. One of our two girls has asthma and an allergy profile that makes life in this part of Europe only possible with a mixture of annual, week-long lockdowns, a huge cocktail of medication and lots of personal restrictions.

We're fed up of not being able to go outside as a family for the first time until August, when the hazel, birch, beech and grass flowering seasons are finally over. If one child can't go out, the other often prefers to stay at home.

We can't dry our washing outside for months on end and even a good airing out is out of the question. The longer it goes on, the more stressful the situation becomes for the whole family.

Finished talking

So why not just move away? There are places to live with a better climate, for example in the high mountains, on the Atlantic or on the North Sea. Perhaps we could look for work there? That would make sense. However, the flea in our ear to take a trip doesn't stop tickling us. We feel more and more that we really want to do it and not just talk about it.

Each family member has a veto to end the journey if it no longer feels good.

After that, however, we wouldn't want to return to this place. At some point in the summer of 2019, the final decision will be made: the flat will be sold and the job cancelled.

Spring 2020 is to be spent away from all the pollen along the Atlantic coast and the search for a new home where everyone can get enough air is to begin. And so the big planning begins.

Our fat man

Firstly, we need to think about how we would travel. How can you give children stability and a sense of security when they no longer have a fixed home?

The «caravan with towing vehicle» concept is the most practical solution for us: A caravan can stay in one place at a time and the car enables excursions and shopping. There is room to sleep, live and work and the most important things are always with us. This is how we found our new home on two wheels, affectionately known as our fat man.

Grandparents as back-up

Another cornerstone of our endeavour is the great good fortune of having four healthy grandparents in the background. Should the sky fall on our heads, we have several places of refuge where we can take shelter.

In the south of France in the Cévennes, with grandma and granddad, we are allowed to set up our administrative base. There is another nest in northern Germany with grandma and grandpa, where we are always welcome.

With so much support, we never feel extraordinarily reckless in our preparations. For us, it's a step where not much more can go wrong than anything else that could go wrong in life.

A journey with an open end

We have no plan for how long our journey will take. For now, we're aiming for just over a year. Maybe we'd get fed up after just a few months, or maybe the constant togetherness in a confined space would get on our nerves? So we decide that each of us has a veto to end the journey if it no longer feels good.

In front of closed borders

As a result, our bus stop actually disappears. Instead of the expected freedom, however, spring 2020 brings a surprising and unpredictable challenge in the form of a global pandemic.

At the end of April, we stand in front of closed borders, ready for our journey. Without our jobs, without a home and, due to corona-related delays, without a caravan to replace it.

We spend the spring in the high mountains of Switzerland instead of on the Atlantic coast. This is the start of a real adventure in which flexibility becomes our middle name and the aforementioned courage is put to good use.

Find out in part 2 how the journey continues and how the family has European hotspots all to themselves. This will be published at the end of June.