Jenny was one of the first people I met in Bali in 2015: we were both staying at The Onion Collective, a co-working space in Ubud that offers accommodation. We instantly clicked, as we were both on the same page, we had the passion for traveling and had experienced living in different countries around the world.
- Nomad: Jenny
- Where were you born? A town called Karl-Marx-Stadt in Eastern Germany. Technically it doesn’t exist anymore.
- Current Location? Kiel, which is north of Hamburg , Germany.
- Where were you last? Cologne, Germany and Bali.
- Where are you going next? Haha not sure, somewhere in Europe, probably southern so it is warm.
- What do you do for work? I mainly build websites for life and business coaches but I’m shifting towards consulting and online marketing.
- Which cities have you lived in for more than a few months? Growing up I lived in a few cities in Germany. Also, I’ve lived in Washington DC, in the South of Holland, in Dublin, in Bangkok, in Lisbon, in a small town in Sweden, and in Bali last year.
- What have been some of the unexpected obstacles of this lifestyle? When I came back to Cologne, a place that feels like home, yet it was so hard to connect with people. I mean this is my hometown area; it didn’t think it would take a lot of effort to connect with people. But then I went to a digital nomad meet-up and it was life changing, I met everyone that I now hang out with. It could be one day, one particular moment that leads you into a whole new world, be open and be aware that there are different types of people in everyplace.
- What have been some of the unexpected benefits? I always get surprised to know that when you meet people that live the same lifestyle as you, time and distance don’t matter. I expected to be lonely, but I have so many deep connections all over the world. I don’t really ever feel lonely anymore. I also love the ability to be spontaneous.
- When and why did you start traveling? My mom kind of started it, we moved a lot within Germany, but the first time I made the decision myself was to The U.S. to work as an Au Pair, then I moved back to Germany and realized I didn’t want to settle, I wanted to live on the go. I’m not trying to be someone I am not, I’m getting close to my 30s and there is the social pressure to have kids and all that, I have thought about it and at this point I’d rather keep this lifestyle.
- What is your dream project? So many, but definitely empowering and inspiring girls to live life in their own terms. It is all really about community.
- Why girls? The more I reflect on my own story and what really enabled me to live this way of life is because I stepped out of the comfort zone. Also, for girls it is harder to break the rules society set, therefore I want to bring more feminine into this world. Share with girls that they don’t have to do it the way guys do it.
- What is your source of inspiration? Good mix between nature and the world as a whole and the stories people can tell you, I get this tingling feeling and I just want to go and explore the world. Also, a big inspiration for me right now is my coach Sarah.
- Do you ever find yourself missing home? Yes, I do get homesick sometimes. I miss the people, not really the place. Once you’re aware you’re missing the people then you proactively go out meet local people and that’s how it goes away, instead of sitting at home miserable or buying a plane ticket back home.
- Do you think you could have had the same opportunities to get to this point if you would have had a different upbringing? Unlikely, I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately. If I see the way my family lives and what made a difference is that I was the first one on that side of the family to graduate college, it was hard not to drop out of college to support my mom but I really wanted to finish school. Also, some of my teachers made a huge difference and this is why I want to bring to girls around the world, a possibility of freedom, not necessarily to live the same lifestyle I live but at least so they know that freedom is possible.
- What was the last thing you did out of your comfort zone? Staying here in Germany for Christmas, not a big fan of Christmas plus the last time I was here I wasn’t being understood by my family friends. I was afraid of being asked the same questions and being put on the spot was uncomfortable. It’s weird coming back to a place that is so familiar but you still don’t know how it’s going to be. I’m so comfortable with the new that sometimes going back to the old is scary.
- What’s your favourite travel app? Notes on my iPhone, because I’m super creative when in motion.
- What are your family and friends’ opinions on you living this lifestyle? Most of my friends live a similar lifestyle or are in the same mindset and they understand. But my family doesn’t get it, they worry about when I will settle down and get a boyfriend. My mom is in the middle, like she doesn’t get it but she doesn’t ask too much about it either, she’s actually inspired by it.
- Are you currently in a relationship? No, not really sure how its going as it is not really a relationship but it is fun.
- What’s your preferred mode of transportation? Sailing boats, because they are my symbol for freedom, I actually have a sailboat in my necklace. I’m very drawn to the ocean, water, and wind so the boat makes sense.
- If you could give any advice to yourself when you were 15 what would you say? To listen to my heart and intuition and trust it. Don’t let anyone tell you different. When you know you know
- If someone less privileged, or less flexibility wanted to start traveling more and living a nomadic lifestyle, what would be your suggestion? To start small, even if it’s just stretching your comfort zone; go to the next big city, go to a meet-up, and test it out, take baby steps.
- Anything else you want to share? Yes, my two favourite movies are Chasing Mavericks and Morning Glory. They are about chasing freedom and achieving change in the world, both have the hassle of the big city life and the life in nature.
