Hoi hoi!
Looking back at the last year it still feels unreal how we adapted to the pandemic which affected the whole world and especially travel plans. As we were in full preparation mode beginning of 2020 - we had quit our job /submitted a sabbatical and given up our apartment - we were basically ready to go! Torn between the urge to start our adventure and the uncertainty caused by lockdowns, border closings and critical medical situations we had no other choice than to postpone our departure. For how long? Unknown - secretly hoping for 2021.
In German there is a saying: "Glück im Unglück", which very easy spoken means: Sometimes there are positive things even in the most difficult situations. Regarding our flat we were lucky that by coincidence one story up a flat turned out to be free for rent. A bit smaller than our previous one it was a good start to sort out our stuff and get used to less square meters. Also the job situations got more or less solved as I was able to postpone my sabbatical and Jonathan found a new job to bridge the gab until departure was finally an option. As said: It could have been worse. We were eased we haven´t been on the road yet and therefore be able to re-organize at home. Still, this was a pretty demanding time and definitely one of the longest winters we ever experienced.
As our living wasn´t determined by the departure anymore and we were hanging around during lockdowns a lucky break occured. We found our new home on wheels - Rosie! Originally our plan was to travel in our previous car - a Defender 90 TD5 with a rooftop tent - but the good overall condition, the interior built and especially the pop-up roof convinced us to change our travel plans and spent the time in lockdown further building it around our needs. Maybe for this turn of events we need to say: Thanks, Covid! More about the specifications and individual modifications of the Land Rover can be found here soon.
All those change of events made it hard to stay positive sometimes and to believe in the eventual incidence of our journey, but we know that we were not the only ones whose plans - and lifes - got changeb by Covid-19 and in the end we are thankful that our loved ones made it through this pandemic so far.
As there is hope for travelers due to the progress of vaccination and possibilites of crossing borders within specific rules we decided that there is no more reason to wait after the one-year postponement and so we finally hit the road in April 2021.
We moved out of our flat, stored our stuff at our parents houses and started to squeeze everything in our new six-square meter home - exciting times.
Stay safe!
Jolien
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