Half a year has passed and it has passed quickly.
But it is was not a short time, as I have so many lovely memories of it and the pictures to prove it! Some of these I will present right here and now.

Also, I can’t possibly imagine what half a year at home would have looked like in the Evolve department. All the steps I took and all the places I’ve been (also inside the mind) would have not been possible without the chance I was lucky to be able to take…

My first trip to France is a story between two weddings, heat and thunder, water and volcanoes, ancient, old and modern sights, rock and cheese, a perfect reunion and more French moments than I could have hoped for:

As the time of my Semi-Sabbatical semester runs closer towards its end, it is hard to keep up with all trips and travels, of which we haven’t seen the last yet…

Seeing 3 capitals in 3 days, and also meeting some old friends on the way back:

To see nice spots, you don’t have to go that far, actually. But one thing is certain: It is best to take some friends!

Where you walk between spectacular houses, hear musical instruments through many open windows, spot more details after each visit and ever wonder how rich in every way a city can be:

Going to the zoo is a thing we don’t think about like we used to.

Back in the day, there was nothing more exciting to go and see exotic animals and learn about them and have fun at the playgrounds and either eat overpriced snacks or set the most extravagant picnic tables people have ever seen.

But now, the question about the animals will and well-being and ethical details take our hand while we wander the paths between wire and glass and walls.
Zoos are heritage from the times where travel and internet were either a matter of privilege or yet unthinkable. But nowadays, we could go and see and learn about animals in other ways than at the zoo.
But I am glad that seeing with your own eyes is still irreplaceable. Also, I haven’t seen a zoo that doesn’t actively support wildlife preservation. And nonetheless, some species were only saved because of breeding programs in a sheltered environment.

Be zoos good or bad, that’s for everyone to decide personally. But it did feel like cheating, when I recently visited one and tried out some of the longer-reaching zoom lenses. Out in the wild you would have to spend days for some shots…
I had to think about one of my first picture posts on my blog. How far we’ve come!

Road trips were the bread and butter of my time abroad. And I wanted to ‘try them at home’, too!
I was so sure it would be easy. A nice little souvenir from overseas and a good way of living.

But it turned out to be something I would miss the most. As back home the clocks tick different.
And it is not as natural to just hit the road and explore.

Fast forward to my 2022, I have found my knack for road trips again and would rather do too much than too little!
Please enjoy some impressions of 9 different places I’ve been to this month 🙂

Life is a series of goodbyes

We see places, moments and most of all people fleeting by our eyes. Some stay for a while, some even come back and some we can’t hold on to as long as we’d liked.

These elements shape our life and make us human. They remind us about life’s nature.
Every moment, every place, every human, every experience leaves an individual trace inside of us. This makes up much of our personality and consequently makes us influence others, too.

Following the old saying of ‘You don’t know what you had until it’s gone.’, I want you to focus on that exact time frame. From your own perspective, mind you, and regardless, when or whether you plan to come back or not:

On the time after you have gone.

To be missed is a grand privilege

As our nature is finite, we aim to hold on to pleasant things as long as we can.
Ultimately, something’s or someone’s worth is determined by how much it is being desired when it is..well, missing.

It can be a harsh truth to us, feeling not to miss something we thought we would or starting to miss something we disregarded all that time we had it right at our fingertips.
Missing someone or something probably is the most honest way of appreciation, but little times the other party will know that.

We will all agree, regardless of how much it might hurt, that we would rather have our life filled with things we will miss, than things we do not miss at all.

What do you bring to the table?

I am a fan of self reflection and of our ability to actively shape our lives.

Let us think about it: What is left of us to miss, when we’re gone?
And by that I don’t necessarily mean gone from this world, it can be leaving the workplace, moving town, the end of a friendship, finishing a vacation, going home after a visit.

Nothing lasts forever. It is not meant to.
And for the time we are part of an equation we are able to either make ourselves be missed or to leave no particular impression or even worse than that.

This is something that can’t always be done at will, but is dependent on ourselves as a person, within a specific environment, in a certain situation.
Also, it is always about the other person. We can’t miss ourselves. Only others miss others.

As much as life seems to revolve around us personally, we will be gone one day.
And then what is left?

It is the things we brought to the table. Our impact on the others, our traces, which will shape their lives and make them impact even more lives.

What do we leave behind?

In every life, there are certain areas which we influence the most.

Most of the times it is our family, which we have the chance to influence. Starting as a child, even small choices can shape this entity. Maybe one day we expand our family by introducing additions and create a chain of development and influence.
For some it might be all about the job, the things they own, the boxes they ticked off.

So, have we caused happiness, have we been constructive, have we been true to our beliefs, have we kept our word, have we inspired others, have we helped, have we made the world we live in a better place for those who live in it with us?

Would I have ever thought I would find myself in Egypt this year?

No. Not at all!

The invitation came just a month ago, as my cousin announced her engagement and wanted to have some of her friends around. I happily obliged!

We had some wonderful days in Cairo and learned quite a lot! Some lessons I will try to transport in here.
Also, pictures:

Lesson 1: A guide is worth their weight in gold

A foreign country has its traps for us gullible tourists. So it is somewhat vital to have someone to advise you, what to go for and what not to buy or listen to.

We were in such luck, having my cousins fiancé and another guide they knew lead us through the thick of the experience and recommended only the best of souvenirs to us. Such were quite edible, many times.

Lesson 2: Egyptian Time

This phrase we learned when it was time to meet and get in touch with the locals.

It only reflects the laid-back attitude of the people, which we Germans always tend to marvel upon. Life is busy, everyone has their own exciting story to live and so, the next big thing sometimes has to wait up for half an hour.

Lesson 3: Traffic

At first sight: Chaos! Honking, driving up close and virtually no rules to follow.

We Germans are used to obey the firm rules of our streets and it gives us much comfort. So this is new, but can be understood.
I learned: These drivers are all connected. Not by anonymous and ever-controlling rules, no, only by communication.

All honks and sometimes shouts are meant to tell the other what is going on and make all the tight maneuvers possible. And by tight I mean but centimeters!

By foot, you need to be a bit daring to cross a street, but you can trust in the drivers: They see you and you make sure you see them, too!

Not one accident we witnessed those days. And even when the traffic got slow, it still moved through the veins of Cairo.

Lesson 4: Sugarcane Juice! (or: Food!)

Ever since I left Southeast Asia, I missed my favourite drink: Freshly pressed sugarcane juice.

And as I learned that my overly glorified drink is also served around the Nile, I rejoiced and took every opportunity to taste this goodness! And as far as expectations go: It held up quite well and I will continue craving it.

Other than that, we dove into the local cuisine and tasted fresh and hot and puffy and sweet and savoury meals and put those moments into some dear categories in our heads.
In that department, a local guide comes in quite handy, too.

Lesson 5: Go up!

It is fun to be in the streets, but the sight of a huge and thriving city is something else from above!

And what felt out of this world was seeing the iconic pyramids from afar. Even from the plane!

Lesson 6: Shukran

Of a language very different to your native one, you can only learn a few expressions in a short trip.

The most important was „Shukran“, which means Thank you. We witnessed a lot of generosity and love and lived in a less touristy area, so expressing gratitude was an important way to communicate.
Combined with the gesture of putting your right hand to the heart, it felt natural and as if I was a part of a society so different from anything I know.

And gratitude is the common thread in our endeavour, from start to finish!

One month has almost passed and I have traveled a lot!

One journey happens inside my head: With all new experiences, old memories and steps I take towards the future.

The other takes place on the road that leads to the most peculiar places. And as just now German fuel is more on the expensive side, I decided to take some trips to the nearby countries as well.

Czech Republic:

Poland:

Germany:

Just to blatantly flex, I am going to state that these randomly sorted pictures were all taken no more than 30 minutes away from my place.