OFF THEY GO - Stories of Starting Over Abroad

#5 Kneif mich mal - vom Plottwist einer geplanten Weltreise

Was passiert, wenn man ein nach außen perfektes Leben hinter sich lässt? Wunderschöne Altbauwohnung in München, ein guter Job, eigentlich alles gut - und im Innern trotzdem diese Leere, die schwer in Worte zu fassen ist. Vera hat den Schritt 2018 gewagt. Das Ziel: Australien, ein Land, mit dem sie aus einer früheren Reise schönste Erinnerungen verband. Auf dem Weg dorthin nur ein kurzer Zwischenstopp in Sri Lanka - auf Initiative einer Freundin. Why not? Was damals niemand ahnte: Mit der Ankunft in Sri Lanka kam die Weltreise auch schon zu einem unerwarteten Ende. Aus dem Zwischenstopp wurde ein Zuhause. Und nicht nur das... In dieser Folge erzählt Vera von der Leere hinter dem scheinbar perfekten Leben. Von den Angstwellen, die sie schließlich dazu brachten, den Schritt ins Ungewisse zu wagen. Vom Mut, alles loszulassen, ohne Sicherheitsnetz. Auto verkauft, Wohnung gekündigt, ein One-Way-Ticket und 5.000 Euro im Gepäck. Und von dem, was danach kam: die große Liebe, das Surfen, das High der ersten Jahre. Und die ehrliche Erkenntnis, dass auch im Paradies Schicksalsschläge passieren können - und dass innere Stärke nichts mit dem Ort zu tun hat, an dem man lebt. Eine Folge über Intuition, Aufbruch und das Ankommen bei sich selbst - das niemals so richtig aufhört. 💛 @veraberner_ [https://www.instagram.com/veraberner_/] @janina.offshegoes [https://www.instagram.com/janina.offshegoes/]

#4 Unlearning who I was told to be - An Armenian Women Carving her own Path

"I am not asking for permission. I am informing you." Imagine standing in your family’s kitchen, looking into your dad’s eyes, and realizing that this single sentence will change the trajectory of your life forever. In this moment Syuzanna took a step off the path that had been pre-written for her since birth. I first met Syuzanna as my passionate tour guide, she showed me her beautiful home country Armenia. A thriving woman, multi-linguist, passionate advocate of women empowerment, youth education and peace building. One day, she shared her origin story with the group. It was one of those moments that left everybody speechless, and in awe. None of us had imagined that. Growing up in a traditional society in a village in rural Armenia, Syuzanna made the courageous choice to leave everything behind. At 24, she moved to Germany entirely on her own: no scholarship, no family system, just an impressive determination to own her future. In this episode, we dive deep into the reality of carving your own path when the world expects you to follow another. We explore: * Tradition vs. Autonomy: The weight of unwritten rules and the moment Syuzanna decided she would no longer "obey" without question. * The Courage of Informing: Why she chose to inform rather than ask for permission, and how her father’s silent support surprised her. * The Process of Unlearning: How moving to a new culture forces you to shed the identity others gave you to find who you truly have been all along. * A Legacy of Change: How one woman’s decision to move abroad shifted the mindset of her entire family back home. A conversation about the hunger for exploration, the grit it takes to rebuild in a foreign country, and the beauty of becoming the person you were always meant to be. ♥️ @syu7ana [https://www.instagram.com/syu7ana/] ⁠⁠@janina.offshegoes⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/janina.offshegoes/] https://ariexplorearmenia.com/en/ [https://ariexplorearmenia.com/en/]

ON THE GO - Ever experimented with Kindness?

Could being kind and compassionate be one of the most underrated skills of our times? ON THE GO - a new series of whatever comes to me while I'm in motion. Because movement sparks my mode of contemplation. Walking, riding, or - like in this episode - flying 10000m somewhere above the Atlantic Ocean. And it all started because I overpacked my carry-on luggage... @janina.offshegoes [https://www.instagram.com/janina.offshegoes/]

#3 Starting over from Scratch 14.000km away from Home

What does it feel like to leave everything behind and start over on the other side of the globe? Andreza was courageous enough to find out! She left São Paulo at 25 with nothing but a suitcase, following a calling she couldn't really put into words. What started as "I want to improve my English" turned into eight years of rebuilding her life from scratch on Australia's Gold Coast. We dive into what it really takes to start over: the resilience that stretches like an elastic band, the box you no longer fit in when you go home, and why deep connections are the reason you stay. A conversation about intuition, courage, and the life that unfolds when you jump into the unknown. 🗺️ @souza_andreza [https://www.instagram.com/sousa_andreza/] ⁠@janina.offshegoes⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/janina.offshegoes/]

#2 Did I just get scammed? Left alone in in Xinjiang

I had just entered China overland from Kyrgyzstan. I thought the tough part of the border crossing was behind me. But then, at one of the many security checkpoints in rural Xinjiang: I was suddenly left all alone. My backpack was gone. 🚕💨 Did the taxi really just drive off with everything I own? Left me in the middle of nowhere, where nobody speaks a language I understand? Has my gut feeling been this off? 🫠🙈😬 This, and the story of how I ended up in the back of a pickup with armed policemen in KPK, Pakistan – and what popcorn has to do with the whole scene. 🍿👮🏼‍♂️ Listen to find out. And please let me know how you would've reacted!