Julia: Hi Kathrin! It's great that you're here online today and are telling us about your greatest adventure so far.

First of all, it would be great if you could briefly introduce yourself. Who are you and what do you do?

I'm Kati, I'm 30 years old and I work at the medical technology startup Reha-Buddy. When I'm not busy there with marketing, sales or business development, I love to travel.

Julia: What does adventure mean to you in everyday life and how important is adventure to you?

I think it's a good break from routine. I don't like it when I find myself in a completely new situation where I don't know what to expect. I'm a person who needs structure. But sometimes I like to get myself out of this structure and do something spontaneous. And that is adventure for me.

Julia: And what has been your greatest adventure so far?

Three years ago I spent a semester abroad in Taiwan and decided to take a 2-week break and travel to Indonesia. After arriving in Bali, I flew on to Flores, 600 km further east of Bali. From there I had booked a 4-day boat tour and shortly after my arrival I boarded a small wooden boat with only my backpack. This boat was far from modern and didn't even have windows so it was all open plan. Inwardly I have already started to pray that this boat will also work without a sail! 😄

We then took off (luckily the boat actually worked without a sail!) and drove to various destinations in the direction of Bali. During the day we usually discovered two new places and in the evening we always spent the night on the boat in a bay.

Unfortunately during this trip I was constantly seasick and kept throwing up. As a result, I could hardly eat anything and was a bit physically exhausted, but I couldn't help but enjoy the unique, crystal-clear blue sea water. You feel as if you are flying over the sea in a boat, as you can sometimes look 20m into the depth of the sea.

One highlight was definitely the freshwater waterfall in the middle of a jungle surrounded by naturally formed stone pools. Really nice! Or the moments when we swam in the sea with turtles and manta rays.

During the day we were always out and about, exploring the islands, swimming and hiking a lot. In the evening we sat together in a group or lay by the boat and looked at the clear starry sky. So romantic!

What was also romantic was the marriage proposal I received from the captain. He explained to me that he could have several wives anyway and that I was exactly his type. I was flattered, but gratefully declined. 😄

The whole trip was extremely slowing down for me because there was neither a GPS signal nor internet reception. I was just isolated for 4 days and that was really cool!

Julia: Which moment on this trip do you remember most?

It was clear when our tour guide told us that he knew a place where manta rays often hang out. He then led us there, kept a lookout and actually discovered some! Suddenly he yelled "There they are! There they are!”. The entire boat group then ran off with their diving goggles to jump into the open sea at the point mentioned. The impressive animals were waiting for us underwater, but suddenly everything went black under me because such a huge manta ray swam under me.I was so impressed and surprised that this is happening to ME as you only ever hear about travel bloggers

Julia: What 3 key takeaways would you give other adventurers?

#1 listen to your gut feeling

It was very important for me that I listen to myself and don't let anyone talk me into anything. Especially in Asia and Indonesia, many people want to tell you what you should definitely see. You should accept tips, but not chase one attraction after the other, but let yourself drift.

#2 if it feels right, just do it

As with the first tip: listen to your gut feeling and if it tells you something, just do it!

#3 never save when traveling

When I travel, I don't waste my money, but it's often a little looser. I try not to forget that I consciously spend my savings on experiences that mean a lot to me.