From moving boxes to a double-decker dream – my path to freedom

Hey, I'm Flo. Mom of two girls, 26 years old, and I've moved fourteen times in my life so far. I've seen many places, met many people, made many new beginnings – and yet I've never felt like I've truly arrived.

Perhaps you know this feeling. You're sitting in your kitchen on a gray winter morning, the children are playing beside you, and a quiet, urgent longing grows within you. For sunshine. For the sea. For a different mentality, a different culture. For more life.

Since becoming a mother, I haven't taken a single vacation. No spontaneous trips south, no change of scenery, no "just me." Instead, it's been everyday life, responsibility, numerous moves—constantly packing boxes, constantly having to arrive, without ever truly arriving. I'm grateful for so much that life gives me—but deep inside, there was this emptiness. An emptiness that only one thing could have filled: adventure.

The last move in January 2025 only intensified this feeling. I had barely arrived in the new house when the first problems arose, and suddenly this clear thought popped into my head: It's time. Time to pack up and leave. Time to be brave. Time to allow myself to create a different life.

My two daughters are like me. They love the sun, the light, the outdoors. They feel just as out of place in Germany during the dreary, dark months as I do. So why stay here? For whom? For what?

My immediate family is small. I have five siblings with whom I have no contact. I haven't spoken to my father since 2023, and I last saw my mother in 2013 in the intensive care unit. The only person I have left in this circle is my grandmother – 85 years old, the woman who raised me, the most important person in my life.

So I started researching. I read books, listened to podcasts, and connected with people who were already on the road. And then I came across Micha, a man from Münster, who had converted a double-decker bus into a café and was traveling through Europe with it. I don't drink coffee, but the idea really grabbed me.

I searched on YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram – in both German and English-speaking regions. I'm inquisitive, and when I want to know something, I want to know it properly. So I wrote Micha an email. I told him about my idea, my dream, my longing. His reply was short, but it struck a chord with me: "Believe me, anything is possible."

That sentence sparked my burst of courage. I started contacting retailers, informing newspapers, and making plans. Nights were filled with notes, to-do lists, and research. And then, on August 25th, the first acceptance came. The editors of the Buxtehude weekly newspaper wanted to tell my story. More articles are planned. It feels like a whole new path has suddenly opened up before me.

My goal is clear: a double-decker bus, converted into a mobile home where we can live, work, and travel. From July 2027, this bus will be our center of life. A home on wheels, a place for encounters, a space for freedom.

And here's something that's particularly important to me: The bus will be big. Twelve meters long, two and a half meters wide, with eight seats and sleeping berths. This will leave plenty of room at the beginning to take along friends, family, or even people who helped us with the conversion. I want helping hands to have the opportunity not just to follow this adventure from afar, but to experience it live with us – the sunrises, the evenings on the beach, the feeling of being on the road.

I want my children to learn about the world not from books, but from encounters, from experiences, from real life. We experience history by exploring ancient cities and ruins. We understand geography when we cross borders, climb mountains, or walk along beaches. We learn languages by talking to the people we meet. We discover biology and natural history by observing plants, animals, and landscapes. We experience art and music when we celebrate festivals, experience traditions, and get to know other cultures.

I finance this project through my self-employment. I support women during pregnancy, childbirth, motherhood, and in their personal development. I create spaces for healing, host gatherings, offer Human Design readings, and am a trainee health consultant. This work is my foundation, my passion, and the driving force that makes this adventure possible.

But I want to share even more with you: writing ebooks, recording podcasts, documenting our journey – perhaps even in a documentary or on television. But one thing is non-negotiable for me as a mother: my children's privacy. Yes, they are a major part of my life, but their faces don't belong on the internet. That's my clear boundary, and I want to protect them as best I can.

For those who would prefer to experience us in Germany or Europe, I'm also planning small tours. This way, people who can't or don't want to travel far can still get to know us, experience the bus, hear our story, and share a part of this journey.

Perhaps you're reading these lines and feeling something. Perhaps you can already see us standing somewhere by the sea, the children barefoot in the sand, the evening light soft on our skin, grilling together, laughing, telling stories. Perhaps you'll realize that this dream moves you just as much as it moves me.

If so, then join us. Follow me on Instagram, share my story, tell others about this project. And if you can, support us – with your experience, your time, your knowledge, or even financially. Every form of support not only brings us closer to our goal but also makes this adventure something we create together.

Because in the end, that's exactly what it's about: creating a life that is free, vibrant and connected – and that inspires others to believe in their own dreams.

Social Media: Instagram & TikTok

Donation account: From eviction to new beginnings