May 12, 2026, 8:16 am | Read time: 7 minutes

I think I can rightfully say that I live a life others dream of. I’ve been freelancing since 2013 and have been more or less in control of my own time ever since. There’s no one I need to ask if I can take a day off or go on vacation. The ability to be spontaneous has always been one of the most significant factors that define quality of life for me. How often have I looked at a map or a website with flight prices, only to be on my way to a new adventure the next day? Especially when traveling, this ability to make quick decisions has always been one of my most important companions–because those who don’t plan eventually find the gray area where the most unforgettable adventures happen.

Now, dear reader, you might be throwing your hands up in disbelief. How can one be so naive? A trip, in particular, should be prepared as precisely and accurately as possible to ensure nothing goes wrong in a foreign place. But the unknown is especially exciting for me when I can approach it unprepared, or better yet, without preconceived notions. The stories life writes, in my opinion, can’t happen if you’ve already created a fixed script or blueprint for yourself. One of my favorite sayings is a quote I once read: “The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.” Which would you rather be? I think I know the answer.

Uncertainty Prevents Adventure

Nowadays, thanks to the internet, everyone has the ability to prepare for a trip down to the second. Ideas are born in the mind, only to be discarded because of online reviews from complete strangers with subjective tastes. “Oh, XY says it wasn’t that great there. Maybe we don’t need to go.” This is how many young people seem to plan their trips today–with the effect that they all end up at the same places because the internet recommends or hypes them. I experienced this on a longer trip to South America in 2016, where I kept meeting the same people at popular spots for weeks.

Now, planning seems to mean security for many people, which is why I don’t want to dissuade anyone from it with this text. I’m just trying to give a nudge. Try embarking on an adventure without preconceived notions, without having formed an image from a screen. You’ll be surprised that even without prior reservations, you’ll find a room or a restaurant, especially in tourist hotspots. The uncertainty that seems to prevent many people from taking such a “risk” has always been my fuel for travel. Because where the comfort zone ends, the unknown begins–the adventure.

Also interesting: This place in Bali is still a real insider tip

Trust the Locals

Sure, I need some kind of starting point for my travels too. But it usually just involves knowing which city I’ll arrive in. On every trip, I want to experience a place or a country with all five senses: see, hear, taste, feel, smell. I always try the most unusual local food and seek recommendations for great experiences and sights by talking to the locals. After all, who would know a place better than the people who live there? In Bali, such a conversation in 2025 led to a whole chain of happy coincidences.

I was waiting outside a supermarket for my girlfriend and struck up a conversation with a local. He recommended the mountain town of Bedugul as a worthwhile destination, which no guidebook had mentioned to us before. Once there, we found a piece of real Bali with breathtakingly beautiful temples, a very unusual restaurant, and the largest botanical garden in all of Indonesia. From there, driver Bihi picked us up in pouring rain. He told us about a beach where you could swim with dolphins. After an unforgettable day with the animals, he took us to some of the few waterfalls in Bali where we were almost alone. It’s experiences like these that make me believe to this day that traveling without extensive planning is possible.

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Completely Free into the Unknown

I spent an entire spontaneous vacation in 2023 for a week in the beautiful Balkan country of Bosnia. As a freelancer, I always have to keep an eye on the budget, so I faced a choice before the trip. Flights to Ireland and Bosnia were very cheap. Of course, my first thought was to head to Ireland. That would surely have been unforgettable days as well. But my gut whispered to me to choose the great unknown instead. A few clicks later, I was completely thrilled at the prospect of a week in nature. Bosnia really feels like it’s made up of nothing but mountains, forests, and water. So I just booked the flight, and everything else would fall into place.

And that’s exactly how it was. Upon arrival in Banja Luka, I asked about worthwhile travel destinations in the country. Thanks to the very good and affordable long-distance buses, these were easy and quick to reach. I marveled at the highest inner-city waterfall on European soil in Jajce. Stood on the world-famous stone bridge in Mostar’s old town at midnight in nearly 30-degree weather. And visited both the country’s highest mountain and the oldest rainforest on our continent in Sutjeska National Park. At each stop, spontaneous conversations with people led me a step further. The fact that it was my first post-Corona trip where I felt completely free again made Bosnia an adventure I’ll never forget.

Also interesting: The perfect vacation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Memories for Life

Perhaps you could also practice this kind of spontaneity yourself if you’re interested. It’s best to start small, right on your doorstep. Just recently, a friend of mine did something pretty cool. He randomly clicked on Google Maps in search of a place for a camping night. A bit like the story where someone planned their trip based on where a dart landed on a map. I thought the idea was so great that I asked him to send me his location. The next day, I went there with my girlfriend. The icing on the cake was that the GPS led us to the wrong place. And only because of that did we take a wonderful circular hike in the sunshine to a lookout tower through a forest that I suspect is a fantastic mushroom area.

What I’m saying is that spontaneity when traveling in Germany or even your state, despite all the adventure, still offers comparatively a lot of safety. Adventure light, so to speak. And why not? You have to start somewhere. Yes, my multi-day hiking tours sometimes lead me into the wildest solitude of nature. Yet I know that the next place is always just a few kilometers away, should I need to stop for any reason (or, heaven forbid, feel a longing for “civilization”). You’ll quickly notice that every little spontaneous tour gives you a big boost of new self-confidence. Your instinct, the best advisor of any person, will tell you how far you can go without feeling uncomfortable.

Also interesting: How I fell in love with traveling in Germany

Of course, this is a completely subjective opinion, but for me, planning is the opposite of spontaneity, indeed, its enemy. Planning may give some a certain sense of security, but it would significantly limit my horizon for what’s truly possible. Moreover, it often saves a lot of time not to overthink a trip in every detail in advance. And when unforeseen things happen along the way–and they will–it doesn’t throw you off as much because you can more easily adapt to new circumstances. Another one of my favorite sayings goes something like this: “Those who expect nothing cannot be disappointed, only surprised.” And it’s precisely these surprises that turn a trip into a memory for a lifetime.