A trip around the world via dating app – yes, things like that happen! How can you find the words to describe something you don’t even understand yourself? Our story is too good to be realized. We met on Tinder. You probably know this dating platform! A superficial, fast-paced app with a high “I just want sex!” factor. Tinder and I – it was a love-hate relationship.

You have a match on Tinder!

Mid-December: YOU HAVE A MATCH! WOW! The person behind it was Marco, 26, from Stuttgart. At first, it was just a bit of small talk, and I never really thought we’d ever see each other, since he was from Stuttgart and I was from Berlin. But when he was visiting Berlin again at the end of January, he surprisingly got in touch. We arranged to meet at a Berlin club where I was going that evening with my friends.

It was 3 a.m. The girls said their goodbyes, and I waited for Marco. He texted me that he was already in line. I went out to get in line with him so he wouldn’t have to wait there alone. We saw each other, and everything was so clear. No barriers, no fears, no boundaries—it felt so right from the very first moment. As you often hear: “As if we’d known each other forever!“. The night was magical, like a dream, and simply indescribable. We danced as if there were no tomorrow. Yet I didn’t really think much of the whole thing. It was just a Tinder date! The next day, we strolled through Berlin-Mitte in sunshine and perfect weather. I showed him some beautiful places. We were tired but satisfied!

Not just for one night?

That evening, Marco had to fly back to Stuttgart. Somehow, from that moment on, it was clear that we would definitely see each other again. He disappeared into the check-in area, and I immediately felt empty and somehow alone. I already missed him. He sent one last photo from the plane, and then he was gone. And I have to mention again: We had only known each other for 17 hours at that point! Crazy, right?

I think we booked together two days later. my flights from Berlin to Stuttgart. We texted intensively every day on WhatsApp, sent each other photos, and talked on the phone. It was as if we were together every day. He woke me up in the morning and fell asleep with him that evening. It may sound cheesy, but that’s how it was.

End of February: Finally, three weeks had passed, and I was able to board the plane. I was honestly pretty scared that the magic would be gone. That it wouldn’t be the same as our “dreamy” night in that club. I arrived, was nervous, saw him, and was even more nervous. But it still wasn’t a strange or uncomfortable situation. Once again, we spent a few great days together. We made the most of the time, explored places, had fun, and got to know each other better and better.

An absolute dream team!

March and early April: Everyday life called, and I had to return to Berlin. Days and weeks passed until our next reunion. In the following two months, he came to visit me in Berlin twice. We always spent our days the way we liked and wanted them to be. Each time, I forgot about time and everything around me. We wanted to stop time, but unfortunately, it never worked. We wanted this “STOP THE WORLD, WE’RE GETTING OUT!” feeling so badly.

Marco and I are passionate about traveling, spontaneity, photography, and the simple things in life. Finally, someone who thinks the same way, or as Marco likes to say: someone who has the same quirk! We have our 5 minutes, but Marco sometimes even has 20. We laugh together, we listen to each other, we motivate each other, and we have the same dreams and hopes for life. We talk about profound things, enjoy simple things. Nevertheless, we’re always motivated to try new things.

Mid-April: I always knew Marco had some kind of travel plans for the summer. But I was thinking more along the lines of “2 weeks in Thailand” or “3 weeks in America.” Until a long phone call a while ago! That’s when I learned his true intentions. And they were: “I’m leaving, I’m quitting everything, and going abroad. We’ll see where. I don’t know when I’ll be back or if I’ll come back at all. I’ve always wanted to do it, but I’ve always been put off (by my job, etc.). Now I’m ready and I have to do it!”

Then the shock!

You can imagine how I had to take a deep breath. I was shocked and didn’t know what to say. Was our Tinder magic just a bubble after all? Did I just imagine it all? Was it another blunder? Does he really want to run away and throw everything away? So he didn’t give a damn about me after all? Was it all for nothing? I trembled and cried. It was all too much for me. I felt completely empty and somehow disappointed.

With this shock, I flew to Sardinia the next day with my best friend. I had one of my best holidays ever and had a lot of time to think. A lot of time for myself – and I needed it. Things were stressful at work at the moment, as a lot of restructuring was happening. With Marco, I wasn’t sure what to do next either. I knew there were only two options. 1. You come with me! 2. You end it and go back to your normal life!

Let’s talk about it!

End of April: Two more weeks passed. We met in Frankfurt for a weekend. I arrived with a bad feeling and actually wanted to cancel the whole thing. I felt so sick, and the whole time I was thinking, “Bolle, what are you even doing here? Why are you still here? That guy is going to leave soon and leave you here! Go home, girl!” I can’t even explain what kept drawing me back to him. Maybe it was his manner, his personality, his type. He constantly inspired me, and I was always surprised by how much he spoke to my soul. I had nothing to lose.

And as soon as I thought about just leaving, my heart told me, “Don’t do it! You’ll miss out and you’ll wonder every day of your life: What would have happened if I had only stayed!” The weekend in Frankfurt was a mix of tears, pain, joy, and many intense conversations. We talked again about his plans and how he envisioned it all. I also told him about my longings, dreams, fears, and hopes. Everyone dreams of that one big trip, that BIG THING. Everyone wants to break free of their chains and simply do something new. Unfortunately, we too often barricade ourselves behind our walls.

Let’s double our happiness!

We love security and risk little. Later, we regret all the things we never dared to do or did. You never really think about these things until someone comes along and says to you: “Come on, let’s just do it!” We sat on the banks of the Main River, and time slipped by. After a while, we strolled further along the bank.

He stopped, wiped the tears from my face, and said, “Just come with me—you want it too!” I didn’t take it seriously at first. Did he really just say that? Did he really want to share his life’s dream with me? We’ve only known each other for a few weeks. Is he crazy? Am I still sane? He said, “Happiness is the only thing that doubles when you share it!” I kissed him and felt so infinitely understood!

Come on, let’s just do it!

The next day, we spent the last hour on the banks of the Main River again. We talked about routes, renting apartments, how to drive around the world in a van, and where best to start. I still didn’t really believe it. And above all, I wasn’t convinced he was really serious. Maybe he just wanted to calm me down and appease me? Well, I’m a very thoughtful person, that’s just how I am. And the last few years have also helped me develop an extremely thick protective layer that’s not easy to penetrate. Just don’t let anything get too close to you, because in the end, you’ll only be disappointed again.

I drove back towards Berlin, and he drove back to Stuttgart. I simply texted my best friend: “I’ll probably go with you!” She replied: “That was so clear to me! Go for it! I’ll always fully support you!” I love her for that! Our friendship is just so light and easy! I still didn’t quite know what I was saying, but the words rolled off my lips so easily that it almost shocked me.

Wise words on the bus!

During the bus ride, I was talking to an older man (mid-60s). He told me about his travels and how he always vacations in his camper van, while his wife stays in a hotel. She doesn’t like this kind of light travel. She needs her breakfast, her hotel, and the certain level of service. He, on the other hand, simply parks his van in front of the hotel and enjoys the peace and nature. I was impressed by him. At the end, he left and said: “You know what? Never fret about things for more than 15 minutes again. Otherwise, you’ll be too busy thinking!”

True words, right? I took them to heart and tried to think positively again. I took a deep breath and collected my thoughts. “Do you really want to get out? Do you want to give up everything to discover something new? Do you have the courage to leave everything behind and head off into an uncertain time? Do you want to quit your great job, leave your incredible friends and family? Do you want to learn more about yourself and push yourself to your limits?” I answered every single question I asked myself with a clear and loud: “FUCK YES!“

Let’s just do it!

From that moment on, I started thinking more and more about this topic. What kind of insurance do I need? How do I manage my job and my apartment? What will happen to my cat? Where will I get money? Questions upon questions! At that point, I didn’t dare tell anyone about my plans. They would think I was crazy and have me committed – or so I thought.

It was the end of April. Only three months had passed since our first meeting in the Berlin club and the weekend in Frankfurt. Somehow, we experienced so much in that time that it seemed as if we had already spent many more hours together. But it was always just the intensive time that bonded us closer and closer. And honestly, folks: In the end, it doesn’t matter if you’ve known someone for five years. or just 2 months. It doesn’t matter if you’ve spent 4 holidays together or only been to the movies once. As long as it feels right and good, everything else is irrelevant.

I’ve noticed that sometimes it’s more important to switch off your head. You have to follow your heart and let things happen. You can’t always plan everything perfectly. You can never be sure about anything. But if you never dare, you never win.

Road trip through Portugal

Mid-May: During our time together, we booked a trip. We wanted to go to the sea in Portugal, so we organized a camper van instead of hotels. We wanted to be free and not be tied down to anything. Imagine: You wake up in your camper van, open the doors, and hear the sea. The sun shines on your nose, you can smell the sea, and there’s such an amazing man lying next to you! Is there anything more beautiful? Portugal was like a test drive for me. I was curious to see how things would work out between Marco and me.

I said to my friends before this trip: “After this trip, I will come back with a final decision. Our trip was unique, intense, truthful, lively, funny, spontaneous, and full of emotions. At this point, at the latest, I knew: “FUCK YES, LET THE BIG THING BEGIN!“

A Dating App for a World Trip

Beginning of June: Now I’m sitting here writing this post. These days, we’re only concerned with bureaucracy, ideas, projects, the farewell party, and our BIG THING. We’ve booked the flights, and this time there’s only a one-way ticket! First, we’re going to Prague, then to Dubai and Sri Lanka. At the end, we’ll hopefully arrive in Bali safe and sound. We’ll stay here for now until we’re evicted. We’re so sure about this that we can hardly wait. It’s finally time to get started! We have the same visions and dreams. We’re cut from the same cloth and understand each other almost perfectly.

I’ve never laughed as much with a man as I have with him. I’ve never been as close to a man as I was with him. And I would never have gone abroad for a man. But Marco was like the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. But in a positive way! He was and is my incentive, my motivation, and my pillar of support. Thanks to him, I now see many things with different eyes. Not because I’m wearing rose-colored “Tinder glasses,” but because there’s finally someone who understands me, who likes me, and who’s interested in me.

Time is irreplaceable!

Someone you can completely rely on. Someone who wants the same thing and who doesn’t just talk, but also does it. We’re no longer just dreaming, we’re living it! Life always turns out differently than you think! And if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll see that everything in life is replaceable, except our precious time. So don’t waste it and do things you’ve always wanted to do.

And even if we fail later, we tried and dared to do something! Where we’ll end up, how our story will end – all of that is written in the stars. And when I think about how this whole adventure came about, I have to shake my head in disbelief again. A trip around the world via a dating app! Sounds kind of absurd, doesn’t it? But it doesn’t matter how it all came about. We are happy and incredibly grateful that we were both in the same place at the same time on that one evening!

WhatsApp message from Bolle to Marco:

“…My heart tells me to wait and be patient. I would never be happy if I just let everything be. I would ask myself every day of my life: What would have happened if I had stayed with him and fulfilled my desires and dreams with him? I don’t even want to ask myself that question. I want to experience it and just do it. Even if we have different views here and there, we are still so similar. The best thing about it is: We have a sense of humor, laugh at ourselves, and don’t always take life so seriously.

Let’s try it!

I won’t let you go! And even if it doesn’t work out or even fails, at least we tried. But I believe we could have a great time ahead of us. Freed from all the worries, Let’s just leave everything behind, work hard, and fulfill our dreams. I’m more than ready for it and can hardly wait until it finally begins. The time was wonderful, and I already miss you! Every day sun, sea, the camper, and you! That was perfection in itself! I wanted to say so much to you, but as you know, sometimes I can’t overcome my fear and can’t get a word out.

You are a wonderful person, and I thank you for letting me share in your life. The evening on the beach with the starry sky, our song, our disabled videos, and wannabe skills! It’s just incredibly great that there’s finally someone out there who’s also on cloud nine. I’m looking forward to the time that’s coming soon, and until then, I’ll work on our adventure every day and do everything necessary. Thank you for being there and for existing. A thousand kisses!

WhatsApp message from Marco to Bolle:

“I’ve closed my eyes and can hear our Song. Look at the pictures you sent me this afternoon. I’m barely managing to hold back the tears. I told you how my emotional side is. Don’t hold it against me that it’s not as pronounced as it should be. That I can’t always show you clearly how important you really are to me. That’s why I don’t know if you’re really aware… whatever… It’s wonderful that you exist, that we found each other and have the same desires.

We both tick the same box!

It’s wonderful to have found someone who ticks the same way as you do, and even better, who has exactly the same quirks as you do. The days with you were wonderful. And I’m pretty sure the other days will be wonderful too. I’m just thinking about the flour stunt in the parking lot! Awwww! And I also say THANK YOU! For your honesty and trust, especially when it comes to difficult topics. Thank you, that I can be who I am – even if my 5 minutes last a little longer. Thank you for choosing a future with me, despite everything. For a future that neither of us knows what it will look like. No one can guarantee whether we’ll fall flat on our faces or one day laugh about our initial thoughts and plans.

Thank you for having the same hopes – for sharing this one wish for a fulfilling life with me. But not just carrying it within you, not just talking about it, but with ambition and absolute willpower, actually wanting to make these hopes and dreams reality. Thank you for being such a super awesome, chaotic, funny team. We are more than a team, we both know that! Let the future begin! Let’s roll up our sleeves, let’s shape our future together. We start with a blank sheet of paper; we can create whatever we want. We are only limited by our imaginations. I’m totally up for it! And I’m so I’m sure you’re the right person for our big plan. You’re amazing!”

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