About the joy of traveling
August 3, 2017
For many people, it is a lifelong dream to take a trip around the world. To experience different cultures, fascinating landscapes, just drift, enjoy freedom – Aylin Krieger made this dream a reality. The Jacobs University staff member, responsible for Online Marketing and Student Recruitment, traveled to 15 countries in 18 months together with her husband Stefan. This has culminated in a book very well worth reading: “101 Dinge, die ein Weltenbummler wissen muss.” [“101 things a globetrotter must know”]
Besides broader themes such as culture and colonialism, the travel guide also contains many practical hints on planning a trip and the gear needed. However, it is not intended for those who travel tirelessly from tourist attraction to tourist attraction, but for those who enjoy taking the time to get to know the country and its people. Be it Colombia, Chile, Thailand or Indonesia, the Kriegers generally spent at least four weeks in each country. Instead of hiring a car, they traveled by bus or rail and stayed in basic accommodation. With only around ten kilos of luggage and a budget of around EUR 650 per month, Aylin Krieger lived rather modestly. “We don’t need more to be happy”, says the 32-year old.
Happiness - for her that also meant the Himalaya Mountains in Nepal, in particular the hikes in the area around Mount Everest. “If you succeed in doing something outside of your comfort zone, then that experience stays with you. That was my experience with the hikes in the Himalayas. I will never in my life forget them”, recounts Aylin Krieger. In contrast, her husband Stefan loves a very different, significantly flatter landscape: Patagonia, at the end of the world in the southernmost part of Latin America.
What does one get out of a trip around the world? “On the trip, I learnt how little I really need in order to be happy”, says Bremen-born Aylin Krieger. On her trip, she experienced the world as in general being safer and friendlier than can be believed from the daily news bulletins. Together with her husband, she was often spontaneously invited for a meal by strangers; others helped them by giving them a ride at short notice.
After her trip around the world, Aylin Krieger still travels a lot. This year, she has already been to China, Panama and again in Colombia – but this time for Jacobs University.
The cultural scientist started working at the private university in April 2015, a few months after her return from her trip around the world. First, she worked as an Events Coordinator and is now the Online Marketing and Student Recruitment Officer. Her international and intercultural experiences on her travels attracted her to the University; she now continues her experiences on a daily basis on the campus with students from more than 100 countries: “This international flair is unique for a German university”.
Her job is motivating potential students to study at Jacobs University. This is second nature to her, as she reports on life at the English-language university with the same infectious enthusiasm that she talks about her travels. Besides the high academic level, she is convinced of the sense of community and the learning environment in which students are not just a number but where they are known and where one looks after the other.
As a Recruitment Officer, she is also responsible for China, a country that she did not know previously. “It’s a perfect match. I want to develop myself further and, at the same time, use my experiences”, she says. This also includes the world of social media. She writes her own blog which is, of course, a travel blog. Aylin Krieger, who is also an avid travel photographer, blogs about travels far and wide, including adventures and short outings at home on Todaywetravel.de.
From September, a new country will be featured on her blog: that is when Aylin and Stefan head for Madagascar. She is also planning a new project, but she is not divulging any details quite yet. But this much is clear: it will be about travel.
Questions will be answered by:
Aylin Krieger | Online Marketing and Student Recruitment Officer
a.krieger [at] jacobs-university.de | Tel.: +49 421 200-4220
Book:
Aylin and Stefan Krieger: “101 Dinge, die ein Weltenbummler wissen muss.” [“101 things a globetrotter must know”], published by Bruckmann Verlag, €14.99
More information:
www.jacobs-university.de
https://www.youtube.com/user/JacobsUni