Pretty Packed
  • About me
  • Africa
    • Morocco
    • Namibia
    • South Africa
  • Asia
    • Armenia
    • Cambodia
    • Iran
    • Kyrgyzstan
    • Laos
    • Malaysia
      • Sabah
      • Sarawak
    • Myanmar
    • Singapore
    • Taiwan
    • Thailand
    • Turkey
  • Europe
    • East
      • Bosnia and Herzegovina
      • Bulgaria
      • Croatia
      • Finland
      • Hungary
      • Latvia
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Slovakia
      • Slovenia
    • West
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Czech republic
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Netherlands
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
  • North America
    • Canada
      • Alberta
      • BC
    • Cuba
    • USA
  • Oceania
    • New Zealand
    • Australia
      • New South Wales
      • Northern Territory
      • Queensland
      • South Australia
      • Victoria
      • Western Australia
      • 88 days diaries
  • South America
    • Peru
  • World of jobs
    • 88 days diaries

How it all started

DSCN4542Do you know that itchy feeling you get when you stay in one place too long? I get that all the time. I can recall plenty of days where I should have been studying and instead I started creating my next travel plan. Money usually has the biggest influence on where I can go, so I try to travel on a budget. Spend less, travel more!

My first ever trip alone was a week to New York. Adrenaline was pumping through my body as I arrived at the airport and the airport shuttle drove through the mighty streets of New York City. This was the start of many solo trips, staying in hostels and counting my money so that I could see as much of the world as possible.

I promised myself I would one day go back to NY, because I fell in love with the city. I haven’t been yet, but there are so many places to explore. In search of adventure I’ve picked up jobs all over the world. My CV includes ski instructing, working on a farm, ziplining guide, tour leader and customer service agent. I love a lot of things and have a lot of interests and I don’t see why you’d have to choose one and drop the rest. I spent some summers taking people around Europe as a tour leader and winters on the ski slopes.

I landed in Berlin a couple of year ago to take on a new challenge: leading a team of tour leaders in Eastern Europe. But as a great traveler knows, things never really go according to plan. The pandemic hit, tourism went down and so did my job. After 9 blissful months without work, but being in the dark about the future, I was finally made redundant. A new adventure started in looking for a new job, in a new field, in a different industry. And that’s where I’m at now, working for a Tech company, but still in beautiful Berlin. It is great to have a home, but I miss the road. Fernweh the Germans call it. And so I look for adventures near and far.

I love taking photos and documenting my trips. I’m usually freakishly well prepared, although I’m learning to let go. I’m always keeping an eye out for new destinations and little adventures. And, oh yeah, I started doing a master degree. Here I’d like to share my experiences with you. Maybe you enjoy reading about others’ experiences like me, maybe you are actually planning a trip. Either way, I like to share my experiences and create a blog full of ideas, stories and inspiration. I hope you enjoy my memories as much as I do!

Andrea

17 comments

Po' Girl Shines says:
February 24, 2014 at 10:43 am

One day soon I hope to make it up to Quebec and Montreal because some of my family was from there.

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andreaonderweg says:
February 24, 2014 at 12:53 pm

I have so many places on my wish list. Everywhere I go I hear about more. One place I really want to explore more is my home counrty. It’s funny how that’s never happened.

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Nguyên-Kan says:
April 9, 2014 at 11:02 pm

Your blog is so wonderful. Hope to read more from you and about your adventure. Keep in touch.

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andreaonderweg says:
April 10, 2014 at 5:40 pm

Thanks for the compliment. I’ll go to New Zealand soon and then I’ll add some of my experiences there. Hope you enjoy it.

Reply
histravelandworkreporter says:
May 8, 2014 at 3:18 pm

“Money is the biggest decider on where I can go, so I try to travel on a budget.” This is really true. And sometimes, I even forego some activities and things to save money for my next travel.

Reply
Sarah {the Vagabondist} says:
June 28, 2014 at 2:58 am

Hi Andrea! I enjoy reading your blog so I am nominating your for the Liebster Award. Details are here:
http://vagabondist.wordpress.com/2014/06/27/liebster-blog-award/

Reply
aaanchalk says:
July 29, 2014 at 9:15 pm

You have a wonderful blog and what pulled me here is same interest and passion for travelling. I have been bitten by a travel bug and I get to wander too every chance I get.
Happy to be a follower 🙂
Happy Travels!!

Cheers
Aanchal

Reply
andreaonderweg says:
July 30, 2014 at 1:35 pm

Hi Aanchal!
Thanks for your wonderful comments. I guess once you start travelling you can’t go back. I love the life I’m living and cannot imagine doing it any other way right now. I loved your about page! I used to keep a travel journal for myself too and now I’m trying to translate my experiences to this blog. Thanks for visiting.

Andrea

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Aanchal says:
July 30, 2014 at 6:15 pm

Hi Andrea.. Thank you for stopping by. We have a same story. Glad you liked my page. Looking forward to read more from you.
Happy travels.

Xx
Aanchal

Reply
darwinontherocks says:
July 30, 2014 at 5:23 pm

I find myself in this sentence “I’m usually freakishly well prepared” 😀 I understand that so well, I like planning and trying to know a lot about my next destination. Thank you for visiting my blog, I’m going to have a look at yours! 🙂

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andreaonderweg says:
July 30, 2014 at 5:46 pm

ha ha, good to hear I am not the only one! To me the preparation is almost as much fun as the trip itself!

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darwinontherocks says:
July 30, 2014 at 5:57 pm

That’s exactly the sentence I’ve written on the about me section !! hahaha !!! 🙂

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thebboss says:
August 13, 2014 at 7:08 pm

Hello there

My name is Brigid from Cape Town, South Africa. I found your blog on the Big Blog Exchange competition and think it is pretty awesome.

I thought I would start my own little blog exchange by extending an offer to other bloggers thinking of visiting my beautiful city 🙂 If you ever make it to Cape Town please do get in touch – I will do my best to offer you a bed/ couch and will definitely show you around what I think is the most beautiful city in the world.

I am also participating in the Big Blog Exchange – though the Africa standings seem to have very few votes compared to your region.

Could you please vote for me? I voted for you 😉
My profile on Big Blog Exchange
http://www.bigblogexchange.org/profile/2014/5668600916475904

Thank you and good luck!

Brigid (@The_B_Boss)

Reply
andreaonderweg says:
August 14, 2014 at 7:21 pm

Hi Brigid,

Thanks for visiting my blog and voting for me. The competition is really fierce! I’ve voted for you as well. I loved my stay in Cape Town a few years ago and have been meaning to come back to SA some time to travel some more. Good luck with the BBE!

Reply
wisemonkeysabroad says:
September 13, 2014 at 11:55 pm

Hello Andrea! Thank you so much for following our blog! Travel is just so awesome, right?! We are forever wanderlusting….and although on away now, are dreaming of what is next on the cards! Let’s connect on FB, Twitter and Instagram as well if you are on those 🙂

Reply
jacklynn henry says:
November 11, 2015 at 4:18 am

heyyyy andrea! i got reading over your travel blogs at work on a slow day..lol!!! love reading about your stories , inspiring! 🙂 great writing, and looks like you’re enjoying BC! 🙂

Reply
andreaonderweg says:
November 11, 2015 at 11:52 am

Hey! Thanks! Great that I can provide you with some entertainment on the quiet days ha ha. I love it here so far! I’m so excited to explore again and to have Christmas in the snow and to travel around. It is an amazing place!

Reply

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