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Sun Moon Lake ☀️🌓in the middle of Taiwan, a

Sun Moon Lake ☀️🌓in the middle of Taiwan, a four-hour bus ride from Taipei.

The name sounds like something out of a fairy tale. So I expected nothing less than elves and fairies dancing around a pond. 🧚‍♂️😀

Well … in real life it was raining cats and dogs when I arrived. The lake looked like somewhere in Austria. Which was a bummer, because I didn’t come all the way to Taiwan for something looking so familiar. Also, I was starved and hangry. (Note: Being vegetarian in Taiwan is f*** hard. You never know when you’ll find your next decent meal that is more than tea eggs, stir-fried water spinach or plain white rice.)

So I did the only thing that helps when life sucks temporarily:

Eat. (some emergency-stash nuts from my bag)
Hydrate.
Sleep.

The next morning, my world was okay again. The sun had came out ☀️, the lake looked like a picture-postcard. There was calming music from nearby temples 🕉️A matchmaking God being worshipped. And the bike path around the lake proved to be easy despite the 30 degrees outside with 90 percent humidity 🥵. (Just don’t start in the village of Ita Thao, rather bike around Shiushe. Why? The Ita Thao stretch is super hilly and you have to bike on a regular road with loads of traffic.)

So I biked. For hours. I listened to the forest sounds and stared at the turquoise water. And at some point I realized: I had barely seen any other Westerners all day - which made me feel a little out of place. Not unwelcome (the Taiwanese are super friendly and helpful). Just aware that I didn’t quite fit in.

But maybe that’s the point. For a lot of people - some of my friends with Asian roots in the US and Canada or my Black friends in Europe - that feeling isn’t just part of travel. It’s part of daily life.

So, I got a lesson in feeling a bit lost and like I did not belong. Which was good, I guess. And long overdue.
The only issue left? Food. I swear, I could not find any decent, semi-healthy meal and ended up buying precooked rice at 7/11 that tasted like plastic. 🤷‍♀️

But at least the lake delivered. 😀

#taiwantravel #sunmoonlake #travel #southeastasiatravel #waltraudhable

New insight while roaming this planet: Ruins make

New insight while roaming this planet: Ruins make the best Instagram filters. No idea what actually happened here though - there were zero signs. Was this a temple? A battlefield? Were they sacrificing goats or virgins to some gods? All I know is, it makes for really good pictures. 📸(My history teacher is probably sighing somewhere, thinking: ‚I always knew she wasn‘t the brightest light under the sun’ 🤦🏼‍♂️😂) More depth next time. Promised.

#mysonvietnam #instagramspot #travel #solotraveller #waltraudhable

What’s it like to be on a houseboat in the Borne

What’s it like to be on a houseboat in the Bornean jungle?🚤

Let’s talk girl stuff first, okay? 💁‍♀️😉
 Meaning: the bathroom situation.

This was honestly my biggest concern. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t need a whole lot of luxury. But my stomach is always a bit sensitive when I travel and I don’t want to dread every trip to the toilet … or have to mentally prepare before stepping into the shower (and yes, showers are necessary, you will be sweating like a pig in Borneo’s humidity 🐷🌴).

But to my surprise: nothing to worry at all. The toilets were western-style and super clean. And we even had hot water in the shower. Yay! 🚿✨

Now … next topic: seasickness.

Yes or no?

Short answer: no. 
I was expecting to puke my guts out (because I ALWAYS get seasick, sometimes by just looking at a boat), but the river is extremely calm and the houseboat moves at around 10 km/h - so there is barely any movement noticeable.

Sleeping situation? 💤 There’s a mattress out on deck, a mosquito net and you fall asleep to the sounds of the jungle. Crickets, monkeys, the wind in the trees … It’s incredibly peaceful. You go to bed when it gets dark, and wake up with the first light. No alarm needed. 🌙☀️ The crew sleeps below deck, so it’s just you and the night sky and a million dreams in your head.

The food: The captain’s wife did all the cooking and it was a-m-a-z-i-n-g! Even my friend @mrina.d (who is vegan) was happy. Tofu, tempeh, all the greens. And the sweetest part? They surprised her with a birthday cake. 🎂 (Girl, you deserve the world!)

And yes, the orangutans. 🐒🌳We saw them. Even in the wild, outside the reserves. Our guide @ad_husni.borneo had binoculars and a sixth sense for spotting movement in the trees. Without him? I probably wouldn’t have noticed a thing. 😀#borneo #travel #roamtheplanet #houseboat #orangutanhouseboattour #orangutan

Borneo always sounded exotic to me. Like a place t

Borneo always sounded exotic to me. Like a place that is almost too far away to ever reach (especially when you’re born in an Austrian village with just 3,000 people).

I had dreamt of this for years and asked people to join me, because nature trips are usually easier when not done alone. But no one had time.

Until now.

A friend needed an escape. And drifting through the Bornean jungle on a houseboat felt right for both of us.
Yet, we found more than just an escape. It was a reminder of how smart and how incredibly gentle nature is.

Let me explain …  Everyone comes to Borneo for the orangutans whom we share 97 % of our DNA with. Orang = human. Utan = forest. Borneo is one of the only places where you can see the “forest humans“ in the wild.

I was in awe of their small eyes, full of wisdom. Their slow and mindful eating. The effortless climbing (while I can’t even do one pull-up). And those fingers, gently touching the trees, almost like they are reading each branch: Is this one safe?

The babies are constantly clinging to arms, backs and bellies. Touch is survival, isn´t it? Life begins with touch. But it also helps us to feel safe and grow more confident.

But it wasn’t all about the orangutans.

The whole jungle felt like a playbook for life.

A tarantula resting in a hole, right where I was standing. Not a threat as long as it is not threatened.

Monkeys swimming through the mangroves, chased by crocodiles. Knowing that often the risk is worth the leap.

The green pit viper – a super venomous snake – resting quietly on a branch, because real power doesn’t need to be loud.

And OMG, the fireflies at night! They light up entire trees like Christmas and to me, they are proof that magic exists. Our guide @ad_husni.borneo cruised for an hour just to find that perfect glowing spot.

So, when I lay down to sleep under the open sky, I felt calm and connected. Thinking: The wild doesn’t try to impress. It just is. Its presence is unapologetic. Unafraid. Gentle, but never weak.
Just like I hope to be.

6 years of continuous travel and trying to live in

6 years of continuous travel and trying to live in a way that feels true to me.

Happy traveling birthday to me! 🎉

This morning I realized: On May 5th, 2019 is started my journey at Chao Phraya river in Bangkok.

Exactly 6 years later, I find myself once again at a river. The Sekonya river in Borneo.

Flow of life.

I woke up on a houseboat in the heart of the jungle, sleeping on deck on a matress with a mosquito net, hearing the sounds of the wilderness, the crickets, the birds, the monkeys, the wind in the trees.

There was so much serenity and such peace, my heart became heavy and full at the same time. Nature does that. Always.

And in moments like this, I find myself questioning: Why the constant hustle? Why the striving for more money, prolonged youthful looks, bigger apartments, better visibilty on LinkedIn, IG, FB? It’s exhausting.

We need very little to come home to the stillness within.

At least that’s my experience.

These six years have not been easy. Especially in the past year, I had to face a lot of struggles and felt some doubts creeping in. But then again … when I am struggling and think about making easier life choices, I always stumble upon the question: What would be the alternative? Back to 9-to-5 and a sense of security that is not secure?

So the only way is forward.

Forward into growth.
Forward into the unknown.
Forward into the parts of life - and myself - I’ve yet to discover.

I used to get this whole manifestation thing wrong

I used to get this whole manifestation thing wrong. Okay, let’s be honest, we can also say, I butchered it.
 Because for the longest time, I thought it worked like this:

You just wish really, really hard … to the point where you feel it in every fiber of your being (or vibrate at a higher frequency, whatever that means) – and then the universe would deliver your heart’s desire. 💫☀️🎁

Maybe not on your schedule, but eventually.

Like UPS, but with cosmic delays.

What I didn’t quite get is this:
 Manifestation isn’t about wishing harder. 🙏 It’s about being what you want.

Want love? Be love. Give love. (Don’t sit at home like the Grinch, glaring out the window for Prince Charming to accidentally trip over your doormat.)

Want money? Give value. To others. And yes, give generously. 
Want help? Help someone else first.

I think it comes down tothis: The universe isn’t a genie. It’s more like a mirror.

So stop wishing, start being. This is when the magic starts.

#manifestation #universe #travel

Big shoutout to all the beautiful souls who showed

Big shoutout to all the beautiful souls who showed up at 6:30 AM for my guided beach meditation session – despite the parties that went on the night before and the full social calendars.

You chose presence over the snooze button – and that’s powerful. 🙏
 Thank you for trusting me to guide your morning, and most of all for showing up for yourself. 🌅🧘‍♀️💛💪

Much love to @vietnamnomadfest and @yossi_fisher for creating the space for moments like this.

#findyourstillness #beachmeditation #mindfulmornings #meditationmadeeasy #lifegoesom #vietnamnomadfest2025

Every moment teaches us something, right? The pas

Every moment teaches us something, right?

The past few months in Mexico have been packed with these little (and sometimes not-so-little) lessons.

And as I get ready to move on, I’d like to take a moment to say: Gracias, from the bottom of my heart. ❤️

So, here’s what I learned to understand.

🌿 Details matter. A lot.  It’s the little things that reveal everything. And yes, you can trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is. Like, when you stumble off a 20-hour journey and… no one even offers you water? 🚩 (Hello, property manager who’s just in it for the money.) Or when someone keeps making plans but constantly cancels. At some point, you have to ask: Why am I wasting my energy on flakey people?!   👀 When you think you know it all, find 3 things you don’t.  I’ve been to this same place in Mexico over and over. So naturally, I started thinking, Been there, done that, know it all. But man, nothing could be further from the truth! One day, while walking down the street, I stopped looking down at my feet and started looking up. And suddenly, I saw so many things I’d never noticed before. A tree with blossoms. A fat little bird chilling on the electrical wire. A hidden mural. Lesson learned: Life is always ready to show you something new – if you’re open to seeing it. Stay curious. Always.

💫 3. Show up for your life and your dreams. Especially on the hard days.  We all have those not-so-great days and “OMG-the-world-is-moving-too-fast-for-me” moments. And sure, I could hide under the covers and eat so much chocolate and gummy bears until I feel sick (guilty as charged). Or… I could make a pact with myself to show up for myself – and do something that does me good.

Like … going for that walk. Taking that yoga class. Calling that friend. Reading a book with ZERO screen time …. What I am saying is: Whatever it is you do for yourself, you will never, ever regret it.  
Mexico, you’ve been real. On to the next adventure. ✈️ 
What’s life been teaching you lately? Happy to hear about it in the comments! 👇💬

Can you overdose on cacao? 🧐 Short answer: Yes

Can you overdose on cacao? 🧐

Short answer: Yes. 👍 And it doesn´t feel pretty. 🤢🤮

I have done quite a few cacao ceremonies in the past.

I like that stuff. Also, the setting is alwaya nice: the chanting, the singing, you get to meet like minded people.

Some folks hit the bars and clubs. I like to worship the base of chocolate . 😀

Cacao is supposed to open your heart and give you that cozy, love-filled glow - like chocolate, but without the sugar rush.

So, for the new moon, I found myself at yet another ceremony in the jungle.

Usually, the cacao (we are talking 100 % cacao, with a slightly bitter taste) doesn’t do much to me. Yeah, it is warm. It smells great. It makes you feel good. Nothing crazy.

But this time … different story.

First, I got the sweats. Then, nausea hit me. Not instantly. No, cacao is sneaky. It hit me in the car ride home.

First, I thought: „Ugh, I am car sick again“. It happens a lot to me.

The symptoms usually disappear within minutes after I exit the vehicle.

Not this time.

I felt nauseous all night and all next day. Full-blown I-drank-too-much-last-night-but-it-wasn’t-alcohol hangover.

How much did I have?

Well, the ceremonial dose is around 40 g. But there was extra. So obviously, I had a second round. And some cacao beans to nibble on. Because why not?

Well… this is why not.

Turns out, theobromine (cacao’s active ingredient) is all fun and games until it isn’t. Also, cacao is a diuretic. Which means if you don’t drink enough water, you will get a headache and feel like a raisin the next day. Guess who forgot to hydrate? 🙋‍♀️

Lesson learned: cacao is plant medicine. And like any medicine, take it mindfully. Not like me. 😆 #cacaoceremony #cacao #riveramaya #travelblog #spiritualgrowth

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