I have to admit that the last 14 days of my journey really put a strain on me. After I landed in Asturias, coming from Galicia, the weather turned and it started to rain. 20 unfriendly degrees above zero. I opted for a hike in the Picos de Europa, which rewarded me with sunshine and 30 degrees above zero (but only above 1800 above sea level). After a short web search, I ended up with the tour operator “Picos Extreme” and had the opportunity to join a 2-day tour across the Picos including an overnight stay on 2000 metres (thank you Oscar!).

This hike was an absolute highlight – but also responsible for me dragging myself through the remaining time as a digital nomad.I first thought, “Great, only a small muscle hangover and a lacerated knee”, but a few hours later my circulation gave up and I found myself faced with a severe summer flu. Being sick is annoying in general, but traveling makes it worse. Especially when 1500 kilometres lie ahead of you that need to be overcome by car. The peak holiday season and the rolling caravan of horror that comes with it, were not quite according to my liking. Suddenly, everywhere there were much too many tourists, who, of course, have a right to be on holidays, but I prefer them to show up well-measured in small amounts.

I like how the French, Spaniards and Portuguese behave in traffic. On motorways. By contrast, the road behavior of Germans is suspicious to me. I had hardly entered the A5 towards Karlsruhe when they started passing me by at above-average speed in their high gloss polished machines. This led to a subtle increase in my stress levels. Even during traffic jams the last in the queue wanted to be the first one. The difference is that the French, Spaniards and Portuguese drive with less temperament. I like to float through Europe at a maximum speed of 130 kilometres per hour. And sometimes this made me the fastest one on the road. Because the rest drives rather leisurely.In Austria too, coming from Munich, I instantly noticed the stress of other drivers. And it got on my nerves. But probably, at the speed I was driving, I just wanted to make sure that everyone gets to see my light alloy rims

Last year, at the end of my journey, I moved to the countryside. A big, but completely rational decision which proved brilliant, by the way.This year, at the end of this trip, I’ve come to realise that three months in a car like the Skoda Roomster can push you to your limits. In the end, I’ve had it with the rigging up and rigging down, not having enough space and only limited privacy, that I was dependent on camping sites and therefore not as free as a bird.

That’s why, at the end of this journey I’ve made up my mind to buy a bus which I plan to rebuild during autumn and winter to become my “digital nomad mobile”. In my head, it’s already equipped – since I know my requirements and needs. Luxury will be kept within reasonable limits because it’s not relevant. And as a result, I’m incorporating this way of life and working into my life and embracing it with open arms. The route for 2019 is slowly taking shape.

 2-day hike across the Picos de Europa: The sunset was simply sensational.

 Having had my skin pierced in Porto “Boa Vida”.

 The first evening in Galicia: I’m lying in the car with the tailgate open. My car – thanks to great hospitality – stands in the front row of a private beach property. And while I’m staring at the Atlantic a pod of dolphins begins to move and happily leaps out of the water, dives back in and repeats the whole thing. For ten minutes.