Home Sweet Home: Yvonne Zagermann

“Home Sweet Home” Questionnaire #5: Yvonne Zagermann.

Name: Yvonne Zagermann
Twitter: @JustTravelous
Website: justtravelous.com/en/
Facebook: facebook.com/justtravelous

1.) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how your passion for travelling started.

I remember the first time I travelled was with my parents at the age of 4 to the Austrian Alps. My parents are totally into hiking and first I was disappointed we didn’t travel to a gorgeous beach where I could have build sandcastles but I remember when we drove home I was sitting on the backseat of our car, staring at the Alps and crying “My mountains, my mountains”. I still have a passion for the great outdoors and enjoy being in nature, but as much as I love the mountains I do love the ocean, I could sit there for hours and hours and just star at the water. I earn my living as a TV journalist and I was lucky enough to travel a lot because of this in the last years. When I travel for work it’s always combined with a lot of research and preparation that’s why I enjoy being spontaneous when I travel on my own. Normally I don’t book my flights in advance, when the travel bug bites me I just have to leave immediately.

2.) Where is home?

Berlin (the most amazing city on earth :))

3.) How did you get there? Have you lived there all your life, moved there because of College or just fell in love with the city/town on one of your trips?

I’m originally from the South of Germany but since my first trip to Berlin at the age of 18 I wanted to live here. I love living in Berlin and can’t imagine living anywhere else right now. This city is amazing.

4.) What does your living situation look like? Give us a brief description (city or countryside, apartment or house, messy or neat-freak, roomies, pets, plants etc.)

I have my own apartment in the Bavarian Quarter of Berlin’s Schöneberg district. It’s exactly how it sounds. Very provincial. When I look out of my window I see bunnies scamper across the lawns and hear birds chirping. It’s a perfect retreat to the hectic side of rest Berlin. And when I leave my street I’m right back in the typical Berlin. Although I love my place I’m thinking about moving to Kreuzberg, as most of my friends live there.

5.) What’s your favorite spot in your apartment or house & why?

My couch. When I’m not out and about as a freelancing TV journalist I enjoy working from home, from my couch. With my computer on my lap. Best: when I’m done with work I don’t have to drive home to chill on the couch… :)

6.) Do you prefer books or movies (plus what’s your favorite one)?

Depends; when I’m traveling I’m always reading a lot. My favorite book is “A Farewell to Arms” from Ernest Hemingway, this book travelled with me even to Thailand, U.A.E. and South Africa. When it comes to movies I like “Gardenstate”, but I’m more a TV show person. Hands down for “How I met your mother”, this show is legen – wait for it  – dary.

7.) Where & how do you write your blog articles? Do you start with a rough draft or get right to it?

Often I write my posts late at night when I normally should be asleep but then I get right to it. When I’m writing during the day I normally start with a draft and then it can take hours till I finish one post. I’m writing in English and German and mostly start with the English version and translate this into German.

8.) What does a perfect day in your hometown look like? What season is it? Are you inside or outdoors? Do you hang out with friends or family?

My perfect day starts with a breakfast with friends at about 1pm. There are a lot of great cafés here in Berlin where they serve breakfast till 5pm … in the afternoon I enjoy strolling over one of the many flea markets in Berlin, my favorite one is on Sundays in Mauerpark. Also on Sundays in Mauerpark is the amazing Open Air Karaoke, love just sitting there, drinking some beers and listening to other people singing. And season, uhm, I love all the seasons, but winter in Berlin is really really hard and there’s no Open Air Karaoke during winter, so ok, I prefer spring, summer and autumn. :)

9.) Name three spots in your hometown, which you’d probably not find in a guidebook but you could recommend to travellers. Tell us what’s special about them.

1.) The Barn: a small and cozy café where they serve the BEST coffee in town. Plus: they have an amazing carrot cake!

2.) Mustafas: Berlin is the home of the Currywurst but did you know, that kebab was also invented in Berlin? At Mustafas you’ll have the best you’ll ever eaten in your whole life. Plus: have a look at their website – that’s the best website a food booth can have – hilarious!

3.) The abandoned airport Tempelhof: during summer it’s really cool to stroll over the old airfield and watch the kite surfers. Every now and then, like for the Berlin Festival, you also have the chance to get inside the old building. And isn’t it cool to listen to bands in the old hangars?

10.) What’s your favorite local dish (if you have one in your country/town, please tell us which one)? Can you cook it & what are the main ingredients?

For sure: Currywurst. But you never cook it at home; you have to eat it at one of the many food booths around the city. My favorite is Konnopke’s at Eberswalderstraße.

11.) How much does 1 liter (or one gallon) of milk and petrol cost today?

One liter of milk costs about 0,50 € and a liter petrol around 1,60 €.

12.) Where are you right now, on which device to you answer this questionnaire and what shoes are you wearing (if possible please add a picture)?

I’m sitting on my couch right now with my laptop on my lap and I’m wearing no shoes. Pretty boring, uhm?

13.) Last but not least: What does “home” mean to you?

Home is where my heart is and my heart is where the people I love are living, so yes, Berlin is my home but I also call some other cities home as it feels like coming home when I’ve been away for a while. For example Tübingen, where I studied, or Stuttgart, where I lived for many years and a lot of my friends still live, and for sure the small village Kolbingen, where I grew up and my parents still live.

Want to be a part of this series?

If you want to be a part of our series, just go to the “Home Sweet Home” article and download the appropriate questionnaire. We’d really like to read your stories :)

Participants so far:

#1: Ulli Maier
#2: Nisa Maier
#3: Shvyia Nath
#4: Rika Huang
#5: Yvonne Zagermann
#6: Dario Endara
#7: Frankie Thompson
#8: Roy van den Bos
#9: Monica Stott
#10: Doris Neubauer
#11: Amanda Slavinsky
#12: Edna
#13: Casper Oppenhuis de Jong
#14: Ashley Abroad
#15: Inma Gregorio