Guest Post by:
Fabian Eins | Founder of FE Sports Travel Events
How Covid-19 brought us to the most beautiful island in the world
The too great power of “…but I could, if I wanted to…” and the answer why you can do some things differently… because nothing in life can be taken for granted.
Let’s start in March 2020:
We visit our family too rarely. Cancel our appointments with friends too often just because we’re too lazy to tear ourselves away from our beloved sofa or from the latest Netflix series. We would like to see more of the world, but we don’t like to leave our comfort zone. Catch up. We can still make up for all that – at least we think we can. Because nothing will change. The world will always look the way it does now. That’s what we think. And then the Corona virus (CoVid-19) comes along and teaches us otherwise.
I think I speak for most of us when I say that a one and a half year ago we could not have imagined what our lives are like today. A small virus that has spread from China all over the world. And turned our entire lives as we know them upside down overnight.
Not everything was negative. This pandemic helped us to finally understand that we cannot take the way we live for granted. That we have to value what we have. That we should be grateful every day that we live a life full of unlimited possibilities and freedom – at least most of the time. Because the Covid situation also showed us how fragile the construct in which we move every day is. That nothing is safe. Not even the next morning.
In that time I understood that in the theory “But I could if I wanted to” there is, in my opinion, too much power. Because, when we can’t do more, even if we want to, this is a feeling that we hardly didn’t know anymore.
Of course – in principle, nothing more was demanded of than to stay in our own four walls and to keep our social contacts to an absolute minimum. For many people, the first thing that comes to mind is that this is the idea of a perfect weekend after a strenuous week at work, during which our fellow human beings have annoyed us and sleep has suffered.
But in March, April, May and so on… this scenery became a part of everyday life. And so we had to sit on our couch and realize how much fun we would have just sitting with our family in the sun with coffee and cake. How much we would need an escape from our four walls and would dance through a carefree night in the club. How much we would just be lying on one of the countless beautiful beaches in the world and discover foreign cultures. How wonderful it would be to climb the mountains of our favourite island Madeira with our friends…
… which leads me to tell you why I ended up in Madeira.
After months in lockdown, I was looking for a haven that offered everything I was sorely missing. The sun, the sea, the mountains, people in the bar (even if only at limited times), an attractive workplace for my business (a school trip agency) that I can run from anywhere.
When we had the opportunity, we have far too often given in to the thought “maybe another time”. We have refrained from writing stories that we would perhaps only too gladly remember today. Our plans lay in a future that we thought we knew exactly what it would be like – the same as always. So why did I end up on Madeira Island?
To experience unique sunsets. You will hardly find a better view for a sunrise or sunset than the one from Pico do Arieiro on Madeira Island. The idyllic moment of the first ray of sunlight making its way through the clouds high up in the mountains will remain in your memory forever
To create unforgettable experiences. In Madeira you can experience unforgettable moments. The hospitality of the islanders, the nature, the sea, all the possibilities around you. That, coupled with the opportunity to meet all the great and inspiring people from all over the world at sunset between food, drink and guitar, is a gift. Madeira’s initiative to bring together digital nomads and remote workers from all over the world makes for unforgettable moments with friends (that you meet here).
To walk unforgettable hikes. “Between giants” could be the motto of this impressive hike from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. The hike is an adrenaline-charged endurance test that not infrequently leads to gasping breath and burning legs – especially on the climb up to the 1862-metre-high Pico Ruivo. But the euphoria prevails, because the hike left us speechless not only because of the exertion, but especially because of the spectacular views of Madeira.
To find a home, temporarily or maybe forever. This is the story of how the “Madeira Home Office” was born. My dream was to work in the middle of nature, on a beautiful island, with like-minded people. I was looking for a balance between work and leisure. For me, this includes peace and quiet. A huge garden. A community. But also a game room and sports room for after work. I wanted a place where everyone can feel at home, whether 1000, 2000 or 4000 km away from home.