About

Hi, I'm Lena and I'm the founder of Lena On The Move.

I have always been fascinated by exotic places and small islands away from the crowds.
Why? Well, I like secluded beaches, laidback lifestyles and the smell of the sea when I wake up. I like how every island has its own way of life. I like spending time underwater and immersing myself in a world that is still a mystery to us in large parts. I love the gracious moves of sea turtles and the curious looks of puffer fish. I love watching the sunset after a day of diving with my hair salty and my skin sandy.

I created this blog to be a platform to share the best island destinations with you and give you a chance to fall in love with the laidback island life, too.

On this blog, you'll learn how to find hidden gems on popular tourist islands and how you can go scuba diving without having to break the bank. You'll read about affordable island adventures and tropical places that offer great value for money. From authentic travel experiences, to bucket list vacations and weekend getaways - we've got you covered!

I was born in the beautiful town of Marburg and raised in Franconia's capital city Nuremberg by travel-enthusiastic parents who took me to different countries around Europe as a child.

I started solo-traveling and scuba diving at the age of 18 during a gap year I spent volunteering in the South-Pacific and Africa. Among other things, my love for travel was the reason I studied International Business and Tourism Management, and am now working part-time both as a digital marketer for small and medium-sized businesses in the tourism industry and a freelance travel writer.

On an extended trip through Southeast Asia in 2017, I also had the chance to take my diving career to the next level and not only finished my Divemaster training but also helped run a dive shop in the Philippines for a few months.

Wanna get to know me on a more personal level? Here are some #FunFacts:

#1 I play several instruments (incl. guitar, bass, piano and percussions) and have been playing in a band on and off for years
#2 I love writing songs about my travels
#3 I'm seriously hooked on a couple of TV shows, including Game of Thrones, Blacklist, Scandal and Friends
#4 I'm an airline waste bag collector (Are you, too? Yaay! Drop me a line - let's exchange some bags! 🙂 )
#5 I prefer savoury over sweet
#6 I have two dread locks
#7 Despite traveling so much, I am prone to motion sickness regardless of which means of transport I use
#8 I believe that everything happens for a reason

After graduating from high school back in 2012, I took a gap year, which I mainly spent volunteering and working in Fiji and Botswana. As both countries are somewhat underdeveloped regarding infrastructure and things like WiFi, I got started on my travel blog with the primary goal of keeping friends and family back home updated. Over the years, I've realized that not only have I been hooked on traveling, but I've also fallen in love with blogging because it's always helped me process my experiences abroad.

Besides writing this blog for myself, the blog has become a platform to share experiences with and give useful travel tips to fellow backpackers, who pursue the same kind of travel lifestyle.

Generally, I am very intrigued by different cultures around the globe. I'm interested in learning how traditions and customs can vary so much from one country to another. Also, I'm an outdoors person and enjoy both exploring beautiful underwater reefs while diving and discovering mountain landscapes or rainforests on foot. There are a few other things that make my fascination toward travel rise even higher. For example, I'm an incurable sunset chaser and airplane lover - have you ever wondered what aircraft type is flying over your head? Well, I'm one of those geeks who could probably tell you the exact model by simply looking at the vapor trail. Anyway, I digress.

While my personal experiences abroad were definitely part of my motivation to start a professional travel blog, I feel compelled to tell you that there was something else that made me want to get into travel writing myself.

Over the last years, I have spent a lot of time reading and following numerous travel blogs myself. And I noticed that a lot of people seem to write travel guides about places they have been to for a few days only, which is something I find kind of shady and somewhat untrustworthy. Don't get me wrong, it is wonderful to write a quick post about a location I once visited. However, I'd like to see a great deal of research, recommendations and unique places in a proper travel guide. That is the reason I only write travel guides about locations I have traveled to or stayed in for a longer period of time, e.g. a minimum of one week (city guide) or a month (region guide) or even longer (country guide). I don't see the point in writing a travel guide about a place I hardly visited myself. My main ambition is to offer support to you and to add value to your trips and experiences around the world.  

I've got seven years worth of adventures on this blog, so dive right in and rummage through my old and recent stories, guides, photos and other contents. In the meanwhile, you can catch up with me in real time by subscribing to this blog and meeting me on social media.

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This blog can also be found on Dave´s Travel Corner!