My Story
I was born in 1997 in Hamburg Germany by the name Karl. Growing up, I was raised by two loving parents who gave me a lot of freedom and affection. My time in school was not the easiest. I did not have many friends, but the few friends I had were true companions. I always found life fascinating even though on most days I would try to escape it through books, movies and video games. As I got older I found new ways to escape reality…
Work and Travel in Oz
Flash forward to 2016, I travelled to Australia on a working holiday visa. While there, I felt truly free for the first time in my life. I did not have much money but I felt rich. Rich in friendships and memories made during my travels. The year I spent in Oz was a real eye-opener on how much more there is to life. A quote that really resonated with me after this trip is this:
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime” -Mark Twain
Waking up
In 2021 I had my spiritual awakening. I won’t go into details, but the main takeaway from it is the following: always stay true to yourself and never change who you are at your core, once your happiness comes from within, no one can take it from you.
A new Adventure
2024 comes and I finally take the next big step in my journey. I quit my job, gave my apartment key back, and stuffed everything I own into 14 boxes now stored in my mom’s attic…well, not everything. I took quite a bit with me, one large backpack, another smaller backpack, and my travel companion, Amadeus (the absolute coolest walking stick ever). My first stop was in Nepal. There, I volunteered in My Friend’s Hostel. Thanks to my fantastic host I learned a lot in those three months. At the end of my stay I helped at the Mahashivratri which truly was a life changing experience. There I received my new name Kamal, I adapted it to all aspects of my life. Kamal represents the lotus flower and the path to enlightenment. I find that very suiting for someone who is walking a spiritual path.
Beginning of Kamal the wandering Lion
Now, being here in New Zealand and writing this “short” introduction I feel so much support from the friends I’ve met at the Wanderlust Hostel. They are one of the main reasons I created this website. They gave me the courage to start with my project called Kamal the Wandering Lion. Maybe I can take this moment to explain why I called it that way and why I picked this logo….
My zodiac sign is the Lion and I feel that it suits me perfectly. The horoscopes in most magazines are absolute bs, but if you dive deeper into the topic of astrology you can find out stuff about yourself that you didn’t think possible. My ex-girlfriend was really interested in astrology and created a birth chart for me which I completely forgot about until I stumbled upon it while searching for my visa. The little voice in my head said “you should check it out” and so I did. My right angle cross was on it, which says something about my purpose in life. Up until then I did not really have a clue what I wanted to do with my life, I just knew that travelling and exploring made me feel fulfilled. I was always lacking something though, a purpose, something that would give my life meaning, and there it was written, I guess you could call it fate that I never checked what those numbers meant before. At this point it hit me, yes this is what I want to do with my life.
[ Right Angle Cross of Contagion (29/30 | 8/14) Those embodying this cross exhibit an unwavering commitment, a fervent desire for life, a distinct personal expression, and a powerful aspiration for achievement. Embracing the Right Angle Cross of Contagion.
Your life journey is aligned with the Right Angle Cross of Contagion if you are strongly drawn to making commitments, craving the richness of life’s experiences, expressing your uniqueness, and pursuing personal aspirations. Potential roles and environments that align with your energies may involve leadership, creative expression, project management, and experience-driven roles. You thrive in environments that value your determination, unique expression, persistence, and intense zest for life.]
So by expressing myself and living my dream I can inspire others to also follow their dreams. That is just amazing and is motivating me even more to pursue the path I’m currently on.
My logo resembles all my three core aspects, the Lotus, the Lion and the Wanderer/Seeker represented by the feathers.
So that’s pretty much it. I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.
Thank you so much for reading until this point.
Stay curious, Stay grounded, Stay true to who you are!
Lots of love, Kamal the wandering Lion🌸