Georgien

I knew nothing about Georgia.
Nothing about the land, the people, the culture.
The plan was simple:
cross the country in three weeks and move on.

But I had heard a few travelers say:
“Once you arrive in Georgia, you’ll stay longer.”
I felt it deep down,
even though I didn’t want to admit it yet.

Sebastian and I arrived
and took a few days to rest, plan, and get a sense of this place.
What we saw in photos was impressive.
But we weren’t ready for what it would become.

We continued riding –
through soaking rain,
down a road that ended in mud
and forced us to turn around for the first time on the journey.

Morale was low.
Wet clothes. Cold skin. No sleeping spot.
So we booked a room in a small town called Martvili.

We had no idea what we had just stepped into.

Karma Hostel.
A place full of stories, feelings, and soul.
Run by Woody, Ema, and Max –
who created something real,
with love and life poured into every corner.

We checked in for one night.
The next morning, Sebastian came to me and said:
“I think I want to stay.”
I smiled.
I had the same thought.

We asked if we could volunteer.
The answer was yes.

And then, just like that –
three months passed.

That place changed everything.

Encounters that showed me things about myself.
Pain that surfaced.
Beauty in people and the stories we shared.

And truths I had to face.

When I think of that time,
my heart warms.

Strangers became friends.
Friends became family.

There was sweat, tears, joy, intensity.
Everything at once.
Georgia – and especially Karma Hostel –
flipped something inside me.

It was beautiful.
It was painful.
And it was necessary.

And with its nature, its food, its culture –
Georgia found its place in my heart.
A country I never expected to stay in,
and one I’ll never forget.