As an avid traveller, I’ve always been intrigued by the notion of nostalgic road-trips. So I had long wanted to own an old VW bus by the time I was 30. At some point during lockdown last spring, I suddenly thought: why wait?

My boyfriend was immediately keen on this impulsive idea as well. ‘Independent travel with your own home’, as he calls it. I stumbled across a mechanic on the internet who repairs old postbuses and even takes care of the interior in some cases. Bingo! VW buses are very difficult to find, let alone one like this: who has a bright yellow postbus? And by the way: cars have to have names in my book. At first we tried to find a French name for the Renault from Western Switzerland. That was definitely too dainty... Brummhilde is big and burly and everything on her makes a racket. The name fits.

Day trips, camping trips all around Europe or Alpine mountain tours right down to visiting a museum in Florence – we do it all with Brummhilde... and most of it completely spontaneously and unexpectedly! When we get the feeling that what we’re doing isn’t a good fit just then, we change the plan. We’re flexible and independent.

Admittedly, the first thing I thought was: really, me, in such a big thing? But as soon as I got behind the wheel, I immediately felt confident in the six-metre-long vehicle. Travelling in a less sporty vehicle is more comfortable and relaxed. And it makes it possible to find spots that wouldn’t be feasible on a day trip without a mobile home. That’s the spontaneity that I need.

Last summer, for example, we took a 2,575-kilometre road-trip through the landscapes of Switzerland to the south of France, then through Italy to Venice and then back home through Austria. Altogether the driving time was 34 hours, over the mountains, down to the sea and back again. For someone who absolutely loves being in the fresh air, to hike, climb mountains, go camping and experience nature, travelling with a bus like this is like an all-inclusive package!

It’s the feeling I have when I get in and we drive off. For me, it’s a meaningful combination of tranquillity, freedom and independence... not to mention all the adventures on these trips that make the experiences much deeper and more memorable.

I had a wonderful moment last summer in the French Alps. Completely unexpectedly, we ended up at this nondescript campsite on an amazingly turquoise mountain lake. We didn’t know it at the time, but the next morning the rays of the rising sun shone right into our faces. For me, Brummhilde is the gateway to being.