My Story.

Hey, Johannes from GearUpYourLife here….

And today, as you’ve probably guessed from the title, we’re doing something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.
Since this newsletter has become more and more personal, you know who I am, what I look like, and in the last video you’ve even seen me film a few scenes myself I think it’s time to answer a question that’s been around since the beginning:

Who am I, why did I start GearUpYourLife,
and most importantly...
why do I even have the right to tell you what travel gear actually works? 😂

I’m Johannes born in a small town in Germany, near Cologne.
And yes, you know me as the guy who talks about travel gear…
but that obviously wasn’t always the case.

It all started when I was 18.
Right after graduation, I took my first solo trip through Italy, France, and Switzerland with a backpack that was almost falling apart.
Like everyone at the beginning, I had no idea what I was doing — no power bank, no organization, nothing.
And I quickly learned, without watching a single video, that some things are simply essential when you travel.

At 21, I finished the first part of my degree to become an elementary school teacher.
But at the same time, I’d already started making money online — writing copy for small German brands.
And that opened a door.
I realized I could finally travel while working.
So, like almost everyone, I started with Southeast Asia.
I had a budget of $500 — for everything: the backpack, clothes, gear, and not much more the trip itself.

I became lowkey obsessed with getting the most out of every dollar.
I watched hundreds of videos, compared products for hours and still, half the stuff broke or turned out to be completely useless.

Three months later, I flew to Argentina and that’s where everything changed.
I packed smarter, lighter, and honestly… I fell in love with the city, and with travel itself.
By the time I reached Spain earlier this year, I thought,
“Hey, I’d actually love to start a channel about all this.”
But I was scared — scared my German accent would sound weird,
that people would find it annoying, or that my friends would make fun of me( what is honestly the stupidest reason ever for anybody ).

So I started with AI voiceovers instead.
And yeah — it worked.
But looking back, I regret it a little.
Because travel, at its core, is about people sharing real stories.

And the more messages I got — from you guys — the clearer it became.
“Why are you still using AI?”
“Do you even exist?” 😂
And honestly… fair question.
If I were you, I wouldn’t have trusted AI Johannes either.

That’s when I decided, I don’t want to be just another faceless travel channel chasing a few views.
I want this to mean something.
To help people actually travel better, pack smarter, and maybe even inspire a bit of courage to explore the world.

So if you’ve ever wondered who’s actually behind these videos and emails you read with your morning coffee 
now you can finally see the face and story behind GearUpYourLife.

There’s tons of free content waiting for you on the new website, plus a few personal photos and the full story of how it all began.

👉 See more on the “About Me” page
or jump straight to the Main Website here.

PS:
In case you missed it today’s the last day to join the TRTL Neck Pillow Giveaway on Instagram!
🎁 Follow here → [Instagram]