Why I had to disappear for a Month.

Hey, Johannes from GearUpYourLife here…

today’s one is a bit different.

This is more of a personal update, so if you’re mainly here for pure travel content (which is totally fair 😅), feel free to skip this one. But I wanted to take this Tuesday to explain what’s been going on behind the scenes.

Over the past 30 days, I only posted one video and four newsletters, when it’s usually closer to eight videos and at least eight posts. And I’m planning to catch up on that this week and next.

So here’s the honest reason:

After my short hospital stay in Serbia a while ago, things didn’t really improve long-term. I felt better for maybe 2–3 days, but then right after my last “Buy It For Life” video, I had another migraine episode, including nausea and everything that comes with it.

The day after, I went back to the doctor here in Bulgaria, and this time they suggested staying for a few days for more detailed checks — overnight monitoring, scans, testing triggers like light sensitivity, and so on.

The results were… not dramatic and aspected the same as in Serbia:
strong migraines, likely triggered by stress, light, and the usual suspects like lack of sleep. It also seems like it started developing into cluster headaches, which obviously isn’t great.

The main advice I got was simple:
take a full week off. Completely offline.

No phone. No work. Nothing.

And this time, I actually listened.

I only texted my family occasionally, but aside from that — I disappeared for a few days. And honestly, after about 3–4 days, something shifted. What felt stressful at first (doing nothing) slowly turned into actual recovery.

And now, after what’s been a pretty rough two months, I finally feel like I’m back with a clear head, more energy, and ready to go again.

What made it especially tough was this:

Both my review video and my new main video
“12 Travel Gadgets I Use on Every Short Trip (My Travel System)”
were already finished over a week ago.

And I just… couldn’t upload them.

Couldn’t work. Couldn’t write. Couldn’t do anything.

At first, that felt worse than working through it. But after a few days, it actually became easier to accept.

So yeah, that’s where I’ve been.

But I’m back now obviously 😅

And this week is going to be a bit of a reset:

– another post tomorrow
– one on Thursday
– and Sunday as usual

So four in total this week.

On top of that, there are three videos coming on the main channel (one already tomorrow), plus one or two review videos.

I’m feeling really good again — and honestly, excited.

The next videos and especially what’s coming at the end of the month are going to be worth it.

If you haven’t seen the latest video yet, you can check it out here:
“12 Travel Gadgets I Use on Every Short Trip (My Travel System)”

Thanks for reading this.

And if you’re going through a rough time yourself, feel free to reply. I read everything.

Also, thanks a lot for all the recovery messages after the last post. That honestly meant a lot.

Safe travels,
Johannes

PS: And also,the new review video is currently on track to become one of the most watched on the channel, which is kind of crazy. So if you haven’t seen that one yet:

“Is This Sling Actually Better Than a Backpack? (UL3 Review)”