3 questions for Kathrin David from “give and grow”
Kathrin David is the founder and managing director of give and grow, a social startup specializing in educational work on sustainable travel and global dialogue. With its educational formats, "give and grow" aims to help us have holistic travel experiences while on the move and connect with each other without bias. The startup finances its work primarily with project funding from the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
1. Packing a backpack is part of every vacation. However, on your website, you present a slightly different concept – the so-called Mental Backpack. What's it all about?
The mental backpack represents our mental baggage—and it's often packed with expectations. Images that pop up before our eyes when we think about our travel destination, or beliefs and certain ideas about what defines cultures. When we travel, we always take our mental backpack with us. It's like a pair of glasses that distorts our perception. Because we subconsciously strive to adapt our travel experiences to our expectations.
2. Can we influence what accumulates in our mental backpack?
We can and should. The first step—just like decluttering at home—is to take stock. What exactly do I expect from my trip? What images are running through my mind? What behaviors do I anticipate? What hygiene and education standards do I expect? It's best to write down all of these thoughts. On our website we have a workbook We have put together a packing list that will help you analyze and clear out your mental backpack.
3. To what extent do I and the local people benefit from engaging with my mental backpack?
The more mental baggage we unconsciously carry with us in the form of prejudices and stereotypes, the less authentic our trip becomes. However, when we address our mental baggage, we give ourselves the opportunity for a more holistic and conscious travel experience. We can perceive our travel destination in more diverse ways and connect with the local people on a more personal and closer level. This helps break down stereotypes and make more sustainable travel decisions overall.
Conclusion: Mental Backpack
Those who want to travel sustainably should examine not only their physical but also their mental backpack. Expectations, images, and prejudices often accompany us unnoticed – and influence how we experience a culture. Kathrin David and give and grow show that conscious self-reflection before and during a trip not only broadens one's horizons but also enables genuine encounters at eye level. Clearing out one's mental backpack creates space for openness, authentic experiences, and sustainable decisions – to the benefit of both ourselves and the people on site.
Photos: Debbie Ulrich, Wojtek Plichta
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Ina Hiester
Ina is a digital nomad and travels through Europe by land and sea. The journalist is always on the lookout for special places for Good Travel, philosophizes about travel in her column, takes photographs, makes music and writes articles on all kinds of environmental and sustainability topics.
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