Meet the Blogger: Anika Landsteiner + Neues Projekt

posted on: Montag, 27. Januar 2014

My dear english readers - today I am going to introduce you to the wonderful Ani that blogs over at "Anidenkt". Unfortunately for you she blogs in german, so I decided to keep this introduction in german, too - but feel free to head on over to her blog anyway and give her some love. I see you soon! 

Es ist schon ein Weilchen her, dass ich das erste Mal über eine Kolumne der lieben Ani gestolpert bin und weiß noch genau, dass ich aus dem (mentalen) Nicken kaum mehr herauskam. Ob Alltagswahnsinn, Beziehungskompliziertheiten oder Fernwehgedanken - die Frau bringt es einfach auf den Punkt, dachte ich damals. Umso schöner, dass wir uns mittlerweile auch mal persönlich virtuell ausgetauscht haben. Und wie das eben so ist, wenn man einen cupcakeliebenden, sojamilchtrinkenden Partner in Crime im Internet trifft, hieß es dann schnell: Wir müssen unbedingt irgendwas zusammen machen! Ein Vorschlag von Ani, dem ich natürlich gleich enthusiastisch zustimmte.

Und so freue ich mich, an dieser Stelle ganz offiziell den Start unserer neuen Serie #KAFFEESÄTZE verkünden zu können. Jawohl! Die Spielregeln sind denkbar einfach: Einmal im Monat geht es um ein Thema, das uns aus welchem Grund auch immer gerade am Herzen liegt. Die eine schreibt, die andere antwortet. Und ihr seid herzlich eingeladen mitzureden - natürlich stets unter dem Hashtag #KAFFEESÄTZE. Mehr dazu dann aber ohnehin bald hier.

Für ein kleines Interview mit ihr war natürlich auch noch Zeit. Und nach dem Lesen nicht vergessen bei "Ani denkt" vorbeizuschauen (da gibt es am heutigen Tage auch ein kleines Interview mit mir zu lesen.) 

Liebe Ani, stell dich doch einmal kurz vor. Wer bist du und worum geht's auf deinem Blog „Ani denkt“?
Aber gerne. Ich bin Anika, 26 Jahre alt und wohne derzeit und schon eigentlich viel zu lange in München. Ich bin freiberufliche Schauspielerin, Autorin und seit ca. drei Jahren Bloggerin. Auf meinem Blog sind in erster Linie Kolumnen und Reiseimpressionen zu finden. Außerdem das „große Kino“ – dort findet man Produktvorstellungen, Interviews oder kleine Tipps aller möglichen Himmelsrichtungen, die ich wertvoll, spannend und authentisch finde (ach herrje, das klingt ja erwachsen)

Du bist ja schon ein Weilchen dabei - wie kamst du zum Bloggen?
Ach weißt du, Schauspieler haben viel Zeit :) Da ich schon immer geschrieben habe, habe ich in meinen drehfreien Zeiten wieder angefangen zu schreiben und das dann nach und nach zu veröffentlichen. Das war und ist eine perfekte Zweitbeschäftigung, weil es genauso „künstlerisch“ ist und man dadurch ein gesundes Ventil findet.

Dann nenn uns doch mal drei Posts, auf die du rückblickend besonders stolz bist?
Oh, stolz! Das ist ja immer schwierig, weil das schnell mit Eigenlob verwechselt wird. Die drei Posts, die mir sehr am Herzen liegen, sind folgende:

1. Alle Zeit der Welt: meine jüngste Kolumne. Auf die bin ich insofern stolz, weil sie bezüglich der Resonanz vollkommen durch die Decke gegangen ist und ich sie eigentlich nur aus einem Bauchgefühl heraus innerhalb einer halben Stunde heruntergeschrieben habe.
2. Das Interview mit einem alten Freund und wunderbaren Musiker: „Irgendwie war’s immer Hamburg“ – Spaceman Spiff. Ich habe viel Feedback dazu bekommen und mir wurde gesagt, dass das Interview toll geführt wurde und leicht zu lesen ist.
3. „In den Schuhen meiner Beziehung“ – eine Kolumne, die ich letzten Winter über meine eigene Beziehung geschrieben habe.

Eigentlich bist du ja ausgebildete Schauspieler – ist das Schreiben der ideale Ausgleich für dich?
Das war es am Anfang. Mittlerweile habe ich die Schauspielerei zwar nicht an den Nagel gehängt, aber ich bin da ziemlich raus, was meine emotionale Verbundenheit betrifft. Das Business langweilt mich, da finde ich es ehrlich gesagt wesentlich spannender, am heimischen Küchentisch zu sitzen und zu schreiben!



Du bist Vegetarierin und schreibst auch immer mal wieder darüber. Was hat dich dazu bewogen, dich stärker mit dem Thema Ernährung auseinander zu setzen?
Das kam von selbst irgendwie. Ich glaube, der zeitliche Auslöser war, als mein über alles geliebter Hund ganz plötzlich gestorben ist. Ich habe angefangen nachzudenken, wie man sein Haustier lieben kann, aber in der Metzgerei Schlange stehen. Das funktioniert für mich einfach nicht, denn alle Tiere sind wertvoll und wir sollten keine Unterschiede machen, schließlich würde niemand sein eigenes Haustier schlachten.
Also habe ich angefangen, kein Fleisch mehr zu essen, das ist jetzt fast zwei Jahre her. Seit einem Jahr auch keinen Fisch mehr. Ich finde, man sollte sich zu nichts zwingen oder Dinge überstürzen, aber wir alle müssen unser Handeln zumindest überdenken und etwas für uns und unsere (Um-)Welt tun.

Ein Frageklassiker, aber doch immer wieder schön: Welche drei Dinge würdest du auf eine einsame Insel mitnehmen?
Jaaaa, die Frage, die sich alle gerne stellen! Und so schwierig. In meinem Laptop ist alles Wichtige für mich, aber der geht irgendwann aus und WLAN wird’s wohl auch nicht geben :) Also einfachere Dinge: Bikini, Schlafsack, verdammt gutes Buch, das man zwei bis dreitausend Mal lesen kann.

Und zu guter Letzt: Du hast vor kurzem ein E-Book mit deinen Kolumnen veröffentlicht und schreibst an deinem ersten Roman – verrätst du ein bisschen darüber?
Das e-Book ist bei allen gängigen Internethändlern zu bekommen, sogar bei iTunes. Es ist eine Auswahl meiner Kolumnen der letzten drei Jahre und heißt „Küchenphilosophien“.

Einen Roman schreiben ist echt eine große Nummer für mich. Ich hätte so gerne mehr Zeit, richtig dran zu bleiben, denn ich bin generell ein sehr ungeduldiger Mensch. Und ich werfe sehr gerne alles mal schnell um, daher steht immer noch nicht im Detail fest, wie der Roman verläuft. So viel sei gesagt: Es geht um eine Frau Mitte Zwanzig, die durch sich verändernde Umstände lernen muss, ihre Ängste loszulassen und in etwas hineingeworfen wird, was sie, ihre Beziehung und ihr ganzes Leben auf eine Probe stellen wird. Das Buch verbindet einen klassischen Liebesroman mit dem Thema „coming-of-age“ und einem Reiseroman, denn sie wird auf Reisen gehen – was auch sonst :)


Vielen Dank für das schöne Interview & ich freue mich riesig auf unser neues Projekt!

Sights of Venice, Part III

posted on: Samstag, 25. Januar 2014

Nonverbal.







Masks and Masquerades

posted on: Donnerstag, 23. Januar 2014


Today we went to a studio to see a presentation about the production and history of Venetian masks. I must give in: I have never really liked them and associated this kind of wall decoration with pretty bad taste. But the longer I hang around here, the more I fall in love with the stories associated to them. Mystery, starcrossed love and secrecy - suits me down to the ground! Anyway, although we didnt have too much time I managed to snap a few photos. Enjoy!





A Text on Arriving and a Shout Out to the Universe

posted on: Freitag, 17. Januar 2014

I remember how I made my way through the long dark hallway of my new residence for the very first time. My footsteps echoed in the hall as I passed what seemed like an eternal array of blue metal doors, while scanning the little silver plates for the right number. I lay awake that night, counting the bumps in the white wall above my head, restlessly listening to unknown sounds and voices in the room next to mine. 

That was only 10 days ago. And things have changed. Quickly. Rapidly. I now find the keyhole in the dark, when I stumble home at two in the morning. I grab things from the shelf in the supermarket around the corner without even looking. I sleepwalk through a city whose beauty awed me the first days I spend here. 

It is worrying and at the same time soothing how quickly one adapts to new circumstances. How old routines are replaced by new ones. But when the enthusiasm of the first days abates you also realize: No matter how far you go, you will always be there. Still the same person, just walking and laughing and worrying in front of a different scenery.

I have been a picture of Zen recently and honestly, I have no idea why. When I arrived here I was pretty clueless. All I knew was that I would move into a double room in a student residence (what if I need my alone time?) that does not even have a proper kitchen (Oh my god, I cannot eat take-out all the time!). I was supposed to take part in a language course, but something went wrong and I was enrolled in a level way above my abilites (Everyone is gonna think I am an idiot!). When I arrived on Giudecca I had lost my (carefully elaborated) self-drawn map and had no idea how to get to my destination (We will get lost and probably robbed!). More than one reason to justify an hysterical outburst.

{Strangely that outburst never happened. And even more so, none of my fears  I could have been losing sleep over came true. None. And it gives me back a little bit of trust. Thank you universe!}


We are a pretty large group of people here, although most of my fellow students will be gone by the end of this month again and start studying anywhere in Italy. I have found a lovely roommate in a spanish art student called Isabel - we are both night owls, very messy charmingly chaotic and get along really well. My Italian is still pretty much non-existent, but every successful encounter in the supermarket or on the street makes me about as happy as a bird with a french frie. I slowly but surely find my way around the city, as long as I do not need to look for something particular, because street signs or house numbers are rare in Venice. One of the first things I learned here is that if someone says "go straight" he never actually means "straight", but more a general direction which usually includes little turns and twists if you dont wanna end up in a dead end street (or worse, one of the many canals that sometimes appear out of nowhere).

I spend my days at language school (three hours from monday to friday), sightseeing or going out for a Spritz to one of the few places that are actually open after 10 pm. I love how this often overcrowded city turns into a sleepy village around this time of year.

And I have ideas. I packed my running shoes and downloaded the c25k-App yesterday - we will see how that goes. I want to write a novel that is like a 300 page long Ben Howard song, if that makes any sense. I want all at the same time, but then again, is that really a fault?

Straight to Paper: Thoughts on Blogging

posted on: Sonntag, 12. Januar 2014



This post has been lingering in my mind and first-draft-folder (I don't actually have something like that) for quite some time, now it finally made it on here. I don't know if you would want to read it though, since it has become pretty long (and with every new sentence three new thoughts crossed my mind, so I might need to write about this again.) For anyone who makes it through: I would love to know your thoughts on the topic. Enjoy!

Let me start out by stating the obvious: Blogging is weird. At least for people, who are not involved in this world, it must seem like it. I mean, there is someone who deems his or her private thoughts and activities interesting enough to share them with the world. Narcisstic, much? Also: Bloggers document details from daily life that most people not even realize and then they cut time out of their day to sit down and write about them and edit photos and learn HTML in their free hours - and most of them do all the work for free. I stumbled upon my first blog years ago, I cannot even remember when exactly. Aspiring to become a writer someday, I was intrigued by the idea that someone would just create their own platform for whatever they wanted to present the world – may it be in words or pictures. A chance to be writer and editor, publisher and social media consultant all in one person (and since I have the very dislikeable personality trait to believe that I need to do everything myself to be satisfied with the outcome that was a definite pro for me).

{It took a few more years until I decided I wanted to give this blogging thing a shot myself. I thought I could do it easily. Boy, was I wrong.}


By the end of April last year I designed a very simple Blogger-Page and started writing about whatever came to my mind: from playing around with veganism to trips to the fleamarket to short stories that had been sitting in a folder on my desktop for far too long. My love for words was there, out of the question, but with the weeks passing there was not only joy arising from this little blog of mine, but there was another feeling slowly plowing its way to the surface of my mind: Frustration. I started to realize how much time and effort goes into such a little online place, especially if you do not only want to write, but also want people to read your stuff. And growing your website is, especially nowadays with the plethora of blogs, not fun. I also felt that the outcome often simply did not measure up the work I put in – I was (and often still am) not able to actually implement what I had in my mind. Sometimes I want so much, I get nothing. And sometimes I invest a lot of work and then throw it all overboard. I do all the things you are not supposed to do to “develop a strong brand” as all the blogging advice out there tells you.

I strongly believe that the blogging community has changed a lot in the recent years. The sheer amount of immensely talented and very professional bloggers out there makes it hard to just start out and see where things are going (at least if you are an ambitious perfectionist, who I am totally not. Or so I like to think.) Readers have a wide array of blogs to choose from, which is awesome, no question, but makes it also very hard for beginners who yet have to experiment and try things out, maybe for years, to get to the level of knowledge and ability of some big bloggers. I am aware that you could also just say “I write for myself – I don’t care if anyone reads this”, but if you really did not care, you would just keep a diary, right?

I dont really want to evaluate that shift, because personally I think it is awesome that more and more people and favourite bloggers can actually live off their blog and therefore have more time to provide awesome content - go you! But sometimes I miss the lightness in things that we must'nt forget. 

{Blogging is after all just the act of sitting down at a computer with an internet connection and pouring your heart on paper - or a Word document as you please.}


Sometimes I feel like some people are trying to iron out their edges to "fit". Invest hundreds of Euros in a professional blog design and an expensive camera without paying a thought to their content, because they simply think they don't even need to start out with a "standard design". Of course, everyone loves a pretty blog, but should not content be king? And I cannot free myself of it, sometimes thinking that I should write less wordy posts and put in more pictures or that I should post more in general or more regularly. And then I find myself panicking that I havent found "my niche" yet, even though every decent blogging advice post states that I should. And my thoughts keep spiraling until I remember that, after all, I really do this for myself (I also keep a diary by the way). But selfsame for others. For whoever finds pleasure in the words and the thoughts I put on here. In posts that are sometimes wordy and sometimes sparing. In watching me slowly improve my photography. Who enjoys participating in the quest I undertake, searching for my writing voice, my way of expressing, me living and learning along the way. And that is what I look for in others, too, blogging pro or not. Beautiful people, inside and out, inspiration, wise words.

Actually, I totally fell in love with Mia's "Candystore"-Analogy recently, because it is true. In some ways this whole blogging community is one beautiful, colourful, sweet thing that is easy to fall for - but can also make your tummy hurt if you don't know your boundaries. Same as we open Facebook and need to remind us: Everyone is always posting about the good days, the happy moments, never about the bad things, the dull stuff, the boring everyday. Step back from the computer and read a book, darling. Find your balance. Turn away from all the fancy furniture you do not have in your apartment, the pretty clothes your favourite fashion blogger is wearing. There is just one thing to be done, online and offline, and that is: Your thing. Whatever that may be.

But then again, sometimes Candyshops are awesome, aren't they?

What I have been up to: Just another Venice Post

posted on: Freitag, 10. Januar 2014



{„Venice forces you to slow down. Of course, we have smartphones here and all the technology, but the structure of the city makes it impossible to get into the rush you have in a big city"...}


...explains our guide Virgina while we are following her through hidden alleyways and over crooked bridges, listening to stories of Giacomo Casanova and the Golden days of Venice. And it is true: You have mainly two ways to get around the city, by foot or by boat. And no matter how late you are running, as soon as you are standing on the Vaporetto platform, watching the shore while the waves are rocking the boat from side to side, you have no chance, but to find calmness.

Our lovely tourguide Virgina
These days the city is covered in a layer of fog, humid and cold, and sometimes so thick you feel like you can actually touch it. Only last Monday, the last day that we spent on our holiday, the sky was suddenly blue and immediately it was so warm, you could just walk around in a sweater. Fortunately that was the day where we also did the gondola trip on the grand canal and its side passages – on a gondola that happened to be named after me, which I appreciated very much, thank you. After that we went on to the tour with our guide Virgina, which was awesome (and not only because she looked great, spoke every language fluent and knew everything about anything). Every few steps she seemed to meet someone and told us about how, for the only 57 000 "real" Venetians, this place is pretty much like a village.























In the evening it was time to head off to Giudecca, so we left the lights of San Marque`s square behind. Getting out four stations later was like being thrown into another world, no people, no bright lights, but still water and old houses, lining up along the promenade. Wouldn`t it have been for the old man with the dog and the nice barkeeper with the black curly hair we never would have made it to our destination - but we did. And that is where I am sitting now, in a double bedroom with a lovely roommate and a mind full of new impressions. One week of the language course I am taking until Uni is starting next month has already passed, and I try to get as much as I can out of it. It is exhausting at times, but every sentence I understand, on the street or in the supermarket, in return is so rewarding. 

Stillness though, I have so far only found when I am alone on a boat, watching the waves. There was a german family next to me today on the Vaporetto back to the Island. "I wonder why Venice has never been defeated, it is build on poles after all", the father said. I could not help but turn around. "It has something to do with the strait that was almost impossible to enter back then, if you didn`t know your way around, since at some points the water is sometimes only about 12 centimeters deep", I said, got off at my stop and was dancing the whole way home.

While I certainly will not stop writing about Venice here, expect a bunch of other posts in the near future, too. I hope everyone is celebrating their weekend!

(Photos in this post have all been taken by the boyfriend and been edited by me.)

Sights of Venice, Part II

posted on: Mittwoch, 8. Januar 2014






I will hopefully find words & time tomorrow. Until then, these will do.





Sights of Venice, Part I

posted on: Montag, 6. Januar 2014







1 & 2: Strolling
3: Our hotel room
4: Worried to lose him in the busy streets
5 & 6: Things along the way

Venice: At first glance

posted on: Samstag, 4. Januar 2014

It was already dark, when the Vaporetto finally entered San Marco Station. During the ride there was a man sitting right across the aisle, reading a book, while we and the other tourists were curiously pushing our noses against the narrow line of windows of the waterbus, trying to catch a glimpse at Venice by night. "See", I whispered to the boyfriend. "At some point I will be him: sitting here, bored, lost in a book, because the beauty has become an everyday thing for me." He nodded his head. "Feels great, doesn't it?"

For now, I am far from seeing this stunning place as normalcy. During our flight above the impressive Alps I read Hanns-Josef Ortheils "Venice. An allurement" and although I really enjoyed the lecture I could not stop thinking: Oh come on, just stop overromanticising. Venice cannot be THAT cliché. Pretty sure it is not all one makes it out to be.

{Much like Paris, it is impossible to come here without expectations. You have seen movies like "Don`t look now" (aka "Wenn die Gondeln Trauer tragen") and "Casanova" and all the pictures in your head of singing Gondolieri and the view from the Rialto Bridge on a sunny summer's day.}


You know about the beautiful old houses and tiny alleys, but you have also heard about the crowded spaces, waiting for hours in front of every tourist attraction, being worried about your valuables and those souvenirshops everywhere, where you can buy the same masks and other kitschy stuff that none of your loved ones at home really wants to have. A lot of people told me "I really enjoyed visiting this place, but I certainly would not want to live there." I understand, in fact, so far I have no idea if I want to live here, because I don't even know how to imagine it.

I felt weirdly calm the day that I left. Hugged my family, cuddled the cat and fell out the door. "You are quiet", the boyfriend recognized at the airport, but that was probably the only thing to be noticed from the outside. I spend my travel time reading, thinking, staring into space. In that strange place you get to, when on the one hand everything is new and strange and unreal, and on the other hand you suddenly feel very at home in your own heart & mind.

The pounding of the waves pushed the waterbus station from side to side. For a short moment I felt like I was getting sick, but then I realized that I should better get used to this motion, so I just sat there looking around. There was a christmas tree in one corner, decorated with bright christmas ball ornaments and fairy lights that changed colour. It looked weirdly misplaced in this sad room, with the simple wooden seats and the tarnished white walls. There was a door with a massive sign "Sliding door. Do not lean against." And of course there was an Italian man leaning against it. 

{I was worried I would be disappointed immediatly. That I would feel like this open-air museum could never be part of my everyday, that there was nothing nice to be found between all the tourist traps and all the Venetians act annoyed by the sheer mass of people.}


A little like that one Janosh story, where the ape lives in a beautiful castle that, when you walk around it, exposes as a simple monkey cage with a coloured cardboard front (I am not sure why I never forgot that part, but if he wanted to teach kids a lesson he sure did a good job with me). 

But so far, it has all been good. There have been plenty of nice people that gave us directions (in the most charming mix of Italian, English and sometimes even German) when we, tired from the flight and completely unoriented, got lost in the thousands of narrow alleys. We live in an affordable little hotel five minutes from Saint Marcus Square and right now I really enjoy being right in the middle of this turbulent (and of course very touristy) space. The greyish weather cannot ruin our mood. I will hang around here a little longer until I make my way to the edges of the city, where soon my new "everyday" begins. So far all I know is that I had a cappuccino and a cornetto for breakfast and violin music is finding its way through our hotel room window, while I am typing this. 

Maybe I will be so much smarter in a few days or weeks, but maybe, just maybe, Venice IS what you make it out to be... 

2014: Here's to new beginnings!

posted on: Donnerstag, 2. Januar 2014

Hello everyone,

I hope you all had a great start into the new year? I went into NYE with little expectations, but it was an awesome night with lovely people, great food and a panoramic sight on the most beautiful fireworks. There might have been a few tears around midnight, too, when I realized that soon I will have to leave everyone behind. Yep, when you read this I am probably already on a plane to live in Italy for six months - in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I feel a little shaky, but mostly there is pure excitement, since I promised that after a rather slow 2013 I would take new risks in 2014. And now it is on!!!

{So before this place will mostly be filled with travel stories and photos of gondolas, I figured I would take one last chance to talk a little bit about my plans and hopes for the upcoming year - on the blog and in "real life".}


Thing is: Sometimes I feel bad. Really bad. Because I am the most indecisive person when it comes to my blog, which means that things are constantly changing around here. The language, the design, my ideas... as you see, right now I am back to English. Simply because, when I decided to switch to German for the time being, I felt I missed the oppurtunity to connect with people from all over the world, whose blogs I love to read and with whom I want to be in a dialogue. Same with the design - I get tired of my designs so quickly and I am always on the quest for the perfect look. But then, particularly around new year, I saw so many bigger bloggers, artists, photographers, that seemed to also constantly change their designs or their "blogging voice" and wrote about being insecure and clueless which step to take next. So I figured: To hell with my bad conscience, when I get there I will know, and until then this is my blog and I am free to go crazy here.

I have come to really love this place. I love writing and I love to improve my photography. I love writing columns and articles. I love to go places and reflect on them, And I enjoy sharing this crazy journey that I am on. I am currently discovering so many new things (hell, I packed a yoga mat in my suitcase - who would have thought this possible a few months ago?) and taking up a pen has always been my (sometimes much neglected) way of dealing with things. So basically my major resolution for the upcoming year is just to do more of this. To be creative and to share. To not be afraid of what someone will think of something I put out there. I will write and play music and take photos and then I will write again.

{I will throw fear to the wind, for it is just in my head anyway. I will see more places and meet more people. I will love every damn minute of every damn hour. I will try, at least. I will tumble and safely land on my feet and then I will tumble again.}


I want these next months to be full of travel and movement and by the end of this year I want to stand at the finish line, sweaty and out of breath, but euphoric. And I will be summing up this year for you here and I will write about how proud I am that I have made all these things happen.

Tonight all that is left to do is having dinner with my family, pack the last things everything and just hope nothing is missing and if there is it is too late now anyway, put some new songs on my MP3-Player (any great ideas? Luka, I am counting on you!) and head off. Me and the boyfriend will spend a three day holiday in Venice before things get serious for me. 

Thanks to everyone, who is reading regularly (and to the people who will start hanging round to read about my travels - welcome!) and everyone in my life, who makes going away so hard. Here is to new adventures in 2014!

I love you all & see you here in a few days!

(Sorry for being so mushy gushy, I have been quite sentimental lately.)