W A K E U P S T O K E D

Miriam Tymiec 

W A K E   U P  S T O K E D

Live a life that makes you wake up feeling stoked

Whats your background?
I’m from Munich, Germany, where I grew up. I always loved traveling, studied in Italy and Portugal and learning kitesurfing finally made me completely travel-addicted to chase the wind and sunshine. I studied graphic design and worked in an agency in Munich for three years before I decided to become a freelance graphic designer to be able to work from anywhere in the world and follow my other big passion, kitesurfing.

Which country do you call home?
I guess it’s more the people and experiences that make it feel like a home. Munich, Germany has been my home for a long time and in a way still is. But places like Cape Town where I feel just amazing with the lifestyle and people I meet are becoming more and more of a home.

Are you a backpacker/long term traveler?
None of both ;) I’m a mix of digital nomad / slow traveler. I take my work with me anywhere I go and always travel with a lot of kite gear so if it’s possible I like to stay at a place for at least a month, preferably 3 months. I started with super cheap accommodation but the longer I do this, the more I realize how important a nice place to stay is as it’s often my workspace and home.

What is the name of your blog?
Wake Up Stoked (https://wakeupstoked.com). It came from the feeling that kitesurfing gave me and kind of became my life philosophy I’m striving for: I want to create and live a life that makes I get out of bed with enthusiasm and joy, that makes me want to jump up and tackle the joy. Creating that life and the means I thought I needed to make it come true – has changed quite a bit since I first started this journey end of 2015.

When did you begin?
I launched the blog on the 1st of January 2016. I already decided half a year before that I would do it and next to my normal work I started slowly building it behind the scenes.

Why do you write?
At first, I wrote to spread my passion for kitesurfing and transmit that feeling it gave me. To inspire and motivate other people to give it a try and give them tips to make their progress faster or avoid some mistakes I did. The more I write though (which I currently do more on my Instagram https://instagram.com/wakeupstoked on almost a daily basis) the more I realize it is generally about empowering, inspiring and motivating people of all backgrounds to go their own way, to create their own rules for life and what makes it a happy one for them. A lot of it comes from kitesurfing but it got more universal over the years.

Where did the idea come from to create your blog?
Because it makes me so insanely happy to talk/write about kitesurfing and I want to share this stoke with everyone. I also thought it would be a long-term business model, a platform to represent me and my future business ideas around that topic. The past three years I realized though that it was just such a huge passion of mine to share what I learned and experienced, to connect to other like-minded people, give advice and make real-life connections. The blog has opened so many doors for incredibly experienced all over the world – so the business-aspect is small, the passion-aspect is huge.

What makes your Blog so unique and why should people read it?
It will save you from a lot of bad experiences and open up a wonderful world full of experiences, new spots, and tips that will make your kite life so much easier!

Tell us a bit more about the Kite scene?
To me it is a very inclusive and open one – it doesn’t matter which age, level or skills you have, we’re all there to share the same passion. When I tried surfing I always felt so stupid as a Rookie and as you’re in a way all competing for the same wave it’s a very different vibe compared to kitesurfing, where you have the whole ocean to yourself as the wind is blowing everywhere.

Have you been anywhere which turned out to be totally different to how you imagined? If so,
how?
Yes in Limnos, Greece. The funny thing is I was there for 10 days the first time and then went back to another kite station because I liked the spot. What truly made it unique were the people running the kite station, the whole vibe and atmosphere they created which made this holiday truly unforgettable (this is their Website https://flamingokite.com). It showed me once again that it’s often not the places we go but the people we meet there and experiences we make that make it so special.

Which is the best place you’ve been for Kite?
There are so many that it’s hard to pick and it depends on which conditions you like ;) There are amazing Brazilian spots, I did a great kite Safari in Egypt and I absolutely loved the whole combination of kitesurfing and lifestyle in Cabarete, Dominican Republic. I put together my favorite travel experiences here: https://wakeupstoked.com/kitesurf-spots/

What has been your most successful blog post to date and what was it about?
There are two: one about the best kitesurf bikinis (https://wakeupstoked.com/kitesurf-bikinis/) which is about bikinis that actually also stay on with your kite crashes. And one about the best presents for kitesurfers and surfers (https://wakeupstoked.com/presents-kitesurfers-surfers/).

Do you have any advice or tips for aspiring travelers that love Kite?
Go out and explore! There are so many amazing spots out there. Don’t get stuck in one spot. Combining kitesurfing and traveling is such a unique way to discover new places and also dive
deeper into the culture and get to know locals.

For more spot inspiration check out my kite bucket list

https://wakeupstoked.com/best-kitesurf-adventures/

and spot guides about different destinations

https://wakeupstoked.com/category/kitesurf-travels/spot-guide/

And always check for the windy season at a spot, you will get a completely different experience if you come in the off-season with no wind.

If you’re not kitesurfing yet I can recommend this Beginner’s Guide
https://wakeupstoked.com/learn-kitesurfing/

which will give you tons of tips on where too, how to learn best.

CREDIT PHOTOS: wakeupstoked.com

Thanks to Miriam Tymiec.