Mañana mag is an ode to slowness, a love letter to the here and now. In Mexico, mañaña (Spanish for „tomorrow“) is almost a way of life. Things are often left for tomorrow – or any other day in the future –, because hey, who needs the rush when you can also take things slow? What can be a bit annoying to people from Europe (or let’s say: Germany), where everything is based on punctuality and order (well, everything except for the National Railway System), also has an appealing side to it: life in Mexico is more relaxed, slower. There’s always time for a chat with the neighbour, or the cashier at the supermarket (and the people queuing really don’t mind at all, while the German inside me that I just don’t seem to be able to deny completely involuntarily starts to get nervous).
During my time in Mexico, I quickly adapted to this “mañaña“ way of life. But back in busy Germany, I find it hard to preserve at times. Creating mañaña mag is my way of celebrating the slow, the nowness, the essence of the current moment, and the majesty that lies in it.
Who writes here?
I’m Katha, 33, with Bavarian roots but a “world citizen“ at heart. The unknown and far-away parts of the world have fascinated me as long as I can remember, leading to a 5-month-stay in Australia at the age of 16 which was really something like the ignition point of my “fever“ to explore this beautiful world. And while for me, traveling is one thing I love, the other one is spending a longer time abroad to really dive deeply into the culture – the customs, beliefs, traditions and language – of a country or region.
Further down the road, I’ve spent some months in Mexico and Cambodia. Both experiences have deeply shaped the way I feel and think about the world and broadened my horizon in so many ways. And even though I’m the biggest fan of the cultural and culinary density we have in Europe and can hardly imagine anything better than sitting at a Italian piazza, watching the sunset and the people passing by while sipping my Spritz, or slurping a cafezinho for 80 cents in one of Lisbon’s kiosks and soaking up the cozy, melancholic Portuguese vibe, I’ve lost my heart to Latin America and the Spanish language.
And while Mexico will always be my first and biggest love, I just can’t get enough of exploring the new, the yet unknown, of encountering “foreign“ cultures, meeting people with views different from my own ones, and living my life with all the amazing experiences it offers to me. Saying yes to new chances, adventures, and surprises, while always looking to broaden my own horizon, that’s what makes a rich life for me.
Why I created mañaña mag:
In times where our day-to-days just keep getting busier and more complex, with all the distractions keeping us from really being in the present moment and the smartphone being our constant companion, it’s only natural to find it hard to concentrate on the here and now.
Even though I try to incorporate values like sustainability and consciousness into my life, I also tend to do and want too many things, filling my days with just as many appointments and activities as fit into, so that I have to force myself to slow down, take a step back, and look around for a moment.
I created mañana mag as a place where I preserve and share the big and small things in life, the moments that make me smile, laugh, or burst with joy. It will tell stories about wandering and exploring new places, people and perspectives, and it will display the beauty the world holds for us – if only we press pause for a second and take a look.
Give your life a little more “mañana“
Living a conscious life can be challenging at times. Sometimes it’s the hectic daily routine that has our lives gripped quite tightly, sometimes it’s just the convenience striking us. I’m not immune to this either, which is why I’ve wanted to create a space that documents first and foremost my own journey to more slowness in my daily life and also in my travels.
And maybe, mañana mag also inspires you out there – to slow down, to open your eyes to your surroundings, to give a chance to serendipity and encounters waiting for us around every corner. To go outside, let your smartphone at home, say yes to small or big adventures and new encounters. To meet people and hear their stories. To laugh until your belly aches, to eat good food and happily open a few buttons of your pants. To forget yourself in the here and now, and find back to the true essence of traveling, which is going with the flow and experiencing what surrounds you, instead of hunting for the perfect insta spot or checking countries off of your bucket list.
mañana also wants to encourage you to care about your environment – not only about our nature, but also about people. In times when the world seems to stumble from one crisis into another, we would do good reminding us to look at what makes life worth living: feelings, experiences, and connectedness.
To put it short: mañana is a magazine for dreamers and for makers, for the brave, the bold, and the adventurous, for the conscious and the curious.
What you'll find here:
In “slow traveling“, I write about my exploring the world and my trying to travel more slowly – be it with my bike, the train or the camping van, but preferably near the sea or the mountains. “Slow eating“ documents my journey to follow my second passion, food, with a more conscious and sustainable approach – either on the road or in my own kitchen. And since falling asleep and waking up is even better in a beautiful, conscious environment, I’ve also added “slow sleeping“ to the list, always on the hunt for a good capful of sleep. And last but not least, “slow living“ captures everything in between.
Explore:
Be part of the mañana community.
I love to hear from people who care about the same things that I do – so don’t hesitate and tell be about yourself. How are you finding your journey to a slower, more conscious way of traveling, and living? Also, feel free to shoot me any kind of feedback or your ideas about what the world out there needs to hear about.