Yuujou grew from a simple idea: a circle of friendship strong enough to carry a group of travelers around the world. Sisters and storytellers Corinne and Yvonne Eisenring partnered with Oliver Herren, a Swiss internet pioneer, to bring this vision to life. On April 11, six travelers will embark on a 100-day journey with that vision as their sole itinerary. The journey begins with all six in Berlin, Germany, then splits into two teams of three, one heading east and one heading west, meeting each other 100 days later in Tokyo, Japan. Along the way, teams must stay with a friend of their previous host, moving from friend to friend across the globe. There are no prizes, no ads, no scripts, just the expectation that each traveler will creatively document their experiences of human connection along the way.
After receiving over 30,000 applications, Yuujou has narrowed the pool down to ten finalists. Culturs brings you a look at Yvonne Eisenring’s surprise visit to each finalist in this 10-part series.
Finalist #6
Panos is a freelancer, videographer and storyteller from Limassol, Cyprus. He described Yuujou as “the most amazing idea I’ve heard on the internet so far; literally, this idea is for me.” Travel and connection have been driving forces in Panos’s life since a young age. He began solo travelling by selling his car and moving to Australia where he worked cutting cauliflower. “I travel by the Yuujou idea, really connecting with people, making friends along the way,” he said. Panos described himself as spontaneous and concluded both of his Yuujou application videos with a spirited summary delivered in song. He believes the vision of Yuujou and the strength of friendship is enough to overcome the challenges associated with this form of travel. He said, “I am adaptable to any situation because it’s friendship that I want and I don’t need anything else.”
“I can go everywhere. I can go anywhere. I can eat anything. I can meet anybody.”
Watch Eisenring surprise Panos in Limassol:
You can read more about Yuujou and follow their journey here.
Ready to meet Finalist #7? Keep reading.
