I’m Dom, 35, born and raised in Mainz, a small city in southwest Germany. The youngest of five, I was always curious about what lay beyond the familiar. My family was traditional and Catholic, focused on structure, but I felt drawn to adventure, to what’s new and unknown. Growing up in the ‘90s meant PlayStation, mixed CDs, and breaking patterns. I never wanted a 9-to-5 life; I wanted to follow my curiosity.

That curiosity took me to India, New Zealand, places that opened my world. Back in Germany, it became Vinokilo, a small vintage event that started in a friend’s living room with clothes, a DJ, coffee, and tattoos. Four hundred people came. Then eight hundred. Then a thousand. Soon we were touring Europe: The Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Portugal. I did that for seven years with a lot of happiness. But after a while, I was longing for less movement and more meaning and connection again.

After Vinokilo, I took a campervan trip and met someone who owned a Volkswagen platform and was building tiny houses. That sparked a new project with a friend: renting old Volkswagen T3s while living in Peniche, finally by the ocean, surfing and learning restoring cars. In that time I came to a new idea: what if I brought together all the inspiring people I’d met?

That became Dom’s Table, a space to move, talk, surf and reflect. My friend led movement sessions, others held circles and conversations that went deep. I hosted retreats in Morocco and Spain, full of surf, reflection and honest talks. It wasn’t always easy, but it was real. Eventually, I paused it, not as an ending, but to release pressure for myself. Because that’s how I live: following my gut and intuition.