Fresh start in the Canary Islands: The Kusmagks rediscover sea air and tranquility

Fresh start in the Canary Islands: The Kusmagks rediscover sea air and tranquility

Why the move is more than just a change of location for the family

In the early morning, when the first cafés on Palma's Passeig set out their tables and the air still smells of the sea, people here often talk about those who come and go (as noted in My Heart Pulled Me to Palma – How a German‑Austrian Couple Is Putting Down Roots Here). Janni and Peer Kusmagk now belong to the next generation of families who choose islands and coasts as stages in their lives. After stays in Mallorca, then in Denmark and Hamburg, they have now settled again on a Spanish holiday island — this time in the Canary Islands.

The facts are simple: the family with three children initially rented a holiday home as a temporary solution. According to information from their social accounts, there is already a property for longer-term rent on another Canary Island. Janni, a former professional surfer who grew up on Fuerteventura, wrote and shared pictures of the Atlantic — the sea, the beaches, the familiar surf seem to deeply suit a return.

This is not only about weather and waves. In the brief glimpses Janni gave after a social-media break, something came through that many parents know: the search for a place that brings body and mind back into harmony. She reports that something has loosened within the family, that they have fallen in love with each other again, and that the children apparently take the change with curiosity. Such moments are hard to measure, but they are palpable — for example when you sit one afternoon in the harbour of Portixol and watch children with wet hair coming out of the waves.

For Mallorca this is not a loss, rather part of the everyday exchange: people come, get to know the island, move on, bringing experience, contacts and sometimes new ideas of island life, such as those described in Emigrants on the Island: Two Couples Start Anew – How Mallorca Benefits. The commuting between the Balearics, the mainland and the Canaries is by now no longer uncommon; it shows how flexibly families plan today and how important temporary solutions like holiday homes are before a long-term base of residence is found.

What concrete lessons can be learned from this move? A few practical tips for families considering a similar step: First — try living there first. A holiday home as a stopover protects against hasty decisions. Second — look for local networks: schools, sports clubs (especially interesting for surfer kids) and neighbours make settling in easier. Third — practice calm: a change of place often brings more inner movement than external changes; time helps to sort things out. For examples of families finding a new rhythm and calm after moving home see New Home, New Calm: Marco and Tamara Gülpen Move into Mallorca Dream House.

And one small, personal tip from everyday life in Mallorca: if you want to clear your head, you don't always need a long flight. A morning at the beach is often enough to notice what you are missing — or what you want to find again. That applies to celebrities just as much as to people who live here or are only visiting.

In the end, the scene remains one you can see again and again: children running barefoot over warm sand, parents looking at each other in the evening sun and realizing that a different rhythm suits them. For Janni and Peer it's the Canary wind that eases this. For Mallorca it is a reminder that the islands are part of a larger mosaic — and that farewells often also mean new beginnings.

Outlook: The family has chosen a stopover; a longer-term solution is in sight. What remains are images of beach days, clearer priorities, and the lesson: those who dare often gain peace and space — sometimes right by the sea.