New Start Without a Camper: The Kusmagks Move On — Mallorca Remains Part of the Story

New Start Without a Camper: The Kusmagks Move On — Mallorca Remains Part of the Story

After setbacks in northern Germany and Denmark, Janni and Peer Kusmagk are planning a new start in the Canary Islands

On Passeig Mallorca, when the early buses still smell faintly of diesel and the seagulls search the bay for breakfast, people like to talk about those who leave the island — and sometimes find their way back to it. The Kusmagk family's chapter is such a story: Janni, Peer and their three children have experienced a string of misfortunes in recent months, prompting them to relocate. Instead of continuing to travel with a camper, they have announced that they will try again in the Canary Islands. It reads like a farewell to a life of ups and downs.

The facts are sparse but clear: the planned travel and camper life failed repeatedly because the van needed repairs and unexpected health issues set the family back. This mirrors coverage such as When Caravans Become the Last Address: How the Housing Crisis Is Changing Mallorca. A dog died, and the children noticed strange things in a briefly occupied, vacant house — loud noises, windows opening, and odd devices. These experiences apparently unsettled the parents enough that they left the house. For many here on Mallorca this sounds like a warning against hasty moves; as discussed in When Space Becomes a Luxury: Why a Family Left Mallorca; for others it is simply a human story about what families have to endure.

What is comforting in this story is that Janni remains optimistic. In an Instagram post she wrote that the family is returning back to their roots in the Canary Islands and that the future will be really beautiful — not necessarily always on the same island, but a fresh start. Such a statement carries weight because it shows that despite losses and mishaps the will to change persists. In Palma people know such turns: people move away, come back, as in A New Start with a Suitcase and Heart: Birgit Schrowange Stays Connected to Mallorca, seek peace or adventure. It is part of life on this island, the constant back and forth between holding on and letting go.

A small everyday observation: on a cold, slightly cloudy morning (Palma note: around 10°C) you sit in a café on the plaza and hear families talking about how they plan vacations or clear out a house. The Kusmagks' story lands there just like the anecdotes of surfers who grew up on Fuerteventura and then take offers around the Mediterranean. Janni, who comes from a surfing family and used to live on Fuerteventura, is a figure who connects islands and seas. Such biographies make Mallorca appear not merely as a stopover but as a place that shapes people.

Why is that good for Mallorca? Because stories like this show the island as part of a larger life network: as a place of education, a stage for families and a backdrop for personal fresh starts. Parents who grew up here carry experiences forward and tell others what it is like to live here. That keeps attention on Mallorca — not only as a holiday destination but as a living space with corners that encourage decision-making. The local surf and outdoor community also benefits when professionals like Janni appear in stories; such connections bring new talent, exchange and sometimes projects, workshops or honest accounts of everyday problems, and sometimes this leads to new residents settling, as in New Home, New Calm: Marco and Tamara Gülpen Move into Mallorca Dream House.

Concrete takeaway: anyone planning a move or long trip should check whether the vehicle is really roadworthy, whether a local school is accessible and how to support children through changes. Clear advice, but practical ideas often grow out of such stories: backup accommodation plans, small repair checklists, networks of families that offer short-term support. On Mallorca people know neighborhood WhatsApp lists, they readily share tools and contacts — an advantage over anonymous cities.

Looking ahead remains hopeful. Janni and Peer trade camper dreams for the opportunities offered by island groups like the Canary Islands: a more stable climate, seas that are less stormy and a surfing background that Janni knows well. For Mallorca this does not mean loss: anyone who has been here carries the island with them. Maybe the Kusmagks will never return permanently — maybe they will. For the people who knew them here, the memory remains of years in which Mallorca was part of their family.

My conclusion: no sensationalism, just a small sigh of relief. Stories of loss and new beginnings are not new — they are part of everyday life. The Kusmagks show that plans can change and that children and peace matter more than the perfect travel image. For Mallorca the news is still a bit of good publicity: an island that shapes people stays in the conversation. And that, when you sit on the plaza and the wind cools from the sea, is worth more than any click.