Forget the ordinary! Meet Lasse Stolley, a German teenager who's chosen trains as his home. He spends $17,000 a year travelling 600 miles daily across the Deutsche Bahn network. First class is his "apartment," where he sleeps soundly at night and even enjoys breakfast in exclusive lounges. Public pools and leisure centres become his "bathrooms" as he explores Germany on wheels, legally and comfortably.
Stolley, a self-employed coder, sustains this distinctive lifestyle thanks to an unlimited annual rail pass. Despite lacking a permanent address, he appears to relish his nomadic existence, frequently chronicling his experiences on his blog, "Life on the Train."
Talking about his journey with Business Insider, Stolley explained, "I have a lot of freedom and can decide every day where I want to go, whether to the Alps, to a big city or the sea. I'm completely flexible. I often go on short hikes because exercise is pretty much part of my everyday life. Berlin is simply magical because it is a diverse city. It's easy for me to reach and there's always something to see. But I'm also in Frankfurt and Munich every few days."
At the age of 16, Stolley convinced his parents to support his dream of living on trains legally. Before starting the journey, he cleared out his room and sold the majority of his belongings. So far he has covered 500,000 kilometres.
During the initial months, adapting to the unconventional lifestyle posed challenges for Lasse. Nights spent on the train often resulted in insufficient sleep, leading him to struggle with daytime drowsiness. Occasionally, he would miss trains, leaving him stranded at unfamiliar and eerie stations, particularly during nighttime. However, with time, these experiences became invaluable lessons, offering insights into life aboard trains.
Given the limited storage space, Stolley's belongings are minimal, consisting of only four T-shirts, two pairs of pants, a neck pillow, and a blanket. Additionally, he carries essentials such as his laptop and noise-cancelling headphones. To manage his diet, he either purchases items from supermarkets or takes advantage of complimentary buffets at larger train stations.
Opting for the Bahncard 100 first class, a one-year pass available at a discounted youth price of 5,888 euros (approximately Rs 5 lakh), Stolley enjoys unlimited access to first-class trains.
