Follow me on a different business meeting and maybe to a new and healthy trend.
It’s damn early. Mist lingers heavily over the treetops as I park my car at the German-Belgian border.
The air is cool but pleasant, it's a mix of damp moss, fresh resin, and the faint scent of the first sunbeams breaking through the canopy.
I close my eyes for a moment, take a deep breath. Today is different. Today, the forest is my #office.
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I put on my headset, check the mic. Kai is already on the line.
"Are you really outside?"
he asks skeptically.
"Yeah," I say, stepping onto the narrow path. I hear the crunch of leaves under my shoes. The meeting begins.
As we discuss strategies and many other topics, I walk slowly uphill. The connection stays stable and the best of this "no distractions from emails or pop-up notifications".
Luckily I had my coffee with me and I took a few warm sips
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I notice how my thoughts become clearer. Normally, I drift off in video calls—here, that doesn't happen. I focus on Kai's words, but also on the rhythm of my steps.
"Where are you right now?"
I ask him at some point.
"Also outside,"
he says.
"Saarland. A path between orchards."
I hear his breathing, then the distant chirping of birds. I grin. Two people, hundreds of kilometers apart, in the same meeting and moving in sync.
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After about half an hour, the path widens. I stop for a moment. The sun bathes the forest floor in golden light, as if someone turned on a spotlight.
I take off my headset briefly and listen to the forest. No car noise, no voices, just the gentle rustling of the wind in the leaves. Kai keeps talking, but for a moment, I just stand still.
"Everything okay?"
he asks after a pause.
I laugh.
"Yeah, actually kind of perfect."
I describe the scene to him, and for the first time in this meeting, I hear him take a deep breath.
"Maybe we should do this more often," he says.
I nod, even though he can’t see me.
Our walking meeting lasts exactly one hour. I passed a nice plase to relax, but this time only to take a picture.
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Afterward, I check my phone and there was no distractions, no hundred new messages. I feel refreshed, not drained. Unlike a regular office meeting, I actually feel like we accomplished something.
Walking and thinking go hand in hand. Even Aristotle held his famous lessons while walking.
Studies show that movement boosts creativity by up to 60%. Companies like Google and Apple have long embraced walking meetings, because they are more productive, more relaxed, and more effective.
But none of them had the beauty of the forrest close to Aachen
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The forest at the German-Belgian border provides the perfect backdrop: a mix of untouched nature and accessible paths, making it easy to focus on the conversation.
This place is perfect for anyone who needs clarity—whether for business strategies or just for the mind. Executives, creatives, and teams looking for fresh ideas all benefit from meetings on the move.
Nature takes the pressure off, making space for new thoughts. And who knows—maybe the next big idea won’t be born in a conference room, but between two trees.
I decide to make walking meetings a habit. Not just for work, but for myself. The forest is more than just a backdrop—it’s a thinking space.
And sometimes, all it takes is one step outside the office to move forward in your mind.
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@Detlev loves HIVE
