When using storytelling as your marketing tool, there are five primary types of stories to tell: 1. ''Who am I?'' 2. ''Why am I here?'' 3. Visionary. 4. Educational story and 5. ''I know what you're thinking...'' - branding story. Often people use storytelling unconsciously. It really can serve a significant purpose. In this blog I will be giving an example of the ''Who am I'' story, using my very own example. It's actually a story I wrote when I started MINIMAL•U in 2018. 

Typing a personal story. Showing people parts of my life. ''What's my added value?'' Is the first question that comes to mind. Knowing that everyone is unique and has his or her own story that can certainly impress others. There are things I would love to share. Simply because they made my life much better and I wish the same for you. Hence this blog about my personal story.

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It all started during my trip to Suriname in February 2010. I was studying for my Bachelor in Education to become a primary school teacher. I went with my fellow students to South America for 3 weeks to make a round trip and teach at different schools. The people in Suriname either live in Paramaribo or in the jungle. There is no other option. This kind of gave me a cultural shock, because where I come from (The Netherlands), it's very crowded and we have many cities and villages everywhere. 

The jungle has affected me enormously. I will tell you why: We had to take a flight from Paramaribo to the central of the country in order to get into the jungle. When I arrived on the airport I couldn't see much. We were allowed to take a small bag with only the necessary items, otherwise it would be too heavy in the plane. I was the lucky one, because I got to sit in the front next to the pilot and could see Suriname from above. This was amazing! The trees looked like broccoli and I could only see nature. No buildings, no open spaces. Only trees. It was beautiful, but at the same time I was a bit excited. Some people had told us we had to land on grass and if we weren't on time, we would end in the water. I'm a daredevil and love excitement, but this time it was an old plane and I just couldn't imagine what an airport in nature should look like. 

Eventually it all went very well and when we got out of the airplane we were welcomed by the local people who would bring us to the boats. The ''airport'' was a wooden house. We waited for the other airplanes to arrive and then went to the river where I became very emotional. Now I'm writing this story I can feel again what it was like to be there. I saw three wooden boats, made out of large trees with small men waiting for us to welcome us to their villages. For a moment I felt like Pocahontas and asked if I could sit in the front of the boat. If I remember correctly, it took about 40 minutes to arrive in Awaradam. I call it a tiny island in the jungle, surrounded by wild waters. We all got our own wooden huts and there was a large restaurant with local food and colourful 

wooden interior. Next to the island we could swim in the natural pools (with snakes and alligators). If the women were having their period they were not allowed to enter the water. But luckily we didn't see any dangerous animals.

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