A Huge Fan of Italy

How would you introduce yourself to our readers, Sanela?

Oh dear... This is the hardest question of the entire interview. People mostly know me as a curious nomad who found her passion in travels, which she documents through photos. Some of these can be found on my blog mytravelings-mojapotovanja.blogspot.com. But a lot of them are kept in my photo library.

What do you think are some of the biggest misconceptions about travelling and travellers?

That travelling is too expensive and inaccessible. This definitely isn’t true. Inaccessibility is only in the minds of people. When a person sets off on a journey, they seldom stop travelling. Even when obstacles arise, such as this covid-19 frenzy. Where there’s will there’s definitely a way. People, don’t be afraid of life.

Your love for travelling resulted in you volunteering at Hostelling International Slovenia. How did you end up there and what is your job as an HI Slovenian volunteer?

My love for travelling, photography and the written word has led me to volunteer at Hostelling International Slovenia. I volunteer as a journalist and a photographer. At the same time, during my trips and through my love for travelling, I promote HI Slovenia in the form of Instagram posts and Web Globetrotter Magazine stories.

I wouldn’t have ended up joining the Facebook group if I hadn’t been curious about what was happening in the travel circles in Slovenia. A post about a free travel t-shirt and a subscription to a newsletter piqued my interest. After a while, Anja Žepič contacted me and asked me if I would be willing to co-operate with them as a volunteer journalist at Hostelling International Slovenia. It’s been a year since then and I’m grateful for the opportunity. I pop in every now and then with an article and my own unique style of writing.

Do you think one should leave their home country every once in a while, in order to learn more about it and start appreciating it?

Yes. A change of environment is necessary every now and then, be it a day trip across the border or long-term travel, such as for several days or several months. The coronavirus pandemic has forced us to look deep into ourselves and start exploring our own country. At the same time, for me these months meant strolling down memory lane and reminiscing the paths already trodden, reliving them once more. I’ve spent the last ten years travelling around Europe. As a child, though, I mostly kept to exploring my home country, Slovenia.

What steps do you take to reduce your carbon footprint?

I try to walk as often as possible or use public transport, if I stay somewhere for a longer period of time.

Where did you eat the best street food and what was it?

Street food... I could say it was the Dutch herring, or haring as it’s called in Dutch. It was prepared for me as a surprise dish by my relatives in the Netherlands where it’s regarded as a specialty consisting of raw fish dipped in onions and thin slices of pickles, and then eaten. I can still remember the looks on my relatives’ faces, wondering whether I would eat the fish or not.

Where did you travel when the borders opened up again during the pandemic?

I set out for my dear Italy. This country ends up on my travel bucket list at least a couple of times a year. This time, I visited Venice under somewhat different circumstances. I attended a photography workshop of modern and architecture photography led by the very famous photographer and Digitalna kamera magazine editor, Igor Rosina. That’s because I started focusing on portrait photography during these months. You can find more posts about it in the Nelly-San ART photography Facebook group: https://bit.ly/3fxt7Jo. I mostly choose my locations for portrait photography among the local landmarks, giving people tips for daily trips. But my passion for travelling didn’t remain dormant in Venice and I shared many interesting things and anecdotes from the city.

Where do you “spare no expense” when travelling?

When it comes to food and admission fees. Museums are timeless. The world freezes for me there and I’m simply carried away to those bygone eras. When I enter these temples of rich cultural heritage, I feel like an onlooker who watches a film of a certain period and life unfolding before them.

What do you think of hitchhiking as a woman? Do you have any experience?

Hitchhiking must definitely be an interesting experience, but I haven’t tried it. I have picked up some hitchhiking travellers, though. Most of them were interested in landmarks, the closest hostels, camps or self-service laundries, but mostly in nature and its hidden places that abound in Slovenia.

What destinations do you have planned for this year?

I’ve no idea, since I never made any plans when it comes to travelling. I simply go with the flow, making my mind about where and when to go on the wing.

Well said about museums being timeless and I agree. Who knows how our future generations will look at the age we live in now. Ha, ha. Italy is always full of places and things to discover and explore, it even drew you in with a photography workshop. All who would like to find out more about what Sanela does, here’s the link to her blog: mytravelings-mojapotovanja.blogspot.com and her Facebook group: https://bit.ly/3fxt7Jo. Sanela, I hope you set out on another journey soon, in our lovely Slovenia as well.