Interview Travelita Georgiana Spiridon

Travelita: 1. What does traveling mean to you? 2. Why is that important? 

I believe that traveling contributes a lot in discovering other cultures, both for our mental health (mental hygiene) and professional. Each time I travel, I learn to become confident and in tune with my emotions and desires.

We have only one life, I choose to follow my dreams, make them come true, and travel is something that fulfills me, a fire that burns inside me. I love solo travel because is one of the most rewarding ways to appreciate the world. The independence that it gives you, things it instills in you and know how it allows you to have all the benefits to transform your travels and even your life.

Travelita: 2. Now that I know what it is, now that I know why it’s important and relevant, how are you implementing this in your travels? I mean, is there a process that you follow when traveling? 

Actually, there is a process that I follow: planning & organizing, financials, develop skills

I plan my trips in December for the entire upcoming year, before I choose the destinations I Iike to think – what am I dreaming about. So this year I wanted to visit the countries where Game of Thrones was filmed – visited Malta on my birthday, in July traveled to Dubrovnik, and for the other half of the year I chose Ireland in August and October in Rome to enjoy it with my mom, she’s my best friend and would like to spoil her for a moment. ☺ 
Planning ahead it gives me room to save money, now that I have all the tickets booked and accommodations as well.

Every time I travel I have this system: 100€/ day, of course, I don’t spend it all, but I feel much safer in terms of financials, maybe something comes up and I like to be prepared for any unplanned events. It happened to me once in London at the airport; I needed to pay for my luggage 150£ for some reason, I had that spare money and managed to solve the situation. Otherwise, I always get back home with some of the money, depending on where I’m going and what I plan to buy.

I very much enjoy creating my own travel guide for that specific location I’m traveling to – include what museums/ islands/ castles to visit with a bit of info about it, what to eat, where to shop.

Another thing that I love to do while traveling is to develop a skill that I’m not that aware of in terms of improving it or accepting it. For example, I’m afraid of heights; nevertheless, I always do my best to overcome it. If I keep feeding that overwhelming emotion I would never see cities from above or any gorgeous sceneries when traveling. I know my limit but I never give up, keep trying and always remember — if it scares you, you should do it. This way, I’m returning home with an improved side of me and some awesome photos as a reminder that if I persevere I’m becoming better every day.

Travelita: 3. What if people took advantage of your tips and steps you are providing? What will happen, how will their travels change? 

I’m a stickler and a worrier at the same time, people would say that these characteristics are not helping you.  I agree to disagree – sure they’re not something that one could easily live with, but they demonstrated that if I accept them, my true self, I would definitely enjoy what I love the most – see the world, learn from cultures, understand people better, become richer every time. 

If people took advantage of my tips and steps I’m providing, I would say that is a very good thing to do and I’m grateful for that. Each and every one of us has our own tips.  I rely on my instinct, learn from my mistakes, stay committed to pursue my dream and practice travel mindfulness – it’s a totally different perspective; that feeling of being present in the moment with openness and curiosity is one of a kind. I recommend it with all my heart, by devoting your full attention to each travel experience as it happens, you appreciate the moment more. 

Travelita: 4. Now we would like to get just some general information about you and your travels: (if not answered before) – When did you start traveling? 

Started traveling in 2015, visited Belgrade, Serbia. It was a great experience, it resembles a lot with my country. After that, I realized that all I wanted to do is to travel the world as long as possible. However, I was short on money and debated long and hard about what to do next, ultimately developed a plan to save money and to travel more. Since then I’ve traveled to 14 countries and counting! ☺

Travelita: – Do you remember how you felt when you traveled alone for the first time? – How did you, or do you deal with fears? 

I’ve experienced my first solo trip to Budapest; enjoyed it for 4 days! So awesome, peaceful, the history is everywhere with you, the architecture is astonishing, riverboat trip (highly recommended!) is overwhelming, adding the star of The River Danube – Margaret Island – took a walk, enjoyed the nature! Also, visited the Parliament, 9 Bridges, Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion & St. Matthias Church.

Every day, I had an energetic and joyful experience by visiting the main and beautiful tourist attractions. On my second day, I was heading out to visit the castle, and all of the sudden a man approached me on the busiest street in Old Town.

He asked me if I speak English, I thought he needed some help, and I said Yes! 🙂 …Unexpected, I paid close attention to what I felt in that moment — the fight-or-flight reaction kicked in, sensed the imagined danger, everything was spinning in my head and my heart was about to pop up — all of these for a couple of seconds, to me it felt like ages… Moreover, questions were bursting in my head: “What if he wants to hurt me, what if he wants to rob me?” — All those what-ifs were not actual events, but something I projected into the future.

You know, when your head is playing games and gives you what it thinks is good for you, it never is. 

The guy was actually kind, knowledgeable, experienced in meditation, yoga, and healthy lifestyle. We talked about all these things, and what he actually wanted from me was to offer me a book, instead, he ended up giving me three amazing books and a soy cookie. 🙂 

In the end, my fear was only in my head, our thoughts have tremendous power to create our personal universe, so make sure you create a good one! When we go right at it (and through it), fear can teach us so much about our personal powers and strength. There is no other feeling like the triumph you feel when you realize you did not get defeated when you realize that instead, you actually made or did it!

Travelita: – Is there a place where you have been and you would definitely not recommend it for women on their own and why? 

Until now I was fortunate enough to meet kind and helpful people and I’m very grateful for that.

Travelita: – Do you still have this excitement, when you go for a trip? – what are your top 5 destinations and why? 

I always have this excitement as a very good driver. ☺ My top 5 destinations, I’ll start with Norway for its dazzlingly colored fishing villages, gaping fjords, vast nature, and being an aurora hot-spot, would very much love to see the northern lights. Sweden, for being a diverse place that welcomes people with all sorts of different views and experiences, food and the minimalist style. Santorini, for the Greek people, delicious food, dramatic sceneries, stunning sunsets, beaches. Paris, to feel the romantic vibe, learn about history, walk the streets, and as Audrey Hepburn said: “Paris is always a good idea”. Vienna, because it is one of the most stunning and mesmerizing capitals in Europe.

Travelita: Thank you for the interview! 

Free your travels, be a Travelita! #travelita #iamatravelita