Anna Vidovič
Born in: Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1996
Home country: Slovenia
Education: Master’s degree in law. Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Nationality: not sure how to put it, a mix of: Russian, Serbian and Montenegrin blood. I grew up in a multicultural family. My Russian mom who grew up in Kiev, Ukraine and my dad who was born in Slovenia (Yugoslavia at the time) to Serbian father and Montenegran mother. Most of my adult life I had lived in Slovenia, after moving there from Minnesota, US. I would spend my summers with my two grandmas. Half of the summer in Ukraine with one grandma and the other half with my other grandma and grandpa in Croatia.
Languages: English, Spanish, Slovene, Russian, Serbian. Just started working on my French: excuse-moi.
Leaving Slovenia
After I finished my master’s degree in law in Slovenia, I realized that working in a law firm and looking forward to few weeks of vacation per year is not something I wanted to settle for. Being surrounded by people of different cultures and speaking several languages has always been a big part of my life. Envisioning my future in Slovenia meant that part of me will be neglected which really affected my wellbeing. At least in this point of my life. While Slovenia is a beautiful country and a great place to raise kids, with free education and healthcare, I simply feel the right place for me right now is somewhere else.
While I gave up the idea of working in a law firm in Slovenia, I very much liked the actual job. I was very lucky with the boss and the team I had. They weren’t really surprised when I disappeared every few months to a tropical place and fully supported me in my dreams.
Purpose of this blog
Since I have travelled quite a lot, I have some experience and useful information, that I feel like it would be selfish not to share. There are so many travel blogs out there with extensive information about destinations, travel tips and tricks. What makes this one special?
This blog is a mix between a travel blog and a rather personal blog, with my stories, opinions and humor being at the center of it. Here I write and express myself as I do with my close friends. Using different languages and sarcasm is a big part of that.
Why Annushka?
My name is Anna. Annushka is a Russian nickname for a little girl named Anna. Up until I became a teenager, I was always called Annushka if spoken to in Russian. Nobody really calls me Annushka these days, but the name kind of felt right for this purpose.
Life in Slovenia: drive to Italy for a coffee or weekend on a Croatian island
Living in Slovenia has it perks. Since it’s a small country, with only 2 million inhabitants, you can get to several countries with a car quite quickly. A one-hour drive from our capital, Ljubljana and you might find yourself in Austria, Italy, or Croatia. On a sunny day we might just drive to Italy to have a coffee or lunch, go for a stroll around Trieste, or maybe go shopping to Italy or Austria. One time my dad was returning from Austria, and he took the wrong turn, he ended up in Italy instead of Slovenia. Pay attention to your GPS guys! I was fortunate enough to visit many European cities with my family when I was younger. Exploring German and Italian cities, Croatian islands, and skiing in the alps.
This basically means that Europe, pretty much regardless of the country feels like home and normal life for me. Which is why I rarely travel to a European destination. Although being in a new city that I haven’t seen yet is a good thing, I miss the cultural shock that comes from places outside Europe. Thus I choose to travel to exotic places where people, nature and the way of life is different.
What does Anna like? What makes me, ME?
I’m obsessed with sand: sandy beaches and deserts are my kind of thing.
I’m a fan of warmth. It’s highly unlikely you’ll see me going somewhere where it’s cold.
Exploring cities is not on the top of my list. Unless they are at some tropical od middle eastern destination. It does however depend on who I’m with. As long as it’s a new experience with a loved one, I’m very compromising.
I mostly travel to places that are completely different to what I grew up with and am used to. Cultural shock is a must, so my destinations of choice are usually outside of Europe.
Sunny places, urban music and the Caribbean is where my soul is happy. It’s where I’m at peace yet excited at the same time. My personality is completely different there as well. I suddenly become a people person up for absolutely anything.
I’m not a fan of walking, running, or hiking. I take my car everywhere I possibly can. I do however really enjoy walking on the beach, as long as I’m barefoot and feeling the sand between my toes. It all depends on motivation of course, maybe I would be willing to go for a (short) hike if it meant me getting to a stunning beach or desert.
When it comes to cafés: I’m a big fan of places that aren’t crowded. Sitting in a café alone with my thoughts has become a big part of my daily routine. If there’s a lot of people around me I simply cannot hear myself think.
I used to do rhytmic gymnastics when I was younger, which tought me discipline and enabled me to work hard for what I want to achieve. It probably contributed to few personal traumas as well. If you guys have any suggestions for great therapists, I’m all ears.
I’m a cat person. I am absolutely in sync with the energy that cats radiate and cuddling with them brings me so much peace and love. While I’m not a big fan of dogs, except the fluffy ones that look like bears, dogs are big fans of me. If you own a dog or there’s a dog on the street they won’t leave me alone, I guess I attract dogs for some reason.
Even though the language I speak the best is Slovenian, as it was the language of my studies, the main languages I have been using for the past few years are English and Spanish.
Favorite destination: Dominican Republic.
