Remembering Slovenia
Slovenia as told by Carmelli Arezza
- April 25, 2020
Slovenia will forever have a special place in my heart because, in this country, we met two Pinoy travelers both named John. The first John, or JM, we met while on a boat ride to Bled Castle. Already staying in the US, he has been to more than 50 countries already and has no plans of stopping. Always willing to work around his time, sacrifice sleep and off days, swap work schedules, just to make that trip work.
The second John we met at the bus stop on our way to Dubrovnik. He left the PH in the 70s when he was a teen and now resides in Canada. Now in his 50s, a widower with no kids, he told his boss he is retiring early so that he can continue backpacking, knowing fully well he only has a couple more years of strong bones and knees to go around the world alone. He has already backpacked through South America, trekked in Nepal, been in so many places around the world and when we met him, he has been on the road for a good 4 months already, going around Europe, sleeping in hostels, meeting fellow backpackers, planning his itinerary and destinations based on recommendations from people he has talked to. We were on the same bus ride from Slovenia to Croatia, and it felt like having our very own tito looking over us during the trip.
My favorite advice from him about backpacking is: “if you can’t use it for more than 10x, don’t bring it”.
And I wish to be as practical as him on my future trips.
Experiences like these are proof that traveling isn’t just about the pretty pictures. It’s the people you meet. It’s the stories you share. It’s the connections you make.
Got any memorable and inspiring stories to share with us? Email us at marketing@travelwithaccess.com!
