In this project, I write short reflections on and share photos from my journeys around the world.
I haven't been everywhere, as Johny Cash sings, but I have many stories to tell.
SPAIN - BARCELONA
I think the most important and interesting aspect of traveling and exploring new places, customs, and people, is learning that our opinions and way of life are not the only ones that exist. It reduces the self-centered mindset and increases openness, adaptability, and empathy🫂🤝
On the one hand, it gives people more opportunities and possibilities for what they could do with their life, which can be great. On the other hand, it can become overwhelming, and demotivating.
In the early times of our history, days were basically the same, it repeated itself over and over, nothing much new. Having to provide food - buy or grow - work and stay safe. The job offer was basically the same in a century. Of course, there were wars and you didn't know if another disease would come, or if the weather wouldn't be so pleasant for your food to grow, but still people at least knew what to expect.
Today, with all the possibilities and the uncertainty of what will happen in 10 years, what will the labor market look like? Should I study to be an engineer or IT when these jobs may no longer be desirable due to AI? Will this planet be habitable? Or will we go to Mars, where we will also destroy it? All we can do is to do our best - because life is uncertain. 🤔
SWITZERLAND
I like the surprise when you arrive somewhere for the first time and it's completely different than you expected. Even if I don't want to have expectations, they are still there somewhere.
Like my brain expands at that moment 🧠. And it is actually a fact! Fun fact...Because we learn, we explore and there is so much to explore and learn.
Geneva and Lausanne 🏙️ were, as expected, clean, calm, eco-friendly, and expensive cities, but they also managed to come alive, multicultural, close to the mountains and a lake...What else a person can wish for?
I hope I will live here someday 👀Even though the languages would be tough to learn - good thing that you can choose: German, French, or Italian. Yes, that's right, they have 3 official languages, depending on the area you are in. And I just adore those wooden blinds! 🤩🪟
SWISS - CERN
(the European Organization for Nuclear Research) 👩🏻🔬
Well, this was something insane. Did you know that Switzerland is home to the largest particle accelerator in the world? Under the entire city of Geneva, there is a long tunnel of 27 km, in which colliding beams of particles move at a speed close to the speed of light. And this happens many times a minute, all day long. I normally don't understand complex scientific jargon, but after the guided tour at CERN, which is free by the way 😮, I did actually know what was going on there.
It also featured one of the best audio-visual shows I've ever seen, I even had tears in my eyes! 😭 It's crazy what people can do. The World Wide Web (www) was created here as well.
Sometimes I think that people are really obsessed with research and finding new things, instead of concentrating on what we already have and protecting it. Where does curiosity have its limits? All that money and resources that could have gone to education, health, and ecology. On the other hand, such research helps us to educate ourselves and understand the world. And by understanding it we can behave accordingly - more ethically and empathetically. Then there are people who have the same money and resources and use them only to destroy and satisfy their needs.
I would never tell before, that this tour would have everything in it - tears, drama, gratitude, hope, and joy.
HUNGARY - BUDAPEST
Cities are not my favorite territory, but I still like to visit them for a few days because I think they are an important reflection of the local community and their history.
Budapest was never on my bucket list, but I'm glad I happened to stumble upon it 😁
It seems to me, that countries and cities that have experienced the most suffering, like wars, are the most interesting. There is a mix of cultures and many interesting buildings and monuments. You can see it in people too. They don't give a damn, they are honest 👀 brave, and grateful. I enjoy languages, but I will probably never understand Hungarian 😅
There is a Jewish part of Budapest that I found the most beautiful. I was also surprised that it is a party town. In one day, I met about 20 bachelor party groups. People were drinking till the morning, but the Hungarians didn't participate too much, because the City center stood out quite a bit compared to the rest of the country, especially in terms of prices and prosperity. Don't miss out on the local spa🧖🏼♀️ it is cheap and you feel like you've traveled in time to the previous century.
Budapest was never on my bucket list, but I'm glad I happened to stumble upon it 😁
It seems to me, that countries and cities that have experienced the most suffering, like wars, are the most interesting. There is a mix of cultures and many interesting buildings and monuments. You can see it in people too. They don't give a damn, they are honest 👀 brave, and grateful. I enjoy languages, but I will probably never understand Hungarian 😅
There is a Jewish part of Budapest that I found the most beautiful. I was also surprised that it is a party town. In one day, I met about 20 bachelor party groups. People were drinking till the morning, but the Hungarians didn't participate too much, because the City center stood out quite a bit compared to the rest of the country, especially in terms of prices and prosperity. Don't miss out on the local spa🧖🏼♀️ it is cheap and you feel like you've traveled in time to the previous century.
