Hi everyone!
My name is Zuzana or for short Zu. I am a world traveler, nature lover, colourful hiker and an adventure seeker with a passion for photography and good food. I am a big fan of chocolate and red wine with a thing for planning and organizing. My excitement usually starts well before the trip itself when I am reading, plotting, planning and organizing how to make it the best adventure yet! Wanna know more about how it became my biggest passion, keep reading 😉
I have always loved traveling and there is sooo many reasons behind it! I find it very fulfilling to visit new countries, see monuments and wonders of nature, which were known to you only from pictures or books. Also there is something incredibly exciting when you go to places you have never been before, talk to locals and learn how different their life is from yours. And somewhere in that process when you learn about them, you inevitably end up learning something about yourself. Every trip is a different adventure and can possibly change you into a different person if you allow it to happen. Traveling can make you more openminded, more diverse and therefore more understanding and I want to believe that subsequently it can also make you a better person. That is why I think everyone should travel and see the world for themselves.
Coming originally from Slovakia, I spent my University years traveling through Europe every chance I had; exploring beautiful old cities like Rome, Venice, Paris, Prague, Milano, Brussels and others.. It was the best memories I created and I still cherish today. Being a student, I had lot of time, not necessarily a lot of money and that is how I learned to travel cheap and keep priorities in order. During my 3 months long summer break, I would usually pick some new country and spend my free summer months there- working, making new friends, exploring, having fun and traveling more… That’s how I explored more of England, Austria, Cyprus and Italy. I was also fortunate enough to participate in exchange programs through my University, where I spent 6 months in lovely Joensuu in Finland, 1 year in majestic Saint Petersburg in Russia and 1 month in the heart of the European Union- Brussels. These longer stays were incredible, because they allowed me to experience these countries in a different way. Living in these countries I got to talk to locals and enjoy life in the way they knew it. In Finland, I crossed the Arctic circle, visited Santa Clause village ( yes, Santa is real!!!), took a dip in a frozen lake (so called ice swimming), chased Aurora- Borealis in minus 20 degrees and took a cruise with 2000 exchange students around Helsinki, Tallinn and Stockholm. Russia was another fantastic experience- exploring cities like Saint Petersburg and Moscow (different but amazing and magnificent in their own way) and enjoying the rich the history and spirit of old wealthy Russia while visiting cathedrals, palaces and gardens. When I took the Siberian train to Baikal lake in 2011 and spent 4 days on the train from Saint Petersburg to Irkutsk passing the cities in this tremendous country, it was one of the biggest adventures I took in my life. We created our train community and learned so much about the wonderful people living in this country, it was quite eye-opening. It taught me, that we should never take our freedom and good fortune for granted.
When I decided to come to Canada in 2012, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. It is beyond an amazing country and I was quite mesmerized by its nature and those mountains!! I have stayed in Vancouver ever since, calling it the most beautiful city in the world and taking advantage of its great location. They name it a city from Sea to Sky, combining my two loves- mountains and sea. I love them both and seek them wherever I go. Therefore, I‘m grateful that living here in Vancouver I don’t have to choose. Exploring Canada is definitely an adventure in itself but Vancouver’s great location makes it also easy to visit other new countries. In last couple of years, me and my boyfriend Steve made traveling our priority and we try to travel 2 or 3 times a year. People tend to say that traveling is expensive, but I believe that everyone can travel and make it as cheap as necessary to fit their budget. That’s what we are doing, taking advantage of deals and points, usually avoiding luxurious hotels in exchange for experiences and adding more pins to our travel map. So we keep looking for an adventure- hiking, traveling, taking pictures and exploring and somewhere on the way, I would like to keep a journal, for my friends, family and also for people who share the same passion. So if you have any questions, don’t be shy to ask or share your own stories. I consider all travellers, my friends 😉 In a way, I feel like I have been writing this blog in my head for longer than I can remember, so join us on our adventures as we go on our trips and hikes and I write about them. Having a thing for planning and organizing, I would like to share what I know and learned on the way and maybe that way to inspire, encourage and help you and others to explore more of this beautiful big world we live in. Because life is too short so go 4 an adventure!
With love Zu
Go 4 Adventure 