Bulgarian, female, 34 years old, web designer

1. Explain yourself in a few words.

Adventurer, hitchhiker, cyclist, vegetarian.

2. What countries have you visited?

Europe: Romania, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Albania, Croatia, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia, Vatican, Germany, Luxemburg, France, Switzerland, Monaco, Spain, Portugal, UK, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Finland, Holland, Belgium, Gibraltar
Africa: Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Congo Kinshasa, Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Somali land, Djibuti, North Sudan, Egypt.
Asia: Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, China, India, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore.
Other: Australia, New Zealand.
South America: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chili, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil.
Caribbean islands: St. Martin, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grendines, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago.
Central America: Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico.

3. Where do you plan to travel to next?

Kyrgyzstan, China, Mongolia, back to China, ferry to South Korea and Japan, back to China, hitchhike to Vietnam and South East Asian countries, then Papua New Guinea… Then Pacific islands. Afterwards back home to Bulgaria not sure which way.

4. Can you give me a list of all necessary items required for your travel?

  • Tent
  • Sleeping bag
  • Canon 1200D
  • Backpack
  • Head light
  • Simple Nokia phone

5. May I ask your advice on guidance? What do you advice me not to do while I’m traveling?

  • Be well-organised with VISAS
  • Don’t go to expensive restaurants and hotels (places where you can’t see locals and their culture)
  • Don’t buy souvenirs (don’t support shops and tourist industry)
  • Try to contact with as more locals as you can and learn about their culture
  • Go to the mountains
  • Do hitchhiking, cycling, walking (good way to see the country)

6. Have you got any slogans to describe yourself?

“Don’t leave impact on the world”. No children, no building houses, no buying stuff, not using material things except only needed things. Consuming as less as you can.

7. What questions would you ask a more experienced traveler?

  • How do you see the world?
  • How do you feel about overpopulation? What will you do about that?
  • How do you feel about local people following the rules and culture without questioning?
  • Which country is your favourite?

8. In your experience how is traveling now in comparison to the past (let’s say 50 years ago) and do you expect things to change much in the future (let’s say in a 100 years, 1000 years)?

Past: It was much better (no technology). You were into traveling. Only help from locals. Much more adventurous and funny.
Now: People are now connected to their phones. You spend 3 hours a day for your smartphone instead of exploring cities.
Future: Technology will take over more and more. Less nature. More organising and planning, less adventurous.

9. What brings joy to your life?

Animals. Nature. My family. Mountains. Cycling. Walking for long distances. Reading paper books. Playing musical instruments. Snowboarding. Camping. Disney cartoons.

10. How to do it so you don’t think where to get money from?

I save money before I go traveling. If something happens, I borrow from my family. Then I go back home and return it. People work on the way.

11. Why do you travel? What’s your spiritual way? What do you believe in (the Energy of the Galaxy, Mother Earth, religion, destiny)?

Since I was little I was always thinking about traveling and experiencing adventures, seeing more animals and hiking mountains. Of course curiosity. Learn more about the world. It’s much better than school.
I believe in Nature. I respect Nature, Animals, Forest, Mountains. I don’t like religions.
Don’t do bad/harm to anything (people, nature). Don’t decide who/what can live or die. Respect all living creatures.
If you are tolerant to me, I am tolerant to you.

12. How do you want to die?

Somewhere in the mountains, freezing. Or saving someone’s life (person, animal).

13. Why don’t people kill each other? Do you value life? Why do you value life?

There’s good side in each person. Percentage of the good side is bigger.
We have enough food. We don’t need to survive so we don’t kill each other.
I value life but I don’t value my life much. I don’t consider myself important. I don’t think it’ll be a huge loss if I die. I value life because there’s a reason why these creatures should be here.

14. Why doesn’t everyone have sex with everyone?

That’ll be a disaster. Sounds terrible. People have better things to do.

15. What travel apps and websites do you use?

  • Couchsurfing
  • Warmshowers