Unusual Finland and Hungary

What would you tell us about yourself, Nika?

I’m a volunteer at HI Slovenia (Hostelling International Slovenia). I’ve been travelling since I was little. I am thrilled by the thought of exploring new places, meeting interesting people, and trying food – which represents a great part of my travel adventures. I completed tourism studies and am currently working in the youth sector, which was something I already spent a lot of time working on during my studies. I like going to the mountains, climbing, and swimming in lakes. But one of the things that fascinates me the most are trees.

To what extent do you organise your travels and what things do you leave for later?

Depends – if I’m travelling solo, then I organise everything quite well and later adapt my wishes to the actual situation. Travelling in a group, on the other hand, brings another kind of safety, so I leave more things open.

Are the emotions during travelling different from the ones felt at home? Are they more intense and how do you experience all this?

I don’t know how to really answer this question. At home there is not so much difference in days and I face situations I can often predict in advance, so I don’t worry too much over many things. But there’s always something new when I’m travelling – new situations, new people, new environment. So, one thing blows your mind completely, but then there are situations where you couldn’t care less if they didn’t happen at all. What is important, is to travel with people who cheer you up, who make you feel good and safe, and who try to take things easy and don’t complicate to much.

Why are you a volunteer at Hostelling International Slovenia? How do you work with HIS?

I’ve been volunteering for a few years, but have been a little less active recently. Our co-operation started spontaneously, as I was looking for an extra hobby during college, something that would be relevant to my studies and, most importantly, relevant to my interests. Volunteering doesn’t limit my free time but, in fact, adjust to it. I can do lots of things online and help out when I can.

If you could have one super power while travelling, which one would it be and why?

Being able to speak all the languages of the world. I find meeting locals and experiencing their daily lives to be one of the most beautiful things one can do during travels. The best memories of travelling that I have are the ones when I met someone or when I could, as a result of a series of circumstances, spend part of the day or even a few days with my hosts. When you’re digging up sweet potatoes somewhere in rural Hungary, or you deep-clean the microwave with your hosts in Finland, it’s definitely not something you forget, and the satisfaction is mutual.

Was there any kind of food that you enjoyed so much, you had to taste it again many times back at home or even prepared it yourself?

I think I was by far the most delighted by Indian cuisine. Somehow, it’s all so simple, yet the flavours are complex and there are so many variations that you really want to try them all. I loved the masala dosa pancakes the most, as well as the different types of curry and mango lassi.

You were also an au pair in Germany. Could you explain to us what that is and how do you look at your experience now?

A rough description would be that au pair is usually a young person who looks after the children and helps out with basic household chores in exchange for food, a place to stay and a small payment.

To me, it’s always been more of a cultural exchange where you decide, to a great extent, how positive the experience will be, but a bit of luck is still required. There really isn’t a lot of money involved, but you get free food and a place to stay. Besides, you really don’t need much more. It’s great if you make the most of your free time and do things that you enjoy. I cycled a lot in Berlin, went climbing, attended various cultural events and table tennis nights at a local bar, and also tried different German beers and street food. I got along well with the family, who I’m still regularly in touch, so the time I spent there was really precious to me and a wonderful experience.

Do you set an alarm clock when travelling or do you wake yourself up?

Depends. I usually have a more dynamic style of travelling, so alarm clock is often essential, otherwise you can quickly miss your ride. It’s important to me to make the most of my travels and to see as many things as I can. But if I need to take “time off”, I simply do that. Hurrying all the time isn’t always optimal, and it’s important to enjoy yourself when travelling.

Where did you first travel after the borders first opened up during the pandemic?

Since I spent almost half a year away from home in 2019 (I really made the most of the post-study time), there really wasn’t much on my wish list before the pandemic; everything was more spontaneous. The thing that comes to mind though, is visiting my friends abroad. I went to Croatia again after many years and I spent the rest of the time in Slovenia. Our country is big enough, so will always be plenty of places to explore. Let’s see where things go this year.

Speaking the languages of the world definitely sounds like a super power, as you can get closer to the locals that way. That also creates some interesting experiences and that’s something you never forget. Luckily you spent a long time travelling in one go before the coronavirus, but the situation is now getting better here, we’ll only have to adjust a bit. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, right? And good luck!