A Russian girl from Latvia, who studied English in Germany, but now resides in Ecuador. Can’t keep up? Me neither! It’s Olga from The Russian Abroad answering our Five Travel Questions! Scroll to see her cute photo of seal lions and more!
Why do you love travel?
I love travelling because it is the best source of education. I feel that whenever I travel I always learn something new – not only about people, culture, food, history, but also about myself. Travelling is a something that schools, universities, or even families cannot teach. I’m learning what I like and what I don’t like, I’m learning what my standpoints are, I’m acquiring new principles… And I believe I will constantly grow as a person as long as I travel.
What destination is top of your bucket list?
When I was a child, I didn’t even dare to think that I would travel the world to an extent of making my own bucket lists. The world seemed too big for me, and it scared me a bit. Over the last few years, however, my horizons have expanded more than I could ever imagine. I’m living as an expat in Ecuador now, and exploring more of ‘the other part of the world’, i.e. South America, is a dream eventually coming true for me! From all the beautiful places on this continent, I would love to travel to Patagonia, which is shared by Chile and Argentina. They say there are the most beautiful landscapes nature ever created.
Where is your most favourite place you have travelled to?
Most favourite place I have visited so far is the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. That was definitely a unique experience. My first time in the open ocean. Turquoise, almost unreal water. Swimming with sea lions. Sunbathing with iguanas. Travelling between the islands in a tiny shaky boat, with water splashes getting in my face. Everything about that trip was magical.
What is your most favourite memory or experience whilst travelling?
I love the feeling of freedom that I have every time I travel. This is always my favourite travel experience – alongside with snacking street food like a real tourist. I remember when I was in Prague, I tried everything there was to try, nothing was left out. Stuffed belly didn’t allow me to move much in the end of a day, but that’s how I got a real taste of local culture (literally). What also brings me warm memories from travelling is interacting with locals for no real specific reason – a simple chitchat, a sincere “how you doing?”, a curious “tell me about yourself”. Or just smiling and wishing a lovely day to someone you don’t know – how many times you think people ever hear that from strangers? Never. In Brussels I was walking around with the card that said in French: I wish you a lovely day. And I don’t speak French. So I asked locals to help me pronounce it correctly, and when they did, I said it back to them. You should have seen those smiles on their faces!
What is your favourite photo from your travels?
I usually love everywhere I go, because I get genuinely excited by seeing new places. At the moment I feel a bit nostalgic about Germany, where I got my BA degree, so my favourite photo now is the one I took in Quedlinburg – a fairy-tale place in Eastern Germany, where every building is about 600 years old. I felt like I was Belle from The Beauty and The Beast – that’s how magical Quedlinburg is.
Make sure you check out Olga site The Russian Abroad and follow her on Twitter!
Like this post? Why not check out more of our travel blogger interviews!
