Unless you’ve been living under a rock… you know by now that this little nomad blogger has left Mexico and is currently traveling spontaneously through Europe — as in, I don’t usually know where I’ll end up next!
On July 20th, I arrived in Ljubljana, Slovenia on a one-way plane ticket I bought with 30,000 American Airlines frequent flier miles. I hadn’t been, and I figured Ljubljana would be a good jumping off point for elsewhere in eastern and central Europe. I don’t really know where all I’ll go the next few months, but I have a lot of places on my list!
Notably, this chapter of my nomad life journey is a little different — from road-tripping North America for almost 2 years with my dog Penny, to public transportation and living out of a suitcase without her — and will definitely be an adjustment (I’ll do a pros and cons list later). Also, it’s serendipitous timing; because exactly five years ago, I went on my 4-week Euro trip, the one that changed my life — which inspired me to start my blog, to start minimizing, and to get my finances under control so that I could make NOW happen… a life of FULL-TIME TRAVEL!
And as my first European destination since before the pandemic, Slovenia has not disappointed. The country is scenic, the people are kind, and things seem to be slightly more affordable than the United States.
Things to do in Bled, Slovenia in the summer!
After a few days in Ljubljana enjoying the sights and tastes, I went up to the alpine tourist town of Bled (about 45 minutes from Ljubljana by car) as a little 37th birthday outing. And what a busy 24-hours it was! I:
- Tried the traditional cream pastry cake of the region, kremšnita
- Visited the 11th century Bled castle (€13 — they waived the fee for the birthday girl!) and took in the incredible views
- Walked the six kilometers around Lake Bled, detouring to hike up to the Mala Osojnica panoramic viewpoint (steep and rocky, about 30 minutes)
- Took a dip in the super-refreshing glacial lake, and admired the church-topped island
- Readied myself for a dinner of traditional Slovenian food (€19) and Slovenian wine (€3) — yum! — at Oštarija Peglez’n
- Visited the ice rink at Sports Hall Bled for a momentary reprieve from the upper 80s summer temperatures
- Ate from the very impressive breakfast buffet at my B&B, Alp Penzion (I paid €115 for one night — highly recommend!)
- In the morning, I took the chairlift up at Straža Bled and rode the toboggans down — and had quite the adrenaline rush! (2 rides for €18)
And while I was alone for most of my birthday (the actual day itself), I absolutely didn’t mind — I felt great.
⭐️ I could see and do exactly what I wanted, in the time frame I wanted to…
⭐️ I enjoy my own company, so I have no problem being alone with my thoughts and reflections…
⭐️ I don’t care what onlookers think of me, because let’s be honest… 1) people are naturally self-absorbed, so they’re not thinking about me anyway and 2) even if they were, they’d think I was a kick-ass woman confident enough to take on the world and do all the things all on her own!
But I’d be remiss not to mention the incredible people who celebrated my birthday with me before and after the actual day I was born: Andrej and Aina, and Manfred, Valerie, Markus, Andy, and Lucas. I truly felt so much love on my birthday weekend. Cheers to an amazing few months in Europe, and all the gifts the upcoming year will bring! ❤️🤍💙
Wow Julie. AMAZING!! Lake Bled is on my bucket list. Not sure what your plans are but if you’ll be in Scotland, let me know. I’d be delighted to host you here and show you the area. Proud of you and always in awe!!!!
Nicola, I’m so touched! Thank you. I’d absolutely LOVE to visit Scotland 💞 I’m completely enthralled with outlander — I’m sure you get that a lot. 😊 Can I send you an email with the one you used to register your comment, so we can get in touch? If I can make it work this trip it would be pretty cool, but if not, would love to have your contact info for next year.
Hi Julie. I just spotted your reply!! Yes. Please do email me.
Happy Birthday! Vse najboljše za rojstni dan! 🙂