3 reasons why my trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina was different
Maybe a few days ago you noticed on my social media channels that I spent 10 days traveling around Bosnia and Herzegovina on my own. You might not yet understand why but I have to say that the whole trip was not like my usual trips. Here’s 3 reasons why my trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina was different.
It all started with buying flights from Budapest (the capital of Hungary) to Sarajevo (the capital of Bosnia). Initially, I did not purchase any checked bags hoping I could make it with just universally accepted carry-on baggage. But Wizzair rules changed and you can now carry just one hand bag free of charge which should be max 40 x 30 x 20 cm. That’s even smaller than usual carry-on suitcase/backpack. Once I saw the hand bag measurements, I decided to go for it. That meant that I could not pack some items I travel with almost all the time as they would not fit.
It was a challenge to pack such a small bag for 2 weeks (after Bosnia I was spending 2 days in Budapest and 1 day in Kosice before going back home).
It would be fine if it was not cold and raining in Sarajevo the first 2 days. The rest of the trip was unbearably hot. So I needed to pack clothes and shoes for weather from 15 Celsius to 35 Celsius. Also a raincoat, waterproof sport shoes, a hoodie, bikini, things for the beach, etc. Without the rain, it would have been quite easy to pack as I’ve learned to travel with the most important things only.
my hand baggage to Bosnia
Anyway, I managed to pack without any problems and for that I am proud of myself. I know many women who could never travel with such a small bag and carry a 3 times bigger bag even for a weekend getaway. It was perfect to walk with just a 7 kg backpack on my back between the bus or train station and my accommodation. Well, I packed 7 kg, plus some apples, raw vegan snacks and 1 liter of water.
it was cold and mostly raining in Sarajevo
3 reasons why my trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina was different
1. No laptop
As I had very little space in my bag, there was no other option but traveling without laptop. I mean, if I wanted to carry just a small hand baggage and not pay for a checked bag.
I have to admit, that in almost 9 years of travel blogging, the longest I’ve ever traveled without my laptop was for 5 days. And now Bosnia for 2 weeks? Well, to be honest, deep inside I was quite happy as it forced me not to work online for 2 weeks. Being a workaholic, I work always when possible. Now I had time to explore destinations properly, watch some movies, and not spend most of my day online.
Yay, 2 weeks without online work meant a lot to me. You have no idea! Yes, my emails piled up and blog posts as well, but I could finally relax a little bit. Many people think that I do NOTHING when traveling, but to me, traveling is my job so I not only travel, but also work online almost every single day. And that gets exhausting more than you might think. However, on the trip to Bosnia I could get some well-deserved rest. I was only replying to the most important emails from my phone, and posting daily on social media. But not replying to the rest of the emails, nor dealing with blog.
enjoying the beach in Neum
sunset in Neum
2. No camera
If I remember it right, since 2010 I’ve traveled without my camera, be it a DSLR or Gopro, just once. It was to Montenegro in 2018. Usually, I travel with both cameras, plus the cell phone, obviously.
But to save space for clothes, this time I decided not to take my DSLR camera, nor Gopro. I tend to carry Gopro only if I know I’d like to record many videos, it’s supposed to rain, or when I am going snorkeling or on boat trips where the DSLR camera could get wet. But on the trip to Bosnia I was not planning on doing anything like that, so I left both cameras at home.
I packed just my cell phone which takes awesome photos, too. Just to have some photos from the trip. And I am glad I did as not taking photos with both phone (for social media channels) and camera (for the blog) but with just the phone saved me a lot of time while there.
the Old Bridge in Mostar
marvelous Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina
3. No collaborations
As I was not taking my laptop nor camera, the decision of weather to work with brands or not was taken for me. NO collaborations meant no crazy schedule, no plans, no rush.
It meant not traveling with other people. I could do whatever and whenever I wanted to. I could just wander around the destinations with 0 plans. Or go to the same spot twice a day for both sunrise and sunset if I wanted to. It gave me a lot more freedom to travel solo without any schedule.
The trip reminded me of what traveling used to feel like in the first years of travel blogging when I would mostly travel solo without many plans. When I could take a break at lunch time and wait until it was less hot outside. When I could change the destination if it was raining there…
If you are not a travel blogger, then you don’t really understand all these things, I guess. You don’t understand the difference between a ”normal” (not work) trip vs. a work press trip when you are expected to do certain things and visit certain places at a certain time. Yes, I was still posting on social media daily during the entire trip, but only when and what I decided to. The only rule was no rule.
Frankly, I have to say that the trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina meant so much to me. It felt incredible to recharge my batteries.
Old Bridge in Mostar
TIP: I booked all the accommodation easily via Booking.com. I have a $15 discount for your next Booking.com stay anywhere in the world. You will get $15 back after your stay. It does not have to be in Bosnia, but anywhere. Just book via this link.
Looking for more tips in the Balkan area?
TIP 1: Here’s my post about top 5 things to do in Budva Riviera, Montenegro.
TIP 2: Want more adventure? What about rafting on the Soca river in Slovenia? It was so much fun and the nature around is unforgettable.
TIP 3: I should also mention here Nis in Serbia. It’s a lovely town where you can do many different things, such as paragliding. To find out more, please check out my list of top 10 things to do in Nis.
TIP 4: 4 reasons to visit Athens and why I enjoyed the city.
ALEX THOMPSON
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Great Post!!! I truly believe that there is loads of nice places to explore. The world has incredible beauty which makes us visit new places for sure.
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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So true, Alex! The world is beautiful… we just have to allow ourselves to see its beauty everywhere :)
Bahar
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I wish I could travel like you, thanks for sharing your experiences.
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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:) Well, everyone can travel. It’s all about priorities.
Jennifer Hamoy
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Great read Alexandra. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and why it was different. Keep it up!
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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Thanks Jennifer for commenting ;) Come back to my blog soon again ;)
Pari
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I’ve been reading the blog quite some time and it has been quite interesting to read about your trip to Bosnia, too. Pretty good stuff!!
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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Thank you so much! Bosnia is a lovely country worth a visit!
Matt
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Alexandra
Loved the size of your handbag to Bosnia :-)
Keep sharing the memories
Cheers
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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Thanks, Matt! Traveling teaches me minimalism :)