This whole blog/project started while I was on working holiday in Alaska. I wanted to share my thoughts and stories with my friends so I started a blog. Even though I enjoyed writing I didn’t manage to continue the blog after returning to everyday life back in Europe. The desire to have a place, where I could write some ideas from time to time emerged again in summer 2016 when I went to South America to work at Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. It would be nice to have a blog ready for sharing my troubles during the journey from Brazil to Patagonia. However I didn’t have time for writing at all, so nothing.
I got the possibility to start a blog again at the end of 2017. I wasn’t sure what should be the main purpose of the blog. So I came up with a solution, it could contain all the things I like to talk about which currently involves 3 main topics. Travelling, cooking and investing. So far the cooking/eating part is little bit behind the other two. I hope that will change soon. I also hope you will like what you will read here, feel little bit of inspiration (Travel), proactive about your money (Invest) or maybe hungry (Food).
If you agree or even disagree with anything written here, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below the post. I am sure it will help me or anyone else reading it too.
Roman
Little bit of history, so you could imagine what bring me to this decision.
Alaska – Where it all began
When I went on my first big journey (Alaska in 2015) The idea was to hide from the civilization, discover how people are living in the totally different land and to be surrounded by only my 50 huskies, which I went there to train for the race. I spent the whole summer there, even though there was still snow when I came and there was already snow, when I was leaving. Those months shaped myself more, than any other period of my life. I am sure, that me, as you know today, would be somehow different if I wouldn’t go to Alaska. Although, I didn’t want to say it was life-changing … it simply was.
South America – Olympic games and volunteering
I finished university the very next year and few months after graduation I left home for another adventure. This time to help with organization of Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro 2016. I stayed in the South America till the end of the year, going from Brazil to Argentina, Chile all the way to Patagonia. I volunteered in several other projects using this website. It’s beautiful idea. You work for 4-5 hours a day in exchange for accommodation and food. There are thousands farms/hotels/teaching jobs and much more from which you can choose. Simply select Continent->Country->Area where you want to stay and browse. You will feel like being part of a new family, I guarantee. One of my best jobs were building a wooden hut somewhere in Andes.
Many people asks me, how do I come up with these ideas where to go, or what to do there. Usually it’s a quick very bright moment of something and from that moment I am hooked up for the idea. I never really give proper thoughts or have a list of places, where I would like to go most. But once I heard about the possibility to go to Alaska, from the very moment I knew, this is the place where I should go next. It was little bit different with Rio, because I was never truly eager of going to South America. However that’s where Olympic Games 2016 were and I simply knew, I want to be a volunteer at Olympic Games, doesn’t matter where. Also the timing couldn’t be better, I just finished university and honestly, I didn’t rush towards a job.
Where did the idea of volunteering on Olympic Games came from
This is not going to be some enlightenment story. It came to me by pure luck or coincidence or maybe it was already planned by some other things I did in my life, but the truth is, a friend told me in a bar. I think we were playing some pool game that night with beers in our hands. Simply as that, but from that moment, I knew that it’s something I would be more than happy to do. After that 7 rounds of job interviews went by, some easier some more challenging. After all, I got an invitation to be a volunteer at Tennis center during Olympic Games.
Unfortunately they decided way too late and I got the invitation only couple of weeks before the Games. At that time the flight tickets and accommodation very so expensive, it was unrealistic to go as a volunteer. I had to decline the dream job. Luckily I also managed to get the invitation for the Paralympic Games, which were happening two weeks after the main Games. Yay. I was probably the only Czech volunteer on Paralympic Games and was lucky enough to be part of the Swim Exit handlers at paratriathlon (750 m swimming, 20 km cycling and 5 km running).
All I wanted to say by this story was, that it doesn’t matter if you don’t know where your journey should go. Sometimes just one sentence is enough to convince your brain, that this is the right thing for you. After that it’s just going to be harder, until the moment when you step out of your door and begin the journey. Then it’s just perfect.