Today I have Silvia from Heart my Backpack taking over the blog and I couldn’t be more excited to have this world traveling babe hanging out with me today. If you guys haven’t checked out Silvia’s blog yet your missing out! This girl have traveled to over 70 different countries and is all about discovering those places off the beaten path. From backpacking through the Middle East to traveling solo to Iran Silvia has had some amazing adventures!
You are literally a world traveler with over 70 countries under your belt. How did you get started traveling?
In my Mamma’s tummy! My parents are huge travelers themselves (my mom is Norwegian and my dad is American, and they met at university in Germany!) so I grew up spending all of my school vacations being dragged along on their crazy adventures.
You are currently on an awesome adventure traveling around the world for the last several months. How do you go about planning for traveling that long? Do you plan out every detail or figure things out as you go?
Ha, I am the worst at planning. Basically my boyfriend and I booked flights to Beijing for January, arranged our 30-day visas for Russia and decided that we (probably) wanted to end up in the Balkans by June. We had a rough idea of countries we wanted to visit along the way, but some places were dropped and others added as we went.
While this was mostly due to my utter lack of organizational skills, I do think it worked out for the best, as we could be flexible enough to take advice from locals, factor in weather, and adjust our plans to our fluctuating energy levels while on the road.
I am a big fan of traveling off the beaten path and I know you are too! Where are three places you have been to that are way off the beaten path?
1. Lazarat, Albania
This tiny village happens to be Europe’s largest supplier of marijuana, so locals are understandably very wary of outsiders. But by donning our most innocent looking sundresses my friend and I managed to charm our way in for one of the most bizarre afternoons of my travels. Okay, that sounds super sketchy, but I promise we both said no to the drugs!
2. Ishkashim, Tajikistan
This picturesque town lies in the Wakhan Valley, across the river from Afghanistan. Each Saturday locals from both Tajikistan and Afghanistan gather in a small strip of land between the two countries to exchange goods. I met some of the nicest people at the border market, and it really made me want to visit Afghanistan someday as well!
3. Kurdistan, Iran
Kurdistan might not be super off the beaten path, but it is for Americans! In fact, the only way I was able to travel independently in Iran was by going there on my Norwegian passport. A girl I met on Couchsurfing took me to visit her boyfriend in Kurdistan and oh my goodness, it was some of the prettiest scenery I’ve ever seen!
Out of all your travels what is your most memorable trip?
I have a shamefully horrible memory, so I’m going to go with my most recent one! It was my first time backpacking with a boy (!) and really confirmed my love for Eastern Europe.
What is one piece of advice you would tell someone who wants to travel?
Go to Central Asia! I’m obsessed with the region, particularly Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and really can’t understand why it’s not flooded with backpackers. I mean, it’s cheaper than Southeast Asia, the locals are incredibly welcoming (read: no tourist scams), and the landscape is unreal.
Okay, that’s probably not the best travel advice. Because the most important thing is to go where you want to go, whether that be the middle of nowhere Africa or the center of action in Paris!
You have been all over the world and seen some amazing places. But I know us travelers always have more places we dream of visiting. Where is on your travel bucket list?
I’ve only been to northern Africa and haven’t even set foot in South America, so my bucket list goes on for pages and pages! Patagonia is at the tip top of that list though.
You are about to settle down in Norway. What made you choose Norway?
The short answer: I’m a dual American-Norwegian citizen and already speak (some) Norwegian, so I wanted to take advantage!
The long answer usually has me rambling for ages about how I never really felt fully at home in the United States and that throughout my travels I’ve always been sort of looking for somewhere I want to live, but in the end I realized that Norway will always be the most beautiful, the most magical, and the most home.
Plus the mountains! Forests! Fjords! Trolls! The thought of settling down after 5 years of working and traveling abroad still freaks me out, but moving to Norway definitely feels right. My stomach is flooding with butterflies just typing this!
Before you go tell us three of your favorite posts that you think everyone needs to read!
Ha, well I’m not sure any of my posts could really be considered must-read material, but three of my favorites are: Photography Lessons from Boracay, Travel Like a Girl, and Confessions of a Shy Backpacker.
Total babe right? Be sure to check out Silvia’s blog and read more about her travels all over the world. You will find a few places to add to your travel bucket list I promise!