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Best things in your life become with being
A wild traveller
I met Kami probably as a 4 year old in a nursery and spent another 9 years of attending the same primary and secondary school in the same years.
For me, she was a wild spirit from very first moment, full of happiness and not just anyone could handle her energy! And that’s maybe why she was so different and able to travel around the world!
Personally I think that travelling is the best teacher for your life. Learning to be independent and stand on your own feet, solving unexpected problems, learning about new cultures, meeting new people and socializing with them, seeing differences can teach you to appreciate your own things much more and many other perks!
So that’s why I kindly asked my friend Kami to help me to write all about her travels and adventures and share it her on m website. She did a great great jobs and even me, I was amazed by reading all about her experiences!
Where it all starts
ABOUT MY ROOTS AND MY FAMILY
Our family is full of love and laugh. So, humor and positive vibes is something very close to me. I joke a lot and sarcasm is my best friend. This is what I took with me and helps me to get through the whole life.
I come from a very small village in the middle of Czech Republic. I grew up hanging out with my friends, family, and pets. But during the teenage years I found out I might be too big for this small village.
I went to a high school focusing on Tourism management which helped me to sign for my first work time abroad. I was 18 and spent a summer working at a hotel in Rhodes, Greece.
I was not a fan of Czech Educational system and honestly learning by heart is not my super skill. So, when I saw an option of studying in Denmark where the system and way of studying is completely different, I knew I’m in. Me and my classmate from high school moved to London to improve my English and earn some money to start in Denmark. Just when I turned 20, I left London and went to Denmark just by myself.
Denmark
During 3.5 years of studying Tourism, Hospitality, Marketing and Sales I met quite a lot of people who helped me in some way. I moved from places to places. I lived with strange girl who left the flat and one day policemen showed up at my door asking for her. Or with a weird lady that was checking my every move. In the end I had the best roommate and that eventually became my best friend (we live together in Slovakia now).
I was working in several jobs before or after school I cleaned pubs, hotel rooms, streets, I worked in a warehouse, restaurants and so. It taught me a lot.
What I learnt there is that good people exist, and life is a sinusoid. Once you are down but then you go up again. There were times when I was in the position that I wanted to leave, and I was not going to make it. My family was there for me, just that they were always. But there were few girls that were always there for me as well. I made the best friendships there. My new family. 3 Czech and Slovak girls were there with me, and we all gone through the same and that made a special bonding.
Together all the troubles were gone. And that’s when the party started. We had the best time together. I made so many friends that I will always remember.
My life in Denmark was great. Jobs, school projects and group work made me to enjoy classes and education.
We also had time to party and travel. I became independent. I had to pay my rent, transportation, food, clothing and manage to save for eating out and vacations. That is an advantage of living in Scandinavian countries, the social life work balance that keeps the living standard good even for students.
We had an option to do 2 internships abroad and one semester of Erasmus abroad. I went to a school trip for 2 weeks to Florida and we stayed and travelled within the states for another week. We had classes about Services and Hospitality in the university in Orlando, lectures in Universal Studio and Disneyland. My friends done their internship all over the world.
France
I joined Erasmus program and spent one semester in Lille, France. I had the best time there. The group of people that got together was awesome. I enjoyed every day and made some good friendships. We travelled, hanged out and learnt about our cultures and our lives. As I am very lucky to have the best people around, we are still in touch.
My friend Adele did her Erasmus in Turkey. We both moved out from Denmark, but still had one semester of internship to go. We moved to Paris to do the internship there. I always dreamed about Paris and the dreams came true. Another episode of Kamila in Paris. When this series ended, Adele moved with her boyfriend to Lille, and I had to figure out what to do next.
My dearest ex roommate finished her studies already and was living in Bratislava, Slovakia in that time. She told me she misses me, and that Bratislava is great there and that I should move there too.
It is going to be my 3rd year in Slovakia soon. I work as a newcomer trainer for American corporate with international employees. I do enjoy being this kind of teacher and I must say I have the best colleagues. I found new friends and I spend most of my time with them.
It looks like I’ll move to Czech Republic and settle down. We all live in different countries now, but I’ll always be ready for some adventure with my girls. So, we are having a vacation together! Just in few days we’ll meet in Mexico to make some stories to talk about.
MY TRAVEL STORY
We are going for a family vacation every year. As kids and as grown ups. It is not really about money. We travelled with my brother and parents through Croatia few times and when camping and sleeping in tents. They now have a bigger car that can be amended for travelling and sleeping. I can’t wait to try it by myself soon.
I travelled with friends during my studies in Denmark. We had time if we managed to work and do school stuff efficiently. I work full time now, but those vacation days must be enjoyed.
We travelled and we loved it. We had some small spontaneous trips around the Europe (Thanks budget airlines you made my life much easier!) and two incredible backpacking vacations in Cuba and Morocco. It was terrific freedom and joy. Travelling and meeting new people, seeing nature I have not seen before and learning about a foreign culture is something that is needed in our lives. There are so many of great memories and moments. I love old towns and watching the architecture and buildings, also coasts, deserts, mountains.
Once we had an internship and my friend had her in Seville, Spain. I had to visit her once mine internship in Czechia ended. When we were there, we must have gone to Morocco as so close. One British guy who volunteer with Adele in that hostel joined us as well. We took a ferry to Morocco. We had no plan whatsoever.
I remember watching sunset on a beach when came back to Spain after a wild trip through Morocco. I was telling Adele how happy I am and that this life is freaking awesome. I really felt like in American movie.
I have hundreds of nice and great stories and memories. But I will share one that is kind of hard to believe. We somehow got to Sahara Desert and after few days we went back to the civilization. To get back we had to take a bus. Not comfortable I have to say. People were vomiting, yelling around and I got a fever and a stomachache and my friend desert fleas. It was a long way, whole afternoon, and night. We got out at city Fez around 5am. We did not have any room booked. We walked to Medina which is a city centre. And we knocked on some doors which looked like an accommodation.
Then one guy opened us his doors. He came out with machete in his hands, and we almost pooped ourselves. He put it away and apologized as he thought we are thieves. But when we explained our situation, he said his mum stays there and he cannot accommodate us. And he showed us a hostel next door.
After 4 hours of sleep in the worst room ever we went for breakfast and to get a train. We planned to go back to Spain, so way up north is the way to go. Luckily the train was modern, still packed thought. One lady took more kinds on her knees so we would have a seat to sit on. 3 hours later I suddenly realized when looking at the map that we are heading a completely different direction, back to the centre of the country.
To keep others alive, I positively said that I wanted to see one city that is now near anyway so let’s get out, stay there one night, and leave tomorrow. We did. The last member got sick, and we all shared coal pills and bathroom together. What a bonding moment. And I at least got to eat a camel meat for the first and last time in my life.
Be patient and understanding.
Life is too short to be vengeful or malicious.
Philips Brooks
What is happiness If you cannot share it with people you love. My life is so awesome, and I love every single bit of it. Everywhere I go I make some friends who light up my life. Once someone said that I am likeable awkward. And I am. I make situations kind of awkward, but in the good way, that makes people laugh. And that is my gift.
ABOUT FOOD
I do love food. Like really. I go to sleep thinking what to have for breakfast. I do enjoy trying new food when travelling. The local food gives you new fresh tastes and feelings. It also can give you a terrible stomach ache and lot of troubles.
But I’ll share the nice experiences. Picture the scenario of being on a beach in Mexico enjoying the vitamin Sea. You just want to have a sip of fresh coconut water.And what about sweet mango with a little bit of sour Tajine on top of it. That is something I still have in my mind. Actually I just ate it at home. I had to, when writing about it.
Besides fruit on beaches I love trying new food and combinations that I am not familiar with. I do enjoy every cuisine, but probably Asian the most I would say. I am really looking forward to travel around Asia to taste the food. Specially the famous and local street food.
Fresh Markets and Street food is something that people love, and that is the fact. The end. When I lived in France, I very much enjoyed going to the markets on the streets and just looking around, shopping fruit, vegetables, flowers and stopping by in a boulangerie for my baguette.
Once me and my classmates came late and it was already shutting down. There was a woman who taught me, how to pick up the best vegetables that is thrown into the garbage, when the market is over. My first and last dumpster diving.
Also that day we met a man, who was selling fruit and instead of throwing out a box of plums, he gave it to me. So I did my first fruit cake for my Erasmus friends.
Ans that’s how I found out that I am not the best baker. I would leave it like that. Or I would share a picture of my chocolate cake that I baked when doing au pair in Paris. Well done.
