Enjoy early access to Nicoletta’s story here; before it is published to all of the popular platforms on September 22, 2026.
Episode #202: Nicoletta Habsudova
CEO
Voices of Travel | Central Europe
Guest Bio
Nicoletta Habsudova is the CEO of Voices of Travel, a company that combines travel and language learning in unique ways. Growing up in a small town in Slovakia, Nicoletta discovered early on that mastering foreign languages was essential to exploring the world beyond her hometown. Her journey took her from an exchange semester in New Zealand to university studies in Salzburg, Austria, followed by professional experience in Barcelona. Along the way, she developed a deep understanding of how language learning opens doors to new cultures and opportunities. Today, Nicoletta designs personalized travel itineraries, leads nature expeditions in the Alps, and shares practical language learning strategies that help travelers connect more meaningfully with the places they visit.
Show Summary
In this episode of the Big World Made Small Adventure Travel Podcast, host Jason Elkins speaks with Nicoletta about her journey from a small Slovakian town to becoming a travel entrepreneur living in the Dolomites. Nicoletta shares how learning multiple languages shaped her path and how her early experiences abroad fueled a desire to explore the world on her own terms.
Nicoletta explains how Voices of Travel began as a blog offering travel and language tips and evolved into a business creating custom itineraries and organizing nature-focused group expeditions in Switzerland and northern Italy. These trips encourage travelers not only to explore beautiful landscapes but also to reflect and reconnect with themselves through guided daily questions and shared community experiences.
The conversation also touches on Nicoletta’s practical advice for language learners, emphasizing focused vocabulary study and active conversation practice over passive use of apps. Her story highlights the challenges and rewards of following one’s passions while navigating life transitions, including solo travel, relationships, and building a business rooted in authentic connection.
Key Takeaways
- ✓ Immersing yourself in nature can be a powerful way to reconnect with your authentic self and find clarity about life’s direction.
- ✓ Learning a language effectively requires personal effort and intention, including studying vocabulary by relevant topics and practicing real conversations.
- ✓ Physical books can support language learning by providing structure and focus, helping learners engage more deeply than many language apps allow.
- ✓ Travel combined with language learning enhances cultural connection and opens doors to meaningful experiences beyond typical tourist paths.
- ✓ Group nature expeditions can offer both adventure and space for personal reflection.
- ✓ Following your passions may involve uncertainty and risk, but perseverance and openness often lead to unexpected opportunities.
- ✓ Finding a community of like-minded people, whether through school or travel, helps support personal growth and combats feelings of loneliness.
- ✓ Customized travel planning can balance clients’ diverse interests, including adventure, culture, history, and unique local experiences.
- ✓ Early international experiences can push comfort zones and shape lifelong perspectives on travel, language, and self-discovery.
What You’ll Find on Voices of Travel
- ✓ Travel and language learning tips designed to help travelers engage more deeply with destinations.
- ✓ Customized travel itineraries tailored to individual preferences, blending adventure, culture, and personal interests.
- ✓ Organized nature expeditions in Switzerland and the Dolomites that combine exploration with guided personal reflection.
- ✓ Support for travelers seeking to learn or practice languages in practical, travel-related situations.
- ✓ A community-focused approach that encourages sharing experiences and personal growth during group trips.
- ✓ Insightful stories and strategies drawn from Nicoletta’s own international journey and language learning experiences.
Learn more about Voices of Travel | Central Europe and connect with Nicoletta at:
https://voicesoftravel.com
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Podcast Transcript
This transcript is auto-generated on recording, and has not been edited by a human. It may contain lots of mistakes, crazy words, and stuff that makes no sense. The host and the guest are not responsible for the accuracy of the transcript.
Jason (00:00.978)
Welcome back, everybody, to another episode of the Big World Made Small podcast for the adventure traveler. So happy to have each and every one of you back to join us today. And I’m also excited. We’ve got a fascinating guest, as as always, but we’ve we’ve got a lot of different types of guests, different people. Today’s guest is really sweet. And this is we’ve got Nicoletta Habsudova She is the CEO of Voices of Travel. Nika, how are you? Did I say your last name at least kind of close to right?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (00:29.208)
You absolutely nailed it, Jason. Thank you so much.
Jason (00:32.288)
Wow. Well it only took me ten minutes of practicing before I hit record. So do do you run into that issue sometimes with people or they most people probably don’t even try, right?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (00:35.194)
That’s that’s always an issue, don’t worry about it. You you said it perfectly, so
Many, many times. Many many times. Actually many people don’t even try, so thank you for making the effort. I really appreciate that.
Jason (00:50.254)
Well and and as our guests also noticed, you know, I your first name, Nicoletta, and then I immediately immediately said Nika. So for our for our guests that are listen or for our audience that’s listening today, I’m gonna just refer to you as Nika. So that’s kinda I think what you told me, your friends call you Nika. So now we’re friends, so we’re gonna go with that. Is that okay? Very cool. had a fascinating con
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:13.978)
That’s right, family and friends, exactly. Thank you.
Jason (01:19.918)
conversation with you. I guess it was just about a week ago. And you were actually connected I connected with you through a past guest that we had on the show. So it’s it’s always fun. A lot of our guests are referred by somebody else. And that’s how I find fascinating people like you. We’re gonna go so into your story. We’re gonna figure out everything, you know, how did you get from where you were to where you are now but let’s start with where you are now and just kind of share with our audience what is voices of travel.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:48.09)
Thank you so much first of all for inviting me to the podcast and yeah, it’s a pleasure to be here, so
Jason (01:54.861)
Happy to have you. you know what I sh you know what I should have asked you is for for everybody that’s listening, where are you at? Where do you live?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (02:03.545)
Currently I live in the Dolomites in northern Italy and it’s taken a long while and huge process to get there, so we might get to that as we are talking about the story and voices of travel I guess.
Jason (02:11.19)
All right.
Jason (02:14.936)
We will. We we will. And it’s it was interesting right before I hit the record button you were talking about how hot it is there and how you basically moved to the mountains where you thought it’d be nice and cool and we’re recording in the summer of twenty twenty six and it’s been a hot, hot season in across all of Europe I guess. So
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (02:27.001)
Yeah.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (02:36.537)
Sweating, sweating, correct? But whatever it is, we’ll have a great time, so
Jason (02:38.158)
All right, Nika. What is voices of travel?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (02:46.841)
So Voices of Travel is my own company and it’s a company that focuses on travel and foreign languages. And I started it as a travel blog back in 2020. And basically the very short story behind that is that I grew up in a very small Slovakian town. okay
Jason (03:12.0)
wait a wait a minute, wait a minute, Nika. This is because here’s the thing, there is no short s founder story. We’re gonna get way into that. We’re gonna go back and we’re gonna work our way up to where we are now. But first, so like pretend that it’s existed forever for just a moment. But you you mentioned that p it’s part blog and what other what other things have you tied together? Because you’ve got a few things going on that are all very interesting.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (03:14.401)
Okay, so just what is voices of travel? So voices of travel
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (03:20.969)
All right, all right. Always ahead of time.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (03:30.265)
Ha ha
Jason (03:42.21)
So if you if you meet someone at a restaurant and they’re like, Hey, what do you do? I’ve got this business called Voices of Travel, they say, What is that?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (03:50.382)
Right, so as I started it’s a travel block and a language block. So I share many travel tips and then how to learn a language for travel, you know, and
how to learn foreign languages in a fun way and then connect with locals as you travel. So that’s one thing. Then the second thing I create customized travel itineraries for people to really explore the countries more in depth as they go. And then
Also another thing is that I like to organize unique nature expeditions. So at the moment I do them in Switzerland and the Dolomit and I don’t want for the people just to travel, you know.
And you know, say like check of these destinations from the lease, and this was an amazing trip, bye-bye. But I really want the people to feel something inside them as they are traveling. So I want them to feel something in the nature and reconnect with themselves as we travel together and really come back home feeling like wow, I actually discovered something new about myself or
Jason (04:42.594)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (05:02.861)
or I discovered I have this passion or maybe this is my purpose, you know or whatever it is, like just to help people to come back to themselves and and really start living their full potential I would say. So that’s what my social trial is.
Jason (05:16.716)
I love that. It’s very cool. All right. So the first first question I guess pops into mind. You mentioned the language side of it, which I’m always fascinated by that. And what I heard you say was that I help people figure out how to how to learn some languages and incorporate that into their travel so they can connect more with the countries and the places they visit. So the question is, are you able to do that in a way that applies to
any language or is it specific to a few languages? Tell me a little bit more about that.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (05:51.418)
It’s more kind of like a language learning concept, so you can definitely apply it to any sort of language. I believe it’s not so much about learning the languages, it’s more about like you truly having the desire to learn the language and being present. And then with the strategies or tips I give you, you can really learn any language and then apply it in the country where the language is spoken as you travel.
Jason (06:20.014)
Okay. I think anybody listening to this wants me to ask you. What okay, ’cause like ’cause I wanna ask you. I’m like, okay, so this is not typically you know, we don’t typically go into tips and education and teaching everybody things, but I have to ask you at least one or two important tips that I
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (06:24.235)
All right.
Jason (06:43.042)
that would help me if I’m going somewhere and I wanna start, you know, I wanna try and learn a language. Like what is that give me an idea of what you might say to somebody that’s asking that qu like like I’m asking trying to ask you that question right now.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (06:55.769)
So
The point of it all is that I really believe the person has to be interested and has to feel like I actually like has to be determined to really learn the language. Because me myself, I realize like, okay, now I’m trying to learn Italian, for example, since I moved to Italy. And just by me going to language classes consistently every single week is not really gonna help me because I am just listening to the advice from the teacher and like doing this exercise.
Exercises in the book, which of course that’s like very practical and helpful, but I think you have to put your own effort into learning the language. So you I always tell the people like you really gotta open up a book. I know maybe it might sound a little bit old fashioned, but that’s what I truly believe. Like it’s in the core of it. So you open up a book as a beginner, and you really study like
specific topics and specific words and vocabulary within those topics. So let’s say I
go travel to Spain and I want to be able to communicate in a market and I want to be able to order food or drinks. So I will really be focusing like two weeks only studying vocabulary within this kind of field. Like okay how am I gonna ask for something at the market or what this person might reply to me and how do I react. So so really just break it into these specific topics that you are going for as you travel and
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (08:32.153)
And that that’s pretty much it. Like the grammar I believe comes in between as you are studying, like maybe at some point as you are building your own sentences after you have studied these specific words in each topic, you might start questioning, like, okay, how do I build this sentence or how do I ask that? And then as you go, you learn grammar. And once you feel I feel
Jason (08:42.104)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (08:59.427)
feel like once you are comfortable knowing many words in each topic, then I always encourage people to go online and find a tutor, let’s say a Spanish tutor, and ask him specifically like, hey, I wanna practice
Jason (09:10.798)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (09:15.287)
Talking Spanish at the market. This is what I’ve learned. Can we please have a conversation? And really just take this practical approach to that as opposed to just blindly, you know, following some type of language app and doing the exercises or doing some book exercises. Really just like put your own effort to that. I think that’s what makes a big difference.
Jason (09:20.653)
Okay.
Jason (09:28.792)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (09:36.697)
I think especially because there’s one thing if you let’s say for example I’m in Germany and I want to learn Spanish, it’s you really you you need to maybe have somebody have those conversations with you. You need to seek somebody out, like you said, a tutor maybe, and kind of role play that we’re you know, we’re at the market type of thing. or you’re living in the country.
at where you know, maybe you’re from Germany, but you’re living in Spain, then you’ve got so many more opportunities. Because I thought for many years I thought I’m gonna learn Spanish. And I had been traveling to Latin countries for for work on occasion, but it’d be a one or two week trip. So I really didn’t have the motivation or the opportunity. And then once I started traveling full time, I’ve been I mean I’ve spent most of the last five years in Latin America.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (10:07.833)
That’s the best.
Jason (10:32.246)
So I’ve got so many opportunities and wow, it wasn’t amazing how quickly I started learning. I had so much more motivation to do it and so many opportunities. You know, I got choked up a little bit there when you said something about, you know, get a book.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (10:38.369)
That’s right, yeah.
Jason (10:48.78)
You know, and sit down with a book and and you said, Yeah, that maybe seems a little strange. And I got choked up a little bit because choked up like I just I was drinking my coffee and then I almost laughed because I wanted to ask you the question is like probably the first step for a lot, you know, a lot of these people haven’t bought a book in a long time. You know, and I’m not knocking anybody for not buying books. It’s about the technology. So actually the question I wanted to ask you is you specifically said a book and then you also said maybe don’t use
Or don’t rely on some of these language learning apps. So what is it about a book? I mean we’re talking like a physical paper book. And yeah, and what’s what’s behind that? Because there’s a reason you said you said that.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (11:28.833)
talking about the physical paper book, yes.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (11:34.616)
Yeah. I’ve I believe the difference lies between like your own effort and motivation as opposed to let’s say the language I’ve already given you the path forward. So
It doesn’t even necessarily have to be a language book as as a whole. You can also just leave it out, but you really need to like make your own effort. That’s what I’m saying. So let’s just forget about the book or the English or the language app. If I really start learning a language, I would just focus on like my own
Jason (12:04.574)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (12:20.441)
So, as I said, like I would really write down some words that are related to this topic in my own English or Slovakian language, and then I would manually translate them into the language I want to learn, let’s say Spanish. And then slowly, slowly start creating your own sentences, and that’s how you build the language on your own. Well, I think and the the physical book helps you in a way that it usually like.
Jason (12:28.566)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (12:49.825)
It gives you a good concept, like it gives you a peace of mind, like okay, you have studied the most important things as a beginner. And you yeah, I think that’s like the difference. And then when you are using the language app,
Jason (12:59.246)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (13:10.273)
I don’t wanna say an issue, but usually it just gives you this pathway forward and you know you’re just like sitting there and doing these exercises and laughing. But I think your brain is not really making the connection like, I am actually learning Spanish because it’s more like in a playful way, but I I experience it myself like oftentimes I cannot really remember a lot from learning on the language app.
Jason (13:22.466)
Yeah.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (13:36.651)
And then I also cannot use the words or the sentences in real time. Well when I put my own effort and don’t rely on anything, that’s what makes this brain connection like okay now my brain can actually communicate in this specific situation, if that makes sense. Like it’s a little bit hard to explain it but
Jason (13:42.466)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Jason (13:50.594)
Yep.
Jason (13:55.703)
It it no no, it it does make sense because you’re I think and you know, I’m not a learning expert, but because you’re involving a a few different things. Well, first of all, is any time you have your phone in your hand you’re inviting distractions. And w and I think we all know that. So if you like, okay, I’m gonna learn Spanish with my phone, how much ti you know, I’m I’m gonna
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (14:11.514)
That’s right.
Jason (14:23.672)
Do a half hour every day learning Spanish on my phone. Yeah, how many times are you gonna get eru interrupted during that half hour with messages? You know, Instagram pops up and says, you missed this, you missed that, or whatever. So that’s one thing. But but then even I think, I don’t know, but it seems like even just having your phone in your hand sometimes is like I don’t know what it is, but it’s like
Am I really taking this seriously? You know, cause how many times are we just on our phones scrolling through stuff, kind of half connected, half, you know, just watching T V, scrolling through your phone at the same time? So I think maybe psychologically we just don’t feel like it’s a serious endeavor when we’re looking at our phone screen. I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (15:10.714)
That’s actually such a good point because I think like for many of us sometimes after a busy day we just lay down on a sofa and like scroll, you know, and that might be a type of relax for some people. So if start scrolling
Jason (15:25.792)
It’s your way of checking out almost, right?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (15:27.776)
Exactly, yeah, check it out. And when you start scrolling, but like when you start scrolling on the language app and you are thinking you are learning something, your brain might think like, she’s actually relaxing, you know. So that’s that’s a good connection too, yep.
Jason (15:38.137)
She’s in relaxed mode. This is where if you’ve got a book open in front of you and a notepad sitting next to you, and your phone is hopefully on, you know, some other table away from across the room. And you’re yeah, it’s intentionality, which is what you mentioned, that that you said you really gotta kind of want it. And that that makes a lot of that makes a lot of sense. So all right, cool. I was just curious about that. That’s that’s only part of what you do.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (16:03.962)
Yeah.
Jason (16:06.458)
let’s let’s go into I’m really interested in also interested in and want to touch on your group trips. would you call them group trips? I think you called them nature expeditions, which sounds sounds better than group trips. but you mentioned specifically Italy and Switzerland, is that right? Okay.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (16:18.882)
Yeah, group trips, nature expedition. It’s the same also.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (16:27.256)
Right. Mm-hmm. Correct.
Jason (16:29.254)
are these who are your typical guests that go with you? Are these do you have a lot of sing first of all, it’s a group departure. So you set a t a date and you reach out to your audience, your people, your your tribe and say, Hey, I’m going to Switzerland. Do you want to go with me? Is that kinda what that looks like?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (16:49.242)
That’s right, so I create the whole itinerary and schedule, I put it on my travel blog and then I share the link on my social media. Some people found find it on my travel blog and I set a specific date and tell them like let’s go whoever wants to join.
Jason (17:00.696)
Yeah.
Jason (17:05.72)
That’s very cool. Do you tend to get single travelers or groups, couples, families? Who do you generally get to join you?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (17:14.638)
More single travelers, sometimes couples, but it’s also I yeah, I think single travelers are the major
Jason (17:23.03)
just gonna ask you because I don’t know.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (17:29.08)
Mostly women, that’s right. Yes, there is I would say like seventy, thirty percent ratio. Seventy women and thirty men, yeah.
Jason (17:30.784)
Okay. All right. But they’re open but they’re not
Jason (17:40.8)
Okay. I was just just curious. ‘Cause if you said it’s women only then I thought maybe we should know that.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (17:48.057)
No, it’s not women on no no. that’s the point. Like I would I really like to leave it open so whoever feels connected to the offer I am giving out, I believe should have the chance to sign up. So there is not so much restriction even like age or or v female, male can sign up.
Jason (18:02.062)
Yeah, yeah, I like that.
Jason (18:08.694)
Mm. All right, very cool. How long are those trips l usually?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (18:13.068)
Usually about eight days, eight to ten days.
Jason (18:15.02)
Okay. Will you get a good mix of do you get some folks from North America? Is it mostly Europeans?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (18:23.852)
It’s mostly US. US or Canada, yeah, North America.
Jason (18:27.598)
Do you do you spend time on language conversations? D it do is that part of the trip? I mean, are you helping them kinda learn some some some of the local language as they’re traveling?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (18:41.772)
it’s not necessarily a focus. Like I’m I’m always open to help them and encourage them to like connect and learn the language or even
Jason (18:46.798)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (18:51.258)
We, you know, practice some phrases so I always have like this very funny list of phrases in a local language and and I tell them like, Okay, this is how you say it, you know, and then I encourage them to go go go like speak it, you know, like people are gonna appreciate you and maybe you will get some extra beer or whatever. So like the language aspect is always involved.
But it’s not the focus. That’s kind of my future idea, I would say, that I would like to create with voices of travel. Just tours specifically designed for those who want to really dive deep and learn the language. And we would be traveling through the country where the language is spoken, and we would be really like studying, and that’s another thing.
Jason (19:15.896)
Okay.
Jason (19:21.282)
Yeah.
Jason (19:37.815)
I I love that idea. I I love that I because I as I was listening to you to str mention that, I was yeah, because people will go to Spain and stay for, you know, maybe a short, like intense like they go to a language school, you know, they go good get a room somewhere and they go to language school every day, but they’re kind of fixed in one school and you know, they go to a classroom where I think taking a couple weeks
and traveling around Spain with someone like yourself, that it was just like you’ve got so many opport cool little opportunities. Cause normally when people go on a group trip to a country where they don’t speak the language, you’ve got your trip leader or your guides or whatever that do all the translation, any any questions. I mean, language seldom comes up other than how do you say thank you or please? I love that. I’d I’d sign up for that. All right. Yep.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (20:32.61)
That’s a little secret, maybe coming up.
Jason (20:35.006)
All right. that’s so that’s so cool. It’s actually it sounds really, really cool. I love that. all right, let’s you know how when you’re on those group trips and people that probably go with you already kind of know you in a sense. You know, they’ve been following you for a while, they’ve been you know, reading your blog posts and stuff like that, but they don’t know you that well. And then maybe on the first night you sit down, you know how like maybe after dinner they’re like, Nika, how the how the heck did you get into this?
Right? Where are you from? Now we’re gonna have that conversation. All right. So let’s start with where were you born? Where are you from originally?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (21:08.762)
Right.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (21:15.556)
So I was born and raised in a small Slovakian town in the western part. And I basically spent there like my whole teenage years until I was eighteen years old.
Jason (21:31.008)
Okay. Was you said it is a small town, you mentioned. What is a small town in Slovakia? What’s like how what do you mean by small town? How small?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (21:34.82)
Small town, yes.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (21:43.426)
I I have I’m so bad with population, so please don’t ask me about the population.
Jason (21:47.105)
Okay. Well so I I try to th put this into reference. I mean is there like I don’t know, a s a s small town. Could you walk across it?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (21:51.972)
Let’s
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (21:57.035)
I if you are if you you can walk, yeah of course. You can Yes, within one day, yeah, easily. So if you’ve ever been to Europe, imagine like a very tiny town with one church, you know, like free supermarkets. It actually has two churches at the moment already, but you know, like can you can walk across it with in in one day, so if that helps.
Jason (22:02.208)
No, no, but could you walk across the entire town? Like how Okay, all right. ‘Cause sometimes
Jason (22:15.684)
yeah, there there we go. That’s a good it’s growing. Okay. ‘Cause ’cause, you know, it’s it’s all I don’t know. I grew up in a small town in Wyoming, but it was
But for Wyoming, it was, you know, the third largest city in the state. But but but to anybody else in the world, they’d say, Wow, that’s kind of a small town. So anyway, I was I was just curious about that. What was it like growing up there?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (22:37.242)
Okay, that that that’s a good point.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (22:45.519)
Yeah.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (22:50.55)
It was interesting. when I look back I am really grateful that I got to grow up there.
Jason (23:01.004)
Why? What were you what are you grateful for?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (23:04.056)
Because I think it has pushed me to grow into the person I am today and I’m still becoming. because when I look back, as I was living there and going to school, I always had this idea in the back of my mind, like, there must be just something more to life, like than what I am seeing around, you know, and sometimes like many upset people or
Jason (23:29.43)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (23:33.655)
A lot of negativity, a lot of judgment. And I don’t wanna say these are the only things I experienced there, that’s definitely not true. there was a lot of love and and many beautiful things like friendships, but but these things were always in my heart, like I was just questioning, like there must be something more than what I am seeing, like people getting married in their twenties and
and starting their families and and many people being lost and and kind of just following the the pathway that everybody told them to do. And again I am not saying any of these things are wrong, that’s for sure none but for me it definitely wasn’t and I think I was always questioning within like
Jason (24:13.891)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (24:18.306)
Just wasn’t for you, it sounds like.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (24:27.562)
I believe like there there is just definitely so much more and I always wanted to explore it, so
Jason (24:33.208)
You got I I’m fascinated by you because a lot of the conversations I’ve had are, you know, I grew up in a small town and I just wanted to get away from there. You know, I just like wanted to get out and and see other things. But what I I love about the way you said it was I’m grateful. Well, I said, what was it like growing up there? You’re like, well, I’m grateful that I grew up there.
And then basically said, I’m grateful I grew up there because I saw things that I didn’t like. And people don’t always have that mindset of, yeah, that living there kind of I’m gonna say sucked. Not I’m not you didn’t say that, you didn’t say that, but I’m saying you could say, Yeah, living there sucked. I’m so lucky that I lived there because it sucked, is what I heard in a sense. but
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (25:01.721)
Yeah.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (25:10.051)
Yeah.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (25:21.826)
You could also translate it that way.
Jason (25:25.28)
I know, I I’m putting words now I’m not trying not to put words in your mouth, but it’s like I’m so lucky that I was born there because it encouraged me to go find bigger and better things. Is kinda kind of I guess, right? Yeah. Wow. Is that kind of I’m not I’m not asking you to commit to that, but that’s what I heard. Is that that’s kinda is that s is that right? Okay, all right. I I don’t wanna All right.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (25:48.888)
That is right, absolutely right. Yes, you’re going right.
Jason (25:54.571)
At what age do you remember at what age you decided that I’m gonna get out of here someday and go do bigger and better things?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (26:04.452)
Yeah. So there is a lot of stories, yeah. So I remember especially during my teenage years, like between fifteen and seventeen, I was really unhappy there and just kind of like a lot of things going on in the family as well, but in the environment. And
Jason (26:05.292)
Tell there’s a story. Tell us the story.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (26:26.722)
It got to the point when I I just like out of nothing started searching on the internet, like some exchange programs abroad. And you know, growing up in Slovakia I only knew a Slovak language, that is my native language and and
Jason (26:34.285)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (26:45.514)
also thinking like okay if I wanna get out of here sooner than later I have to like study English or any other language especially English and improve it to be able to communicate with the rest of the world and like pursue my dream. So then I found this exchange program online and
Jason (27:00.099)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (27:08.514)
It was like I could fly to New Zealand and spend half a half a year there, live with a local family and just go to high school there. And my heart immediately started dancing. I was like, yeah, this is this is it, like I just wanna go so much. So I made it happen as I was seventeen years old. I just flew to New Zealand and that was kind of my first international experience.
Jason (27:11.554)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (27:27.555)
Okay.
All right, before we
Jason (27:34.35)
All right, I wanna dig a little deeper into that because you mentioned that you felt like you needed to learn English. I guess first question is did you have opportunity in the local schools to learn English or did you have to seek that out on your own?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (27:48.431)
We did, yeah, yeah. We I was I was learning English at school as I was even in a primary school. And grateful for my parents. They also signed me up for private English classes and I I was always learning English, but if it wasn’t for the private classes, I would have never learned it because you know like the education at school was not the best so especially when it comes to English or foreign languages. So I know a little bit
Jason (28:00.654)
Okay.
Jason (28:17.078)
Hey, it’s not not not just in Slovakia. And and maybe maybe things have changed, but I took three years of French I, you know, got to through three years of French in high school and then got to go to France and realized I don’t speak French. It was I spoke I spoke enough of French that the French people would open up and speak English. And that there’s a difference, ’cause if you don’t speak any French, there’s you know
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (28:18.364)
Yeah, I know.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (28:33.54)
Feel you.
Jason (28:44.884)
Sometimes they’re not that welcoming. and and I’m not not gonna I shouldn’t have even said that, but it’s in my experience, if you speak a little bit of a language, people are much more likely to open up and speak your language back to you. You know, I think everywhere, not just France. But anyway, so were you focused on finding an English-speaking country, or did you figure that if I
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (28:59.482)
That’s right.
Jason (29:10.87)
I would s I would guess so. I mean when you were looking for these programs online, you were learning English, so you were specifically wanting to go do s an exchange in an English speaking country, right? Make makes sense. and you picked New Zealand, which is about as far as Slovakia. I
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (29:22.746)
Right. Mm-hmm, just English.
Jason (29:33.506)
Maybe Australia. I’m not sure if you d like let’s pick the English speaking country that’s furthest away. You couldn’t have just gone to the UK you couldn’t have just gone to the UK or Canada.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (29:33.914)
on the other side of the world, yeah.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (29:40.942)
Yeah, that’s me.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (29:46.178)
I feel like something was bubbling within me and I wanted to get as far as possible. Let’s put it this way.
Jason (29:54.671)
I d I don’t think the Slovakian tourism board is gonna invite you to come participate in any projects. just kidding. all right, so that’s but it was it were you were you I I can see where maybe even subconsciously I wanna get as far away as possible, but when you were looking at programs, if you saw a program
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (29:59.291)
You never know.
Jason (30:19.682)
that was in the UK, would you have been just as happy to go there or were you holding out for something a long ways away?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (30:27.086)
been totally happy to go to any English speaking country but I the way I was thinking about it was that once I go I might as well go a little bit farther and spend some more time there because I can of always visit England, you know, it’s just two hour flight from from like where I live. So that’s that was my thinking process behind that.
Jason (30:34.744)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (30:42.902)
Yeah. I yeah. Yeah.
Jason (30:48.344)
makes sense. Had you did you have any opportunities to travel around Europe or anywhere before this trip?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (30:56.408)
Yes, we did travel a little bit with my family. We always used to go to Croatia as a family vacation and a little bit through Europe, yeah. So that’s another thing I’m always grateful for. For my parents too.
Jason (31:09.09)
Yeah. W what were those trips typically like?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (31:16.43)
I’m trying to think like what’s what’s the reason why you are asking this question.
Jason (31:20.494)
I don’t know because it popped into my head. Here’s here’s what I mean. When I w because I think of when I traveled with my family when I was young, it what it was like was being in the front of a pickup truck with my brother and my dad and the dog and it was cramped and
The air conditioning usually wasn’t working. It was sweaty and we and we slept in truck stops sometimes and and rest areas. That’s what my family travels were like in the summers. So so I’m just Yeah, exactly. So I I’m just kind of curious like, you know, some people are they’re camping trips and other people they stay, you know, they go to the cities and they stay in the nice resort hotels. And so I’m just curious like what was traveling like for you.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (31:42.522)
Okay.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (31:50.82)
I see all right. I love those though. That sounds awesome. Adventure travel.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (32:10.394)
With my family I would say a little bit different style. So when we got together as a family we usually just drove to Croatia by car and then stayed in a Airbnb or apartment and explore the area a little bit and enjoy swimming. But then when I was alone with my dad
Jason (32:23.822)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (32:27.672)
Okay.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (32:31.45)
we always did these very crazy adventurous trips. Like we went hiking in the High Tatras in the Slovakian mountains and we would be sleeping over in mountain heads and I remember we c we would always go a little too crazy, like it was May and it was snowy everywhere and the hiking trails weren’t even opened officially yet. They only open in June.
But my dad was like, we can do it, that’s not a problem. Like it’s not officially banned, you know, it’s still like free, we can go. So I just remember like many times with him climbing, you know, this mountain pass, like and there was n no security, nothing, no chains, just climbing on the top of the snow and these giant rocks and like looking down, like if I sleep, I am literally going to die. And then on top of that, it started raining. And then we were
Jason (33:26.528)
jeez.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (33:27.896)
Singing with my dad, I truly loved it, you know, and he also loved that. And to this moment, I remember like we were just singing and like screaming to the nature, like, this is the best day of our lives, you know. And we were having the best time of our lives. So this was the kind of adventures we did with my dad, and I will never forget that.
Jason (33:49.955)
Nika, when you watch this back, you’re gonna understand why I asked that question what your your trips were like when you were a kid. That’s why I asked those questions. And that thank you for sharing. I you know, y I just wow, that’s super cool. Was and those trips it sounds like it was just you and your dad.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (33:59.245)
Yeah, get excited.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (34:12.002)
Many, many were just my dad and and me, his. Mm-hmm.
Jason (34:15.694)
Alright, so now we know b now we know why you do nature expeditions with people because you want them to have similar connections and experiences and yeah, okay. So now it now it all makes sense. I mean there’s still more stuff, but it makes sense. what
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (34:21.198)
That’s right.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (34:29.378)
And I guess and I guess when I when I reflect on it, now it really just sparked this aliveness in me. And yeah, as you said, probably that’s why now I am organizing this nature expedition because I would like to bring the aliveness to the people around as well through these trips. So yeah.
Jason (34:49.09)
Yeah. Yeah. And and that’s why I love having these conversations. So thank you for thank you for for going there with me. yeah, yeah. That’s that’s very cool. So what what did your dad like I’m just curious, what kind of guy was he like? Was or what kind of work did he do? He wasn’t a mountain climbing guide, I I presume. Just with the
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (34:56.506)
Thank you for asking.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (35:09.794)
No, he was not. He was a crazy guy. He was entrepreneur, so he had his own construction company and then later he ran his own restaurant and small boutique hotel.
Jason (35:21.389)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (35:27.246)
that’s interesting. Yeah, so there’s that that and that angle as well. And what about your mom? Was she adventurous?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (35:36.324)
She’s adventurous in her own way, definitely, yes. Yeah. She likes to take things slower, but she’s adventurous so as well.
Jason (35:37.612)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Very cool. So that
Yeah. So w do you remember the conversation you had with them when you decided here’s the program I want to go on a well, let me ask you this. Did they even know that you wanted to do a study abroad type of thing before you came to them and said, Hey, look, I found this thing in New Zealand or I I how did that conversation go? Yeah. I I had a suspicion. All right.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (36:06.734)
They had no idea. So I was just kind of alone in my room, you know, suspiciously looking at this program and like for a month probably and preparing myself for this conversation and and then after I really felt sure, like hundred percent like there is no way I’m not going to do it, I went to them and I told them.
Like hey, I I would really like to go and experience this exchange program and
Jason (36:38.06)
Before you before you tell us how they responded, what I heard you just say was I needed to make a hundred percent sure I had to have the whole thing planned out and what I heard the the the what is it, the music beneath the lyrics or whatever the word is, but or the way to say it, but what I heard was
If I’m not a hundred percent sure they’re gonna try and talk me out of it or I’m gonna change my mind, my mom’s gonna be upset and I’m gonna and I’m gonna back down and say, Okay, never mind, I’m not going. Is was does that resonate
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (37:08.526)
That resonates a lot, yeah. I mean that I’m not sure if I had those thoughts exactly, but that definitely yeah. I think I’m just the type of person who really likes to be hundred percent sure if I’m going into something, so but you’re right, definitely, yeah.
Jason (37:14.606)
Okay.
Jason (37:22.176)
Okay. All right. So what happened when you when you sat down with them and said, Hey, I found this thing? I can imagine, hey mom, dad, we need it we need to have a conversation. I’ve been reluctant to tell you this and I can imagine ideas in their head, my gosh, she’s pregnant or or whatever. She’s gonna drop out of school or whatever and and you said, I want to go to New Zealand. How did they respond?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (37:30.49)
So I
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (37:36.194)
Yeah.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (37:40.669)
no, you
So my mom she went immediately blank. I guess I could just see like she was shocked. And my dad
Jason (37:54.511)
She’s like, I I wish you would have just said you were pregnant
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (37:59.033)
Ha ha ha.
No, I think they knew that would not happen, so I think they had a peace of mind about that. That was not my intention.
Jason (38:02.776)
Bad joke.
Jason (38:10.369)
okay. Yeah, I’m just making bad jokes here. But but yeah, your mom went blank, huh?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (38:16.954)
Yeah, and I remember she was I think she just didn’t say anything for five minutes and then my dad he also was shocked but he was listening like to my reasoning and why I decided to go there.
And what is it about? And and he was asking me, like, okay, what what is it? You know, like where? How did you find it? So and then my mom try just kind of s you know, sitting there I think processing for her. What do we get our mums to go through, right? Like I always admire mums, like they just have to go through so much pain with their children. So
Jason (38:58.924)
Yeah. So so if if you kinda look back to that moment, can do you think she was just trying to hold in the tears or anger or what do you maybe you’ve had conversations with her since then. What what what do you think was going through her head when she was sitting there really quiet?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (39:15.972)
She was definitely not angry because she always encourages me to do anything. But I feel as a mum, you know, like it it’s terrifying when her child goes half across the globe somewhere and she’s not gonna see her daughter for like half a month and half a year and half a year, yeah.
Jason (39:23.608)
Yeah.
Jason (39:31.459)
Half a year. Or because I’ve had enough of these conversations to know, a lot of people go for six months and don’t come back. you know because so when you say I’m gonna go halfway around the world and how old were you? Seventeen? Yeah, so if I imagine my seventeen-year-old daughter going halfway around the world for six months.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (39:42.2)
Yep, that’s another fig. It’s even worse.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (39:51.214)
Seventeen.
Jason (39:59.885)
She might fall in love with the country, she might fall in love with a boy, she might just never come back, or if she does come back, it’s just to finish school and then she’s gonna turn around and go back to New Zealand again. I can, you know, because that that happens. But
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (40:13.956)
So what kind of feelings does it evoke to you as a parent?
Jason (40:17.774)
well, my life is kind of I’m a little bit adrift in the world, so I get it and I and I love my kids, but I yeah, there have been a couple my daughter picked up and went a long ways away to go to school and I was so proud of her. And you know, I yeah, so to me I think it’s great.
But I don’t know. I’m also not a mom. And I and I’m not saying that, you know, it’s not a sexist conversation. It’s just there’s a little bit of a difference sometimes. It sounded like there was with you, with your parents. Were you an only child?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (40:54.202)
No, I have three brothers. But I’m the the oldest daughter.
Jason (40:56.59)
okay.
Yeah, okay. So the fru okay. So how much time did they have to pr prepare for the in it you know, like was this a I’m going and I’m leaving next month? I mean you probab I’m guessing you needed their support. You couldn’t just make this decision completely on your own, right? You did have support or you or you may
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (41:15.758)
I did, I did, yes. Yes. I I think it was like half a year before I was actually supposed to go. I had the conversation with them. Because then we had to go through some processes, you know, and stuff. So I if if I remember well like half a year before I went. Easily, yeah. Easily.
Jason (41:31.822)
Yeah.
Jason (41:36.483)
And they could have said no. You were, you know. I can’t imagine a scenario where you’re in a position where you could say, Well, I’m going anyway. I mean you could go somewhere anyway, but probably not, you know, a program like that. Like I mean you could run away, I guess, but did peep some people do that, especially when they decide they really want to get out of here.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (41:53.634)
I could say
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (42:00.409)
Maybe they that would have been a plan B if they didn’t let me have to go to New Zealand, you know.
Jason (42:06.178)
Well that’s where I’m go that’s kind of actually where I’m going with this is did you feel like
Were they really on board or were they just like, We if we don’t support her on this, it could be worse, right? Or did you was there a point when they’re like when they got to where they were excited or just I don’t want it we don’t need to talk about every day for the whole six month period, but getting ready, but how did you lead up to that? W did they start to get excited or was it was it the opposite? Were they getting more fearful?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (42:42.158)
You know, it was just I think really this initial conversation and like the shock they had, like what what is my daughter actually telling us right now? But then after of course they were excited and they were supportive and and my my dad tried to I think like convince my mom a little bit like don’t worry, she’s gonna be okay, you know, and so I but they they were very supportive and they encouraged me, so I’m grateful for that.
Jason (42:50.541)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (42:55.436)
Okay.
Jason (43:02.573)
Yeah.
Jason (43:07.736)
That reminds me, that was the other part of why I’d asked a little bit about what was traveling like for you in Europe was I was imagining I I guess the question I want to get to okay, was this your first time on an airplane when you got on airplane to go to New Zealand or have you been on a plane before?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (43:23.962)
I had been on a plane before, yeah. But it was the first time when I was alone and going to the complete announcement. Well my dad actually actually flew part of it, but then I flew the rest like alone, so
Jason (43:28.812)
Yeah.
And that’s
Jason (43:37.398)
Okay. So the last and the last leg is that’s it’s a long way, you know. I’ve I’ve flown to New Zealand and it’s those are sometimes some long plane flights. What was the long and you were so was it the last flight was the one you were on alone that was probably the long flight?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (43:48.73)
Yeah.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (43:56.443)
I think it was fifty fifty or s something like that. Like I think we yeah, I don’t remember exactly when maybe like halfway through or somewhere.
Jason (43:59.79)
Okay.
Jason (44:05.676)
It probably doesn’t mean much to you. I just remember th when I was quite young, we my brother and I flew unaccompanied. I think I was twelve. We flew unaccompanied from New York to Australia. And so it left a big mark on me, left a big impact. So that’s why I’m my gosh, you’re f you know, you you’re on this long flight by yourself, but you were a little older than I was and probably very excited.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (44:19.65)
Mm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (44:27.322)
How did it feel for you as a twelve year old? That’s pretty impressive.
Jason (44:31.37)
It it was kind of crazy. Looking back at it, I’m like, no wonder I’ve grew up the way I’ve got a lot of childhood dramas. But in a g but in a good but in a good way. yeah, that was a super big adventure for us. Okay. Would you say you were I mean I’m sure you were excited. Well, I don’t know, you tell me. Do you remember how you felt on that trip?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (44:38.923)
no.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (44:57.668)
When I was already there in New Zealand, you mean? On a way. On a way, on the
Jason (44:59.82)
Well well, on the way. Let’s talk about that. So your dad went part of the way with you. Do you remember the emotions like because were you scared? Were you sad? Did you get homesick already? You know, what was what were you what were you feeling?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (45:12.824)
I was definitely not homesick I remember I was feeling so alive and I was like finally you know like it’s it’s almost like I felt this complete freedom and I I was going to the unknow when and I
Jason (45:14.85)
Ha ha ha ha.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (45:29.6)
so excited to discover myself like who actually am I you know and what possibilities out there so I was very excited about this part. I remember feeling intimidated though and stressed like nervous because I have no idea how I could have done it back then but I remember
Jason (45:44.675)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (45:51.507)
I never saw a picture of the family who was gonna meet me at the airport. And you know sometimes like as a teenager you don’t really think about anything, you just go and and you will figure out the rest on the way. So maybe that was my thinking, but I have no idea how I could have started going without knowing who is actually gonna meet me there. Like they did have my picture, they knew.
Jason (46:03.052)
Uh-huh.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (46:18.058)
They were gonna meet me and I knew their names and like some type of family, but like crazy, totally crazy.
Jason (46:26.026)
It’s it’s but you’re right, you mentioned ’cause you’re a teenager and it’s it’s interesting. A lot of
People go do like the the gap year and exchange. They go and they don’t know what to expect. They don’t know where they’re gonna be staying, they don’t know the people, and they’re just okay with it. They’re so excited about it. And then that same person, twenty years later, when they’re forty, books a vacation through a tour operator and wants to know what’s the guy’s license plate, who you know, the person picking us up, what’s their phone number in case we can’t find them, where are we staying? We need to see pictures of the room and
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (46:54.414)
Yep.
Jason (47:02.032)
These are the same people twenty years later that that want to work out all the details and and when you’re eighteen, you’re seventeen, it’s like, whatever. I just you know. But but but part of that is because at 17 you’ve never missed a transfer. You’ve never been stuck at the airport without a way to communicate. And you know, so after you know, the next 20 years you go through enough experiences where
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (47:05.444)
It’s interesting how we change, and
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (47:12.568)
Whatever, yeah.
Jason (47:30.39)
you you think you’re staying one place and you show up and they don’t have the reservation, then I think that’s why later on in life you’re you’re much more worried about who’s picking me up, where am I staying, that that that type of thing. So anyway.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (47:37.252)
Guess so, yeah.
At a young age nothing is holding you back I guess. Which is which is good and bad sometimes, yeah.
Jason (47:46.767)
And and I Yeah. Depending on what choices you made that that got you to where you are. But it’s it’s also I also believe that it’s really good for people that work in this business, tour operator like yourself. You’re putting together group trips and you’re helping people with itineraries. It’s good that you had those types of experiences, you know, that type of experience when you were young because
when you were willing to just risk things and figure things out. and I’ve that’s a common common pattern I’ve seen. And and actually I spoke with somebody yesterday that or a few days ago that has an operation in Costa Rica, an inbound company, and I asked him, I said if if if you had to go do one of the jobs on your team, he’s got this big team of guides and drivers and all this stuff. And I said if you could do
one job if you had to go out and do one job for the day, which you know, which of those jobs do you most enjoy? He said, I like picking people up at the airport And initially I thought
God, that sounds kind of boring, really? Like and he and he mentioned that he’d gone to Germany on an exchange program. And when he got there, he didn’t feel he was young, didn’t feel very welcome. People he just felt a little bit lost when he got there. So he always wants to make sure his clients feel very, very welcome.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (49:09.454)
That makes complete sense. Like also like create this first ex i impression like somebody’s actually caring, you know, and is there for you and really wants to create this first nice experience. So that makes sense, yeah.
Jason (49:16.332)
Yeah. Yeah.
Jason (49:21.73)
Yeah. So I brought all that up to ask you. You landed at the airport in Auckland, presumably, or where where did you what part of New Zealand did you go to? In Christchurch. Okay, so you get to Christchurch. Tell me what you remember of arrival in Christchurch.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (49:30.742)
In Christchurch.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (49:39.793)
these are hard questions, you know, it was a long time ago. But I remember feeling like I remember feeling stressed and and just like where did I come, you know, what am I doing here? Maybe I had little tears in my eyes. And then I came out and
Jason (49:45.708)
Well that means it went smoothly, I guess.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (50:06.808)
And the family was like waving at me so I and they said my name so I recognized like, that’s my lovely family and I’m like, hello, hello.
Jason (50:11.662)
Must be the right people, okay?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (50:18.604)
And they were so lovely. Like I mean to this day they are such amazing people. We still communicate and sometimes we send each other presents and and back then I remember so we exchanged a couple of words and they immediately made me feel like I am at home. Like they they did the best they I could. And then we draw in a car to their home and they were asking me questions, you know, like really try to make me as comfortable as possible and I I
Jason (50:36.268)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (50:48.508)
Really appreciated it. So
Jason (50:50.658)
How did you do you remember I know it was a while ago, but how did you feel with your English? Did you feel like, my goodness, I really need to learn some more or did you feel pretty comfortable with that part of it?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (51:01.22)
That w that’s been always ongoing issue in my life. Like I always felt very intimidated by my English, especially at that age. Like, you know, I I was just learning it in Slovakia. I never really had the chance to speak to native speakers. So that was that was a big step outside of my comfort zone. And but I also probably the fact helped me that I was very young, you know, so like nobody kind of cared and also they knew that one of my main
Jason (51:10.36)
Well, okay.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (51:31.164)
main point why I came there was to improve my English so but I did feel intimidated, I remember.
Jason (51:38.647)
And I bet they didn’t speak any Slovak. It’s not very which is which i you’re right, it is good. ‘Cause that it’s hard to learn when you’ve got you know, the pers the people you’re around the most speak both languages cause they tend to keep gravitating back to y you know, maybe to your language to help you out. And if they can’t do that, then you you’ve gotta figure it out another way, which is
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (51:41.348)
No, they did not Which is good. Like
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (51:58.455)
Exactly.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (52:05.348)
Just like you mentioned with your French, like ac actually I used to think what a blessing you guys have that you grew up in the US, like or wherever English is the first language. Because like life must be just so much easier, you know, if you travel and do all this stuff. But now it made me reflect when you said like you were you actually wanted to learn French, but they didn’t let you because they kept talking to you in English. So
Jason (52:14.604)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (52:30.296)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (52:33.868)
Yeah, not sure if it’s a really like there are always two sides on things, right?
Jason (52:34.765)
It
Jason (52:39.694)
And that’s I think that’s why Europeans tend to speak more languages, especially non-English speaking Europeans. I mean like you know, people that grew up in you know Slovakia or Germany or whatever, they tend to speak more languages because you know, if if all you speak is German, it’s gonna be a little hard traveling around the world and all this stuff.
So the ne the natural step then maybe would be to English, but maybe others. Whereas if yeah, if I guess where I’m going with this is for the most part, if you speak English, you can most places you can kind of get along. You know, there’s some places that it’s a little harder, but it’s still if it it doesn’t force you to learn anything else, I guess is what I’m saying. There, you know, unless you like do like I did with basically I’m living in Colombia right now and
There’s not that much English here. I could do it without any Spanish, but I’d be very lonely. I wouldn’t you know, it’d be hard to make connections. So Yeah, yeah, yeah. So did did your host family in Christchurch did they have kids your age? Other teenagers?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (53:40.868)
Yeah. That’s what pushes you. That’s that’s a good challenge.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (53:53.751)
Yeah, they were a little bit younger. They did have two kids. I think back then well, I don’t remember exactly, but let’s say like I was seventeen and I think one was thirteen and the other one was nine or more and less like this age.
Jason (54:08.216)
Okay. So tell me about your first day at school. Do you remember that?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (54:14.52)
Also very intimidating Yeah, just went there and and I think there were many like many things that just got me stuck for a while and like I was just standing there as a tree looking around like where where did I just come, you know? Just with the fact that the high school was much much bigger.
Jason (54:15.79)
I can imagine. Holy cow.
Jason (54:38.859)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (54:44.078)
than what was familiar to me in Slovakia. Our Slovakian high school is just one building, let’s say like a smaller hospital, and that’s it. But over there there was a campus with like hundreds of buildings, you know, and and we had to be like not too many, but it was like in my perspective, you know, like it was just
Jason (54:44.194)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (54:52.12)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (55:02.07)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, Christ Christchurch is not a small town. I know that.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (55:07.288)
Yeah. So it was a huge school with all these buildings and I remember like they sent me to this English class and I had to go to a building sector G and then met that teacher and then after forty five minutes I had a biology class and had to run across the whole campus to building sector A and and it was everything was just so overwhelming for me, like not just to orientate myself in this campus at the school but also
So you know like meeting all these new people and like speaking English and feeling so insecure within myself. It was just it was a lot.
Jason (55:46.581)
Yeah, yeah. And remember earlier when you s you said you were grateful for where you grew up because you knew there were bigger, better things out there and you went to a a bigger thing, for sure, Christchurch and a big school. Do you do you also feel grateful that you got the opportunity to go to this big school or do you feel like it would have been a little softer landing if if it had been a little smaller school, maybe out in the countryside somewhere in New Zealand?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (56:15.844)
I believe the more things make you get out of your comfort zone in life, whatever it is, the better it is. So this was definitely a major step out of my comfort zone and I’m very happy about that.
Jason (56:29.454)
I love it. I’m gonna guess, correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m gonna guess at some point during your time in New Zealand you had that I miss home feeling, but maybe you didn’t. Did you get homesick?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (56:47.322)
I think I did.
But I think th there is a difference, like you can feel homesick and feel diff like from a different perspective. So yeah, I think I definitely miss my family. That was the feeling of being homesick, but I I think I didn’t miss the environment and the school where I grew up. So maybe I was just missing the feeling of like being with my family, physically I would say.
Jason (57:03.0)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (57:10.478)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (57:17.122)
Yeah, yeah, that that makes a lot of sense. before I ask you what it was like going back, is there anything else about New Zealand that we should touch on and your time and experience there?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (57:30.734)
I think we covered pretty much the most important points and just just to finish it up I I remember I grew comfortable over the time, like then we did this wonderful trip around the southern part of New Zealand, the whole southern island.
Jason (57:34.838)
Okay.
Jason (57:47.829)
yeah, that’s that’s important. Yeah, yeah, that’s very cool. Isn’t that a beautiful place?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (57:50.447)
Yeah. It’s amazing. Like that’s why I was so grateful to be on the Saturn Island because we got to see this glacier and the mountains and and this different ki type of climates. You know, I remember my first and only so far skydiving experience. That’s brought me so much out of my comfort zone and and it just really made me a new person. I really feel
Jason (58:15.702)
Did you tell your parents you were going skydiving? geez. Your mom’s, that’s exactly what I was afraid of. I she probably looked at your dad, you and yeah, exactly. Wow. Okay, okay. so where you grew up in Slovakia, I don’t know really anything about Slovakia at all. I suspect
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (58:18.21)
Only after I did it I sent them a video.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (58:27.674)
So now Pig, what is worse? Getting pregnant or skydiving?
Jason (58:44.546)
Back there’s mountains in parts of it, but did you grow up in the mountains?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (58:48.826)
I did not know. mountains are just in the northern part. I grew up in flat flatland countryside.
Jason (58:52.856)
Okay. But you’d traveled around, you told me a story of you and your dad climbing mountains and stuff, so I know you’ve seen mountains. I was just curious seeing the mountains in southern New Zealand, if that if you think that those particular mountains had any impact on your decision to now live in the Dolomites.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (59:14.286)
Definitely. I think all the mountains I’ve seen in my life have had a big impact on me. I don’t know what it is, but mountains are the place where I just feel the most at home. And different types of mountains make me feel more at home, if that makes sense. But like mountains generally because I always when I look at them and I am surrounded by them.
I feel like they are hugging me and it brings me this peace and home feeling.
Jason (59:47.759)
Do you want me to do you want me to tie this back to your memories of climbing mountains with your dad, or is that pretty clear? And how you feel like you’re being hugged on the mountain? I’m like, okay.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (59:54.158)
That is pretty clear at this point. Thank you.
Yeah.
I was never thinking about that. That is such a great point.
Jason (01:00:08.258)
I’m pretty imaginative. I can come up with things. I I I love that. That’s very cool. All right. So so presumably how much high school did you have left when you got back?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:00:10.606)
Love that.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:00:21.338)
Only one more year, the last one.
Jason (01:00:23.47)
Okay, so you went from a a really big school which pushed you out of your comfort zone. It sounds like you had great experiences. It was a good thing for you. And you already s mentioned like twice that you did not miss your school back home or you didn’t really enjoy your school back home, but you had to go back and presumably go back to the same school after you’ve had this big adventure in New Zealand. So was school was it worse or better when you went back?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:00:51.426)
It was worse.
Jason (01:00:52.526)
And is yeah, tell tell me more, tell me more.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:00:56.376)
I remember I just wanted to escape definitely. No, so when I something interesting that happened actually, it was the first time obviously when I experienced that in my life was when I returned home, I experienced this reverse cultural shock. And I felt more lonely than I was when I was living there before going to New Zealand.
Jason (01:01:16.78)
Okay.
Jason (01:01:26.37)
Wow. It in mostly in and around the school setting or just everywhere, okay.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:01:32.539)
Unfortunately everywhere. Like also like in my close circle, friends at school. And I remember I just used that year. I already knew I wanted to get out of there after high school, so in a year. And I knew I wanted to study at the university in another country and something related to travel, tourism, and languages.
So all I did basically I just locked myself in and I disregarded anything what was going around. Like not so much, you know, I was still present and stuff, but I remember just like being by myself in my room and studying English and German, like a lot from my time because I knew I was probably also gonna go to Austria, which is l Germanista native language there.
Jason (01:02:09.603)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (01:02:22.21)
Yeah.
Jason (01:02:29.774)
Mm-hmm. I I get that because it’s kinda like it’s hard to invest, and I’ve learned this big time as a nomad for the last five years. It’s hard to get excited about investing in relationships, friendships, some of those things when you’re going a different direction. You know, maybe your friend group, the people around you are gonna stay there.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:02:30.897)
And
Jason (01:02:56.716)
you know, have a family, raise a family and they’re going one direction and you’re going a different direction. So it’s like, well, you know, how much time and effort am I gonna put into maintaining these relationships or working through conflict or whatever when I’m I’m only here for another year and then I’m outta here. Right?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:03:15.556)
That is correct, and I think like I still really put a lot of effort into relationships and like maintain my friendships, but my point was that like somehow I always felt more lonely and it was getting lonelier and lonelier. And like just to give an example, when you return from a trip that meant so much to you and
you kind of really became a new person, you know, and and people back home cannot really relate to you what you are saying, so maybe they are listening, but they have no idea what you are talking about. And that left me feeling very lonely. And I’ve been feeling this loneliness pretty much my entire life. And that’s also one of the things why I love travel so much because I believe it can
Jason (01:03:45.535)
Mm-hmm. Yes. Yep.
Jason (01:03:56.418)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (01:04:04.024)
Yeah.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:04:09.966)
Like yes it’s hard because it really brings you back to yourself and help you discover your authentic self. But then also you always meet like minded people that truly get you, you know. And I think that’s what I was like from that point I was on a mission to discover that, like really try to meet more like-minded people who really get you.
Jason (01:04:35.778)
Wow. I heard myself speaking there. That that’s I can I can certainly relate to that. because you’re right. And the more you have those experiences, almost the more distance it can create with people that don’t get it. I you know, and I’m guessing anybody that’s listening to this, I I I’m probably not gonna offend anybody by saying this, but some people just don’t get it. It’s just not their thing. And
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:04:39.335)
Ha ha ha.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:05:02.596)
Yeah, no, it’s nothing wrong about that. It’s just the fact, right? Like we are all different and yeah.
Jason (01:05:06.67)
But if you yeah, but if yeah. Why why do you think I do this podcast? Cause honestly, ’cause I was traveling full time on and I when I started traveling full time, I thought I’m gonna meet other people that travel full time. And I
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:05:12.194)
Yeah, I I I really understand why
Jason (01:05:25.346)
Didn’t realize that they were all 22. So that was great. you know, and I can connect with anybody, but yeah, but part of the podcast was I really want to connect with like-minded people that are have gone almost too far into their adventure, their side or whatever, that kind of like me. So yeah, I get that. That’s and I heard somebody else say that.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:05:28.113)
Ha ha ha.
Jason (01:05:53.399)
You know, travel should be transformational, especially six months when you’re seventeen years old on the other side of the planet. It’s a transformational experience. So here’s the thing, you went off and transformed for six months and then came back and everybody around you people change. I’m not gonna say they didn’t change at all.
But they didn’t transform like you did. So yeah, I can sense that it would be like kind of you mentioned the word lonely. It’s like, yeah, people don’t get it. I’ve had the same thing when I go back to the States to visit family, you know. yeah, it’s like I mostly visit my mom. My son has traveled a bit with me, but he still doesn’t quite understand my my enthusiasm for it. But I’ll go back and visit my mom and and I’m
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:06:29.464)
Yeah, do you feel the same way? Even nowadays?
Jason (01:06:45.452)
It’s it’s tough sometimes. I’ll sit down in her living room and watch travel videos on YouTube. Which must make her must make her feel horrible. She’s like, Geez, Jason, you’ve been gone for, you know, eight months, you come home and is all you want to do is fit watch videos and talk about where you wanna go next and she feels like, you know, I don’t really want to be there and you know, yeah. So it’s I I get I get that. you’re so let’s
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:06:52.132)
Yeah, some way.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:07:10.19)
We are going to wait to
Jason (01:07:15.574)
I’d love to figure out, okay, you decided I’m g gonna probably go to Austria at some point, but what did you end up doing when you finished high school? Where did where did you go from there?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:07:25.742)
I ended up going to Austria to study at the college there for three years. I studied tourism and languages, tourism management and languages, so
Jason (01:07:27.533)
Yeah, okay.
Jason (01:07:32.558)
You did.
Now it’s easy for you to tell me that when you were 18 you wanted to go to Austria and do tourism, all this stuff. We’re talking about it in hindsight. Was that did you just absolutely do exactly what you decided you wanted to do? I I don’t that was a really convoluted way of asking, basically not even asking. You did what you wanted to do. You went to Austria, you went to school for tourism. And yeah, okay.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:08:01.849)
I did, yes. So I was I was thinking about two different schools because at that point I was also thinking about studying only languages, foreign languages and interpretation and translation. That was in Czech Republic. Or then I found this program that was like tourism management and I could have studied languages alongside the program. So eventually I picked
Jason (01:08:15.886)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:08:31.492)
this tourism management because I felt that’s gonna be much broader and I’m going to learn more and that’s probably going to give me more opportunities than just locking myself into only studying languages and translation that I could do anyways, you know, like
Jason (01:08:46.232)
Okay. If we had a if we had a time machine and we could go back to the moment right before you started school in Austria and you said, Jason, I’m gonna go for tourism, hospitality, do some language stuff, and I and I look at you and say, Well, what are you gonna do with that? Maybe maybe your dad or your mom asked you that. What are you gonna do with a degree in tourism? what did you imagine yourself doing after school?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:09:14.266)
That’s a very good question. I had no idea honestly. I was just following my passions. Yeah.
Jason (01:09:17.998)
I love it. Yeah. Yeah.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:09:21.462)
I really had no idea but in my core, in my heart, I felt like it’s gonna get me somewhere. I just have to follow my passions, which was travel and languages. And I believed like the rest will unfold. You know, by meeting people at the university and making connections or whatever. Like I just believed there is something. And definitely many people questioned that. You were right. Like many people were talking behind the back probably like what the heck is Nicoletta going to do? Like study? Like what is this for? You know, to
Jason (01:09:29.953)
Yep.
Jason (01:09:44.354)
Yeah.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:09:51.379)
Even for me, like I I believe like studying tourism is for nothing, you know, but but I believe it was more about like opening myself up and and the point is that I was also studying in English so that continuously helped me to improve my English, you know, and and
and something in English and like in all these different languages. So it also it helped me to grow as a person again. It was not so much about the the degree itself.
Jason (01:10:21.762)
Yeah. It’s it’s so interesting. ‘Cause yeah, some people just they kinda have it all planned out. They’re like, I’m gonna go to school, get a degree and
Chemistry, whatever, and then I’m gonna go get a job in a lab somewhere. And this is how much a chemist usually makes in their first year and after five years and after ten. Like my son’s like that. He’s got it all planned out. He’s he knows how much money he’s gonna be making five years from now. I don’t know where I’m gonna be living five days from now. So we are so different in so many ways. he he and I, you and I I think you’re very similar, and and I’m
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:10:51.482)
I love that.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:10:56.335)
Yeah.
Jason (01:11:01.388)
Because I remember, yeah, when I told my family I was gonna go be a fishing guide. This was after I was, you know, divorced, supposed to be a responsible person. I was I’m gonna go be a fishing guide. And actually I was still married. That might be part of why that one didn’t work out. But yeah, it’s like, what? You’re gonna how are you gonna make money doing that? I don’t know. But so let’s fast forward to the end of school. The program is over, you’ve graduated. And
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:11:20.868)
Yep.
Jason (01:11:30.934)
You had to make some sort of decision, presumably. What did you end up doing then?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:11:37.051)
So I think it started already at the university the last year. They made us do some type of internship and they said if we don’t do it we will not graduate basically. So and it had to be related to tourism. So I started looking again for some jobs online and
I I really wanted to do something cool, but I I had zero idea. And all of a sudden I come across this job description, like tour manager guiding groups through Europe. And it was like this big trip, like 23 days starting in London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Greece.
Jason (01:12:20.024)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:12:20.79)
And as I was reading this description and and the job itself, my heart just started dancing again. And I remember like thinking, is this even a job? Like something like this exists? Like it that’s surreal, you know? Like I I was mind blown. And at the same time I had these feelings of like there is no way they are gonna pick me. Like I’m only nineteen years old.
Jason (01:12:38.126)
Yeah.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:12:48.066)
My English is not well enough. I haven’t been to more than half of these places where they want me to travel with the group. Like there is just no way. But something inside me was still like I should apply, you know, like this whisper. So I did apply. And well it was a long process, like me
Jason (01:12:55.629)
Yeah.
Jason (01:13:00.738)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:13:06.914)
Almost having to like miss one of the most important accounting exams at the university and having to go to this interview that was in another city in Austria, blah blah. And then we had like a long three-day seminar in Vienna, you know, lots of questions, lots of like challenges. But they ended up offering me the job. And I remember I thought so I was jumping in my dormitory room back then, like totally mind-blown.
Jason (01:13:25.806)
Wow.
Jason (01:13:34.702)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:13:36.908)
and crazy, you know, crying out of happiness, like I just scored the best job in the whole world. And I was still intimidated, like how am I gonna do this? You know, all these people are going to rely on me, like this is crazy. And it was it was like probably one of the biggest steps outside of my comfort zone I would say.
Jason (01:13:42.262)
Yeah. That’s awesome.
Jason (01:13:57.871)
That’s incredible. I I’m curious because you mentioned that you were supposed to get an internship. This job with all the it doesn’t sound like a traditional internship. So is so was it was it presented as an internship job or is it just a job and the school counted it as an internship or what help me understand that.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:14:09.612)
It does yeah, that’s a good point.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:14:20.43)
Yeah. So the school didn’t well, it did care that the job had to be in tourism somehow, but they said like we have to have let’s say like some amount of
Jason (01:14:26.273)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:14:32.322)
time completed working within the tourism industry. So they didn’t care exactly like they said you can go and work at this castle, you know, and like help people with audio guides or whatever. Like it was just a specific amount of time we had to be working within the tourism industry before we graduated. And so yeah, this fits the plan.
Jason (01:14:33.367)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (01:14:36.759)
Okay.
Jason (01:14:45.005)
Mm-hmm.
Okay, got it.
So so you so you could have went and sat at the tourist information desk in somewhere for X number of hours and the university would have been just as happy, but you went out and got the dream job guiding people across Europe and that’s pretty cool. So do you
When you like your very first trip, y you do you had other guides, more experienced guides around or did they just throw you in like here’s some how did that how did that work?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:15:26.244)
Yeah, no, luckily luckily the very first trip they call it the training trip. So you go with another guy, then you kind of watch, you know what is happening and how the logistics work and but then you are thrown into the water and I remember for me I went on this training trip, which was a different tour through different places than they
Jason (01:15:33.59)
Okay.
Okay, that’s good.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:15:52.301)
send me to like a completely different tour and in different places. So that was another you know. But I at least knew like what what was expected from me, so I just went out there. Yeah.
Jason (01:15:55.629)
okay. Yeah.
Jason (01:16:04.652)
Yeah, just figure it out. Yeah. That’s pretty cool. Where these large groups I’m envisioning like tour buses that and you are with the bus as you go from city to city and that type of thing. All right. How long did you do that? well no, actually really what I want to know is you mentioned that that was about a year before graduation. So I guess the question is how did you do that?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:16:14.052)
Yeah, like forty people. Mm mm. Yes.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:16:32.57)
So it was only twenty-three days and it was it was in May. So Yeah, the tour only lasts twenty three days and this is a specific agency. They only do these type of trips once per year. And they have like let’s say six group trips, you know, so I I started working for them but it was really just once a year thing.
Jason (01:16:36.24)
Okay. The whole job was only twenty three days?
Jason (01:16:47.318)
Okay, all right, got it.
Jason (01:16:56.202)
Okay. All right.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:16:56.44)
So I did that and that was it. And then, you know, I did like I also did work in the castle and helped with audio guys like to to make the hours. But this was a major turning point I think in the story.
Jason (01:17:04.142)
Yeah. You know, when you mentioned that you were I kind of heard you say jumping up and down in your dorm room, what I what I clicked into my head immediately was because we talked about finding our tribe, finding other people that are kind of a little off. I I won’t say that about you. I am off, but
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:17:16.154)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:17:28.824)
But the question is who is more obvious?
Jason (01:17:29.314)
Okay. Good. You’re you know it. You’re very self aware. That’s awesome. Yeah, which no I’m more off than you are, but but also it’s like, yeah, if I’m somebody that feels that way and I have an o like actually, I think I’d like to go to tourism school right now. I think I’d like to take the next three years and go to a university where all my classmates are interested in tourism.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:17:58.202)
Go ahead, I I incar you to
Jason (01:17:58.231)
I don’t know, I’ve never d I’d never had that experience. But did you feel that way in school? Because pr th in my mind you’d be surrounded by other people that are interested in the same things, or is that oversimplification?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:18:08.59)
I did, no. It was wonderful. Like that that was I think that was kind of the intention to to as I said, meet like minded people and be in a community that feel the same way, you know, and I was impressed because there were for example many international students they they flew in and and like one of my friends like she didn’t even have much family support, you know, and she made this huge leap out of nowhere and
Jason (01:18:14.466)
Yeah.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:18:36.918)
and flew there, like amazing, just just mind blowing really.
Jason (01:18:43.438)
That’s yeah, that’s something I really hadn’t thought about. I I get that. That makes sense. And probably I’m imagining the instructors or the professors as well, it probably have some tourism background I’d like to think, I hope. Yeah. All right, very cool. Okay. So so we get to the end of school. Did you go it sounds like you worked another year at least for this tour company for the
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:18:56.398)
Yeah, yeah, it was just all travel flourishing, you know, in the air kind of thing.
Jason (01:19:11.362)
The one to where what did what did you end up doing when you finished school, I guess is what I’m trying to figure out.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:19:15.93)
So so again, I think it’s important to mention that this tour company I only always got one group trip per year. So it was in twenty-free days that was it. I didn’t have any other opportunity to work for them throughout the year. but I loved it. It was definitely my dream job. And after I graduated, I ended up doing like different part-time jobs.
Jason (01:19:24.065)
Yeah.
Jason (01:19:30.626)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:19:44.867)
Right after I graduated I moved to Barcelona and I was working there for a tour operator for a year and I was designing travel itineraries. Also yes, that was great.
Jason (01:19:57.871)
Okay. All right. Did you move to Barcelona for that job or you moved to Barcelona and then found that job?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:20:06.936)
I moved to Barcelona, and then found the job here.
Jason (01:20:11.598)
Right. Why Barcelona?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:20:14.308)
Back then we had the very interesting family situation and I don’t wanna say I was forced to move to Barcelona, but like just you know to to help family and and everything. Like it just ended up being Barcelona. Well, I have to mention I was studying at an exchange semester in Barcelona as I was at this university in in Austria in Salzburg, and I picked Barcelona to go there for half a year because back then I started learning.
Jason (01:20:18.88)
Okay.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:20:44.252)
learning Spanish and I wanted to improve my Spanish and during that time Yeah and then during that time my family came and they also wanted to move there so then after I graduated from the university I was like okay then let’s move to Barcelona for some time so we ended up there and then that’s when I found the travel itinerary job yeah
Jason (01:20:45.742)
Yeah. Yeah.
That’s what I expected you to say.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:21:11.544)
Out of nowhere. Still don’t know how how that happened.
Jason (01:21:11.99)
All right. Yeah. Really? Hmm. And w okay.
I don’t know that it’s relevant, but was that that was before probably the remote work was so popular. So like did you go into an office and work with other people doing the same type of work? All right. And so that was other than
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:21:29.762)
Yes, mm-hmm.
Jason (01:21:37.165)
Well, what how did that what was that like? D was that an important part of your life is being because I’ve worked with other I’ve worked in a space where I’ve got other, you know, planners, people, you know, experts around me and I learned so much just because I could listen I could hear some of their conversations and I learned I learned a lot, so it left a big mark on me. So I’m curious what what it was like for you, if there was anything in particular about that job that you think made a real big impact.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:22:04.076)
It was definitely very impactful for me. Like I think
looking back without that again I would not be where I am right now because it not only opened my eyes that job like this exists and people actually need travel planning but just the fact like I was there in the office and the people were so lovely and again you know we were sharing the same passions and interests and and it really again made me go out of the comfort zone. Like I I got to speak with all these different partners across Europe and plan the trip and and
Jason (01:22:19.746)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:22:38.254)
be disciplined you know and and even meet these amazing guides like all across Europe and and make all these contacts it was wonderful and then I after a year being in Barcelona I I wanted to leave and I had no idea what to do where to leave but I
I was so interested in visiting Switzerland always and thanks to this job and the contacts I made with like one manager in Switzerland, you know, being responsible for one region in the mountains.
Jason (01:23:11.512)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:23:14.21)
I was like, you know what, I’m just gonna go there. So I packed my small backpack. I had nothing. I had thousand Euros in my bank account. And I said to my family, I’m just going to leave. And I had zero plan, but I I had to leave and I just went to Switzerland for two years. sorry, two weeks. Two years a week. Just went there for two weeks and one week I spent there working in a
Jason (01:23:34.376)
Yeah.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:23:43.705)
Like in a cheese farm helping family. And then another week I was traveling and exploring Switzerland and it really helped me come back to myself and rediscover like who I am again and what I actually truly wanna do in in my life because you know planning travel itineraries that was definitely my passion. But the part of sitting in the office every single day and doing nine to five jobs that was not so
Jason (01:23:47.247)
okay.
Jason (01:24:07.822)
Yeah, I g I get that. Yeah, all right. So what but when you went to Switzerland the idea was you were gonna go for two weeks and then go back to Spain or what w what was the intention?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:24:21.56)
I it was a very difficult life situation for me, so I actually ended up leaving Barcelona without an intention to return, but I also had no idea where I was going. So I just basically went to two weeks for two weeks museum.
Jason (01:24:33.13)
Okay. So what it
Jason (01:24:39.084)
You sound so much like me.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:24:42.668)
And I was help I was really hoping that I would figure it out, you know, during these two weeks as I travel and export Switzerland. So I’m telling you I only had this forty liter backpack and and that was it, like and a thousand euros and no home, I was homeless, nothing. Just like
Jason (01:24:47.244)
Yeah.
Jason (01:25:01.794)
You know, someone I I don’t know if he was wise. I didn’t know him well enough to know he was if he was wise or not, but what he said to me I thought was wise, and he was a balloon pilot. Balloon ballooning, you know, I’m a balloon pilot as well, but with ballooning, when you take off in a balloon, you don’t really know where you’re going. Like any other tr motor transport, you know, if you get an airplane, you go from airport A to airport B, so on and so forth, you know. But in a balloon you just take off and you go downwind somewhere. And the
The point of me sharing this is he said, Jason, you don’t know where you’re going, but you need to have faith in your ability to figure it out along the way. So, and that he was talking about ballooning. But then later I was like, wait a minute. It’s not this is not about ballooning. It’s you know where you’re starting, you don’t know where you’re going. It’s great if you’ve got a direction, but either way, you just need to have faith in your ability to figure it out along the way, which sounds like sounds like you. You
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:25:58.435)
That’s so beautiful. Yeah, I r I resonate with that.
Jason (01:26:01.857)
Yeah. So what did what what happened?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:26:04.666)
Well then I was still lost obviously, but I remember during these two weeks when I was in Switzerland I it felt like I I reconnected with myself and and f found myself again. And I just knew like I wanted to do something with languages and travel. Again, that was like the theme during my whole life. It kept coming back to my mind.
Jason (01:26:29.122)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:26:34.092)
And I felt this aliveness in the mountains that I cannot describe, but it really like it kind of helped me to anchor in myself, if if I can say that. And then I also found out that I wanna pursue this job of being a tour manager more and guiding groups through Europe. So that was one thing I discovered.
Jason (01:26:42.52)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:26:58.028)
And then I was thinking like, okay, but that’s gonna take me some time, you know, to even get to work in some company as a tour manager, so in between that time I need to find some apartment and to live somewhere and do something until I get there. And immediately this thought came to my mind, like, you know, why don’t I just get go to Prague to Czech Republic? Because that’s close to Slovakia and I do speak
the language like even though Czech is a little bit different we still each understand each other and like I just thought it was gonna be easier for me to find a job quicker because I I started having some nice like international background with these languages so I was like and then you know the apartment prices were also quite low back then so I was like maybe this is a yeah hundred percent
Jason (01:27:32.302)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (01:27:45.198)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (01:27:50.946)
Compared to Sw compared to Switzerland, I suspect
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:27:55.715)
So then I settled in Pray nine months, I would say, and I started researching these jobs for being a tool manager. And I found the job with Kontiki, so I applied, and in between, I started another job in Prague. I found my apartment
And then I was also tutoring languages, English, German and Spanish to the people. So I remember like hustling. I was in this company, it was something to do with fla flight arrangements and codes. And then later in the evening I ran to somebody’s home and I was tutoring English or German or whatever they wanted me to do. And then it ended up being that
Jason (01:28:31.736)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (01:28:37.922)
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:28:44.666)
I had an exam from this job in Prague, the flight flight-related job. And on the same day I was invited for an interview to London with Conticki. And this company in Prague told me like if you’re gonna miss this exam, you basically cannot work for us. Like you’ve been doing all this training for a month, blah blah.
Jason (01:28:57.912)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:29:07.418)
So I was again put to this position, like, okay, what am I gonna do? Like, I really wanna go for this contike interview, but that means I’m basically going to lose my job in Prague, so I’m gonna be even more insecure, you know, like how am I gonna pay my bills and stuff? But you probably know which pathway I chose, I did. So I I did, yeah.
Jason (01:29:26.306)
I know which yeah. I’m not even gonna ask. So did so did you get the job with Contiki? Congratulations. Another another right choice. There are no wrong well, sometimes there’s wrong choices, but yeah, you know. Very cool. What did that tell me a little bit about that?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:29:36.0)
I I did get the job. Yes.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:29:47.557)
So you might think I’m crazy. I started doing the I started doing the training with Kontiki, but I I left halfway through and I never did the job with Kontiki. because I fell in love in Prague in in between
Jason (01:29:52.812)
No, I’m yeah, you are, but that’s okay. Go ahead.
Jason (01:30:02.241)
Uh-huh. Okay. What happened? Aha. So you wait, wait, wait. So you quit your job in Prague to go to an interview and then fell in love with somebody in Prague.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:30:22.116)
Yeah, it wa you know it took like nine months until I was eventually able to start working for Contiki. Yeah and Yes. So and then I had this
Jason (01:30:29.076)
that’s yeah, that i a lot of things can happen in nine months. That they should not have left you available in the world for nine months. Holy cow. All right. So you fell in love, you didn’t do Kentiki, what did you do? Besides well, don’t tell me what you did. I’m not talking about the falling in love part.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:30:47.298)
I understood every well I’ve been always the person like who wants to support the other party as well and and I believe there is so much beauty and strength in a partnership. So we ended up going to Switzerland again and I spent I spent three years almost three years working in Switzerland at the hotel reception and
Jason (01:31:08.928)
Okay.
Jason (01:31:15.021)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:31:16.558)
During this time I was still doing this guiding job with that first company I mentioned to you, but only once a year in May. So I ended up doing like seasonal jobs, you know. I had a summer contract, then winter contract, then I was available to guide it in May, and that’s kind of what I was doing. And then during the time when I was in Switzerland, I was very unhappy because it was not
Jason (01:31:22.412)
Mm-hmm. Okay. Right.
Jason (01:31:36.931)
Right.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:31:44.973)
something I was passionate about working at the hotel but I was just where I was, you know, and and I had to also pay some debt that I had and that was just the time I decided okay I’m gonna lock myself in in Switzerland and I’m gonna
save as much money as possible to kind of build myself up back financially and let’s see what happens and then after I’m gonna go out so it was mostly for the financial reasons and during that time since I was not feeling so aligned with this job and COVID hit and I had more time
Jason (01:32:13.038)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:32:23.234)
That’s when I finally started to pursue this tiny little voice inside me and I started creating the travel blog, then I then did voices of travel.
Jason (01:32:31.384)
Hold on, hold on. Yeah, I was yeah. This I I was feeling this voice in me and then, yeah, you mean like the you the voice of travel? Is that Uh-huh? I get it. Okay. Very cool. So y so you launched the blog. We know it touched on obviously kind of your ex well, I don’t know, how if you were to describe the blog, if I went to your blog and spent
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:32:38.202)
Voices of Trowa, yeah, that’s it.
Jason (01:33:00.398)
There’s probably a lot there. I could probably spend more than a few hours. But if I went there, what would what’s the kind of the gist of it? Is it your travel stories? Is it international stuff? Mostly European stuff? I’m just curious.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:33:12.058)
So I have my own story on the blog if you wanna read, definitely, but it’s more about giving Yeah you just you don’t need to write. Probably better to you. Yep.
Jason (01:33:17.322)
I just I just heard it. And I bet and I bet we went a l a little de a little deeper than your blog post. I don’t know. All right.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:33:28.836)
So so I just give travel tips and language tips as I said. It’s it’s nothing about me or any stories I experience or stories about our travelers. It’s it’s really like giving tips for other people. So whatever I experience from my travels, they can also experience and hopefully it helps them plan their own trips. So I have
Jason (01:33:39.192)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (01:33:52.527)
Right. Or or they can presumably book a call with you, have a conversation, and maybe hire you to help them put together itineraries for themselves and stuff like that. Is that right?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:33:56.696)
Yes, mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:34:04.334)
Yeah, so that that’s what I do. If they I also have design travel itinerar the website that they can use and travel with them, or if they really want something customized then they can book a call with me and I create a customized travel itinerary for them. So really go deep and ask them questions, you know, like where they wanna go and what they really wanna do and
I don’t just wanna design some type of itinerary. During this call my intention is really to listen to what is what is their reason why are they going on this trip. Like maybe some people wanna just have fun or they wanna experience adventure, you know, and
recently one man he told me like okay I want luxury hotels, unique locations, I want to experience some type of danger, I want adventure, and I want to learn about the local history and culture. So really based on everything what they tell me, I always incorporate all these things into the itinerary. So they have unique experiences.
Jason (01:35:14.99)
Do you remember working with anybody that wanted to go spend time on a cheese farm in Switzerland?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:35:22.49)
not yet. Well actually recently I had a very lovely client, like all my clients are lovely. and this lovely client she she sent me this two page document.
Jason (01:35:31.256)
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:35:40.047)
It was like two A force pages filled with hundreds of stuff and places they wanted to see and do in Switzerland. And they had eighteen days. And she also had this type of things on there, like okay, I wanna visit the cheese farm and I wanna spend some time with shepherds or whatever, you know, like very in depth experiences. And I love that. I was thinking like, Okay, this is my idea client, you know, it’s a challenge. She wants to definitely see all of Switzerland.
Jason (01:35:43.224)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (01:35:51.128)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (01:35:56.237)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (01:36:06.766)
If she just had maybe maybe forty days.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:36:10.722)
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking, but I was like, All right, we are gonna we are gonna, you know, make you do everything whatever you want, like it’s yours.
Jason (01:36:17.838)
That’s that’s pretty cool. I guess we need to figure out how you got from Switzerland. you mentioned kind of the progression of the jobs and the businesses and all that stuff, but now you’re in the Dolomites. So how did you get between was that a straight shot from Switzerland right to northern Italy or was there a stop somewhere in between?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:36:38.126)
Yeah, so I left Switzerland and then I was kind of just traveling around, visited some countries in Asia and I was doing still this guiding job in May with the company and it was probably almost two years when I was kind of just on the go travelling without home.
And I remember feeling like, you know what I actually want to have some home, some sanctuary where I can always come back to and work on my business and connect with my clients and reset and then go on the adventure again. But I had no idea where that would be.
Jason (01:37:13.966)
Okay.
We’re you can say Jason, it’s none of your business, but this person that you fell in love with in Prague, is this person still involved in these travels the last few years or were you traveling alone for those couple of years or what was that like what was that? What do you what would you like to share, if anything?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:37:34.136)
Yeah, no we started together so we traveled a little bit for like well not continuously for a year but you know with some breaks and so I would say a year and then after we ended the relationship and another year I was traveling by myself and finding myself again and rediscovering everything.
Jason (01:37:54.405)
my gosh. That’s a whole nother podcast episode or show that I would love to have with you sometime because because that’s an interesting thing. You know, you’ve got a partner that you’re traveling with for a year and then you’ve got solo travel for a year immediately after that. You’re in a unique position to compare and contrast, maybe those things.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:38:00.15)
Ha ha ha.
Jason (01:38:16.27)
‘Cause I’ve basically been traveling alone for five years. I’ve got the whole find myself and travel alone thing figured out. I’d love to hear the other side of it someday and what you learned because I suspect there it can be challenging.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:38:29.614)
Th it’s definitely challenging, yeah. But you know, there is always advantages and disadvantages to anything. So
Jason (01:38:32.152)
Yeah.
Jason (01:38:36.886)
Yep. Yep. so you decided on the dolomites is where you wanted to settle down?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:38:42.756)
So basically just to cut the story short, back then I was very lost in life, like I you know, I was running my business but I didn’t have a community, didn’t really have anybody, I had no idea what to do. And I just went hiking to the Dolomites for two weeks.
And it was the very first place that I’ve ever visited where I felt like, whoa, this is this is home. Like and it was also the very first place that I was leaving that I did not wanna leave. And after I was going to Switzerland, which is still partially like I really love Switzerland. I almost feel at home there too. But what really got me was this feeling after leaving the Dolomites, like I
Jason (01:39:22.734)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:39:30.038)
I really did not wanna leave. Like I was like, you know, whatever happens after, I don’t care, just leave me here in these mountains and and that’s it, I’m going to figure out the rest of my life here. So So basically after I kept traveling and then I started also guiding for another company while I was designing travel itineraries for my clients and organizing my own group tours with voices of travel.
And in between I was trying to find some apartments because this feeling after three months never left me. So I was like, maybe this is the right choice, you know, I have no idea. Like it’s scary, I don’t know, how am I gonna pay my rent with my inconsistent income? I have no idea like maybe I’m gonna be lonely, I I don’t know anybody here, I don’t speak Italian, I do speak German, which they speak here, but all these questions popped up and and I was like, you know, but there is actually nothing else I would rather do.
Jason (01:40:05.166)
Mm-hmm.
Jason (01:40:12.014)
Mm-hmm.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:40:27.77)
So maybe I should just go for it. So I started looking for the apartment and here we are.
Jason (01:40:30.776)
Love it.
Jason (01:40:34.54)
Here we are. That is that is so cool. Yeah, I’m I’m impressed. That’s that’s pretty cool. You you’ve got an ability, or maybe it’s not an ability, because I can say, you have an ability to take chances and all this stuff, but do you see that as an ability or do you see it as sometimes a a challenge of impulsivity or
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:40:57.498)
I think it’s impulsivity. I think it means following your heart. I think I think that and then just you have to have the courage to follow it.
Jason (01:40:58.958)
It depends on who’s yeah. It depends on who’s if it’s somebody perceiving you following your heart, it might look like impulsivity. But from in my inside my heart it’s not impulsivity. It’s it’s me just, you know, having faith in my ability to figure it out along the way. Maybe that was the problem. That guy told me that and I and now I justify everything with that.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:41:12.225)
that that’s forgery.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:41:27.662)
Ha ha.
Jason (01:41:29.45)
So it’s it’s so cool. Nika, we’ve we’ve discussed a lot. We’ve spent you’ve given us a lot of your time to share your story. I really appreciate that. And I’m curious though, what do you wish I would have asked you or what other is there anything else you want to make sure that we share with our listeners, either about you, your business, life, philosophy, anything at all that that we should touch on before we wrap up?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:41:30.338)
That’s right.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:41:54.852)
Thank you for asking then. I think I would just connect all these small little pieces of the story that we’ve just talked about into one big picture. And the thing is that coming back to these nature expeditions with voices of travel I organize at this moment, as I said, like in Switzerland and the Dolomines. You might have spotted a pattern in my life story where
Jason (01:42:07.01)
Okay.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:42:25.048)
you know, I was always repeatedly trying to find myself, you know, and going through all these challenges and and being lost and being homeless and having nobody around and yet still standing up and keeping going and and never really losing the hope of like finding my true self and finding where I feel the best. And
Usually the place where I always came back to myself were the mountains and specifically Switzerland. As I mentioned, I was traveling there for two weeks. That was one of the most significant moments in my life. And same with the Dolomites where I discovered like this truly feels at home. And I really believe that people can
Find themselves in nature because nature makes wonders in you. And if you really have the time and the opportunity to just leave everything behind, even if it’s just for a week or two weeks, travel somewhere specifically to nature and be still quiet.
And really reconnect with yourself and start asking all of these questions like, okay, who am I? What am I, what do I actually want to do, you know? And and is it just my environment telling me what to do? Or am I doing it for the environment, or am I doing it really for myself, you know? Like what is my purpose? And I believe when you’re in nature, you truly get the time to spend with yourself and even with God, you know, and and really rediscover.
where you are headed in life. And that is why I am organizing these expeditions, because I really want people to to have this time for themselves to to pause for a moment in life and check in like, am I actually living the life I am really excited about and and I came to this world to live, or am I living it for somebody else or for money or for whatever other reason?
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:44:36.684)
And like during these expeditions, the point is that we are of course exploring let’s say Switzerland and in all these beautiful places and having adventures and you know sleeping in mountain huts. But every single day, at the beginning of the of the day, I would give them a question and I would tell them, Okay, let’s say today you can reflect on
What what do you think is holding you back from truly living a life you love? Or what do you think are your limiting beliefs? Then maybe the next day we would be reflecting on what are your passions, you know, what did you like to do as a child? And at the end of the day, after we travel and experience everything, we would come together as a community and a group and share with each other, you know, and encourage with each each other. And then the
The intention is that towards the end of the trip or at the end of the trip, I would like the people to really rediscover who they are and come back home with so much infir inspiration to change their life if they really want to, if they felt unhappy before going to the trip. So
Jason (01:45:50.318)
Love it.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:45:50.424)
That is apart from the travel itineraries that I create for my clients, that is now the mission I am on with voices of travel. Just to really help people find themselves with tr through travel and nature.
Jason (01:46:04.942)
And I can see it in your, I can see the passion in your face. Anybody that’s watching this will have the benefit of seeing that. If you’re listening to this as an audio episode, I would encourage you to hop on over to the to the YouTube site and and watch this conversation as well. You’ll because I know it’s the voices of travel, but your your voice comes out through your face as well. So Nika, I really appreciate that. I’m excited to see what you continue to do with your business and
and how you figure things out along the way. So thank you so much. This has been such a wonderful conversation. I appreciate you.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:46:41.55)
Thank you so much Jason. I appreciate you taking the time to talk together and I can’t wait to see where your next adventures take you in life. And I wish you all the best with your business and podcast. What you are doing is amazing and and thank you for spreading the word in this world.
Jason (01:46:51.501)
Well
Jason (01:46:56.652)
That’s very nice of you to say. Thank you. Thank you. and I and I should mention thank you so much. That’s I feels really good. So I appreciate that. and I also want to mention to our listeners, maybe it’s obvious, but I don’t wanna make anybody I don’t want to assume anything. We’re gonna have a link right to your website in the show notes. So if you just listen to this,
Please, if if you’re still listening to this wonderful conversation, obviously that you can’t have listened to this without feeling a connection with Nika. So click on the show notes, go check out, you know, click on the link to her website in the show notes. Go check out what she’s doing. if you’re at a point in your life where you think, you know what, maybe I need a little bit of a reset or I need to kind of get in touch with myself in nature. Doesn’t it sound like fun to go on a trip with her? So I think it’d be great. Nika, thank you so much. let’s stay in touch and I’ll talk to you soon.
Talk to real soon. All right. Bye bye.
Nicoletta – Voices of Travel (01:47:50.542)
I appreciate you Jason. All of us. Thank you. Bye bye. See ya.
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