I fear I have neglected this blog, but no longer! There are so many places I’ve gone since my last travel post about Cinque Terre in 2020— on that same trip, I stayed with a friend in Vicenza for a week and saw a Venice sans tourists, then stayed with another friend in the Netherlands; it was a surreal European Covid summer where I swam with locals in the Amsterdam canals and went to jazz bars on warm Paris nights. 

Once my 16-month au pair sojourn in France ended that following winter and I returned to the States, I reunited with my French family in Cabo, and then a year later, in Brazil (Fortaleza and dreamy Jericoacoara). I visited New York, Boston, Madison, La Paz… so many places I have yet to write about! And while I won’t get around to writing blog posts for all these places, I at least wanted to break the streak and write about one trip that is very near and dear to my heart: my 10 day solo trip to Slovenia last May. 

I adored solo traveling during my time living in France— when I jet-setted across Europe with nothing but my Osprey backpack, a paltry stack of euros, and my own resourcefulness. 

Fast forward to 2025, and I missed that sense of adventure and exploration. I had not returned to Europe since my tearful goodbye at the Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport nearly 4 and a half years prior. It was high time. And so, I planned a solo trip to Slovenia followed by a couple days in Paris with my Brazilian soul sister Ana (whom I met when we were both au pairs) and 5 days in Lyon with my French family.

I had wanted to go to Slovenia since I was 20 years old; I remember pitching it as a journalism piece in my travel writing class senior year of college. See, my parents spent a weekend in Ljubljana, Slovenia when my dad took a work trip to Italy, and they absolutely loved it. They spoke of the friendly people, the charming capital, the gorgeous Lake Bled, and riverside cafés where you could linger for hours in the sun and people watch. It struck me as such an underrated gem, but I never did end up making it there during my time in France.

That’s why I decided I had to visit Ljubljana when I was planning a Europe trip last year. Now that my dad was gone, going to a place where he had spent a lovely weekend with my mom felt special, like I was retracing his footsteps. Especially considering the trip was approaching the 2 year anniversary of his death.

The day before the trip I suddenly got nervous. Although I had done plenty of solo traveling before, it had been a few years, and I felt rusty; what if I got stranded somewhere? Plus, 10 days is a long time; what if I got lonely and sad? Why was I subjecting myself to this around a time of year that is already extremely hard for me? But my friend Jade reminded me that if I feel sad or a little lonely, it’s okay; after all, I’m not really alone. I’m loved by so many people. And the morning that I set off on my trip, I felt that love— I received texts from my mom, my boyfriend Faiz, my friends Lilly and Whitney, all wishing me a fabulous trip… and that felt like a good omen. Jade texted me “it’s going to be so good to just have time to reflect, heal, and connect back to what makes you, you! It’s the best food for your soul.”

And she was so right. This trip buoyed my spirit. There were so many magical moments, all of which happened when I strayed a bit off the beaten path. And that’s what makes solo traveling so beautiful. By pushing you outside of your comfort zone it forces you to connect with yourself in a way that you wouldn’t if you had a travel companion. You’re a little braver, a little more spontaneous, a little more adventurous. Magical moments appear before you, shimmering and beautiful and ever the more precious because you are their sole witness.

Below is the itinerary I followed for my Slovenian solo adventure. I’m going to write about the trip itself in my next blog post— and that’s a promise, this time!

• 4 nights in Ljubljana, with a day trip to the Postojna Caves and Predjama Castle
• A couple days and a night in Piran (on the coast)
• A couple more chill days in Ljubljana 
• A couple days and nights in the mountains, exploring Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj
• A final night in the small town of Kranj by the airport, before flying out