Why Slovenia? 🇸🇮
As we mentioned in our recent post, Unconventionally Unconventional, what we're doing doesn't exactly fit a neat mold or definition. So it only made sense that the place we’d begin our new journey wouldn’t be quite traditional either.
This trip has been our light at the end of the tunnel for months
It was a pivotal turning point for us. With this trip, we celebrated the completion of Tony’s medical training and the beginning of a chapter defined by more freedom, deeper intention, and a shared desire to live life on our own terms. We knew this first trip had to reflect that spirit. We wanted depth of exploration in nature, a new culture to immerse ourselves in, and enough openness for spontaneity. We didn’t want to arrive in a bustling city only to feel more depleted. We needed somewhere that would recharge us.
We started to plan this trip in January 2025. At the time, we were grieving the recent loss of our sweet Turbo, navigating major disruptions to Emily’s business and the broader industry, and facing income uncertainty. We were working long hours, but in the few minutes each day before bed and after we woke up, we started imagining what an ideal place might look like. Temperate weather. Forested mountains. Access to the sea. A robust wine region. Long sunny afternoons with espresso on a patio.
Slovenia checks all the boxes
It’s a small country (slightly smaller than New Jersey by land area) with just over 2 million people, nestled between Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia. In less than three hours, you can drive from one side to the other, which makes it easy to experience the mountains, coast, and wine regions in one trip. But what we didn’t fully appreciate until we arrived was the rich history, enchanting natural landscapes, tight-knit communities, and quiet resilience that shape this place and the people who call it home.
During our two weeks here, we not only experienced everything we had dreamed up over so many early winter mornings, we also stumbled into delightful moments we couldn’t have planned if we tried: meeting new friends from Switzerland, France, and Slovenia; receiving a handwritten list of recommendations from a top sommelier; getting a personal tour of a biodynamic vineyard and farmhouse from one of the country’s top winemakers (and getting a bit too tipsy with him in his basement cellar), and much more.
Over our next few posts, we'll share some of those stories and photos—from paragliding and climbing the highest peak in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, to exploring vibrant and sleepy towns, wine tasting in Štajerska, and meeting the people who made this trip unforgettable.
Stay tuned for more. Thanks for being here. 😊
