I am a fan of cities, balconies and high ceilings. A fan of travels that carry you off and away. Travels which allow you, whenever you remember them, to restore flavors, fragrances, vistas and smiles. A fan of morning light and empty streets brimming with someone's memories. 

And a fan of travels that do not require you to cross any boundaries. Because there are none.

I love to travel differently. To travel through other people's images. As well as my own. To travel with rhyme and reason, with an eye for detail, slowly, without any pressure, with a to-do list that says:

Slow down

Feel

Remember

Project: We Travel was born out of desire to merge my love for travel, writing and connecting with people around the globe. Since I like reading nicely arranged words, photographs that tell a story, I decided that this should be the place where I will bring together people who appreciate the same things. The people who will start packing their bags after they read a text and leave for places I write about, and the people who have the ability, just like I do, to close their eyes and be in that very place. Right now, at this very moment. Without any luggage.

In Project: We travel I will learn alongside you how to truly connect to places we go to or live in and how they can change our life. 

When I am in my city, when I am not packing any bags, when I am not going far away, I find my happy place on top of the mountain in my home town, with my children and my husband.  

I drink up to four cups of coffee a day and enjoy it.

I am living at least three lives in this one that I have and I am learning how to find meaning in everything I do.

I love people, foreign languages and violin... In fact, there are many things that I love and I will let you gradually discover them in my texts.

I promise to make an effort to make my sentences longer and always find a way for you to hit upon the one that you will take away with you into your own life. That makes every single thing worthwhile!

My name is Ana and I am happy that you are here. Here of all places and you of all people.

Authenticity

I want the texts I will be writing, photos I will be taking or choosing for you, people I will be inviting, to present me in such a way that will quickly allow you to realize what I like and what kind of person I am. Once you recognize that I'm a person whose sentences can be firmly structured or get crushed under a rush of emotions (or both), I will know that you know me.

Sincerity

I hold sincerity in very high esteem, it is important to me, I gladly believe people and I am happy when people believe me. What I can certainly promise, right here, on 16th January, is that my texts, the opinions I express in them, any recommendations, the reviews I dare to write and even emotions that get spilled and spill over will be genuine. Mine and mine alone.

Responsibility

In my thirties I learned that taking responsibility for everything you do in life (privately or professionally) should not be as stressful as all of us tend to paint it. You either carry responsibility within you or you don't. And if you don't, you can practice.

I gladly accept responsibility for what I create, what I do and what I can exert influence on. And in my turbulent thirties I even do it with a smile. Accepting the responsibility for this www place brings me more joy that you could possibly imagine. If you want to have coffee with the person responsible for this blog, let me know and we'll set it up. Virtually or in one of our cities. I will take on the responsibility to take you out for the best coffee in any city of your choosing :)

Time

We are living in times when information circulates so fast that we are often hard put to process them. In our mind we want to keep on, move forward, but also to live more slowly, more meaningfully, without the rat race. Since I have a family, several jobs and activities that I love, I know what it feels like not to be able to finish the book that you have been reading for months. I know what it is like to enroll in yoga classes every month all over again. With the same wish and plan to be a regular at those happy classes. Without ever really enrolling at all. Because you don't have the time.

That is why I have decided to provide you with what is most important here, to appreciate the time you leave on my digital pages. I have decided to spare you the endless clicks to find that perfect spot for a stroll in some town or on some mountain. I will carefully collect these places and share them with you and I will also be here if you should want anything more. Here in my comments or on my e-mail.

Or better yet, write me a letter. I will cherish it along with those from my friends all over the world who were my pan pals when I was ten. Back then I already knew that I would find a way for us to meet up at some point in life. I know it takes longer, but when you get my letter back and open that envelope, the emotions that well up are worth it and time cannot touch them.

Quality content

For this blog I am looking forward to putting effort into taking photos and the necessary preparation, but also to providing quality content. The kind of content you will be glad to pass on, quote, come back to, tell to friends about.

I will work on content that will inspire us, encourage us to do better, give us wings or make us think. I like that kind of content, I believe in it and it is my driving force.

I will place focus on learning about new places and people, connecting information, sharing them, enjoying the process of creation and research for a new text. For your sake. For my own sake. My posts may not be ordinary, but once they are out, you will know that a lot of effort, love and fact-checking have been invested into the information they contain. That's just the way I like it!

Fun and laughs

Hey! I also want us to have fun, to laugh, not to take everything seriously. I'm not the type of person who tells jokes, but I am the type that will make a crack in situations that are supposed to be serious for some reason. To make people laugh. To laugh myself. Life is really better when your voice is not quivering. Or your pen, when you are trying to write something.

When you scroll down the pages of my blog, I would like you to be happy, to have fun with me, to enjoy yourself. And when you surf away on the internet, to some link, thought, cell phone notification or your child, I will absolutely understand. My life is the same.

But I do go back to places that I care about.

Where my people are. Those similar to me and those to whom I am similar.

Do come back tomorrow. It is the only way for me to move forward with my ideas, stories and plans. If I know that you are here. 

Special thanks to the translator Sandra Mlađenović who was here for me and the Project: We Travel all the time.