Good morning!

Monday, August 19, 2019

There isn't much to say about last week. From Sunday to Friday, we stayed at the 20 euro parking lot outside of Graz and didn't do much. We visited Graz once, but other than that, we spent our time at the parking lot watching Netflix, playing table tennis, jogging, and swimming. On Wednesday, we came up with the idea of doing workaway somewhere in Slovenia for a week before meeting our friends in Croatia. For those who don't know workaway, see www.workaway.info. Through the website or the app, you can find places all over the world where you can work for room and board. Doing workaway occasionally during our journey was part of our plan, but originally, we wanted to travel for a few weeks first before starting. However, several reasons spoke for it now; on one hand, our expenses so far exceeded our budget, and with workaway, we could save money. On the other hand, we felt like having company - even though we got along very well, we realized that we needed social contacts! At home, we had our friends, family, and colleagues, but now that's not an option. Additionally, we wanted to do something meaningful - lazing around and aimlessly driving all day is not satisfying in the long run. So we contacted a few people on workaway and shortly after, we received a message from Rob. He and his family recently moved from London to a property in Slovenia near Maribor. They needed help with various tasks in and around the house, which is how we started our first workaway experience two days later in an idyllic spot in the middle of nature in Slovenia. Rob, his wife Barbara, their seven-year-old daughter Meta, and a two-week-old baby welcomed us, along with four other workawayers who were already there. A couple from England and one from France, both around our age.

Today is our fourth day here and we love it! The work is quite strenuous, but very satisfying (we consider it a workout!). The past two days, we cleared a piece of overgrown land from weeds, and today, we are haymaking at 30 degrees. Right now, we are taking a siesta. Sarah is lying in the hammock with Filou, and I am sitting on the deck chair with a beer, writing this blog. In the evenings, we spend time with the others around the campfire under the starry sky. It has been ages since I have seen the stars so clear and bright. Did you know that despite being almost the same size as Switzerland, Slovenia only has 2 million inhabitants? Four times less! We already noticed this when we crossed the border between Austria and Slovenia. While in Austria and Switzerland, you mostly see industrial areas and one field after another next to the highway, in Slovenia, you see a lot of untouched nature. It's a shame that we didn't plan more time for this country. On Friday, our journey will continue towards Croatia, where we will meet our friends Jenny and Mar on the island of Cres. To see a little more of Slovenia, we want to drive through Slovenia off the highway on Friday and Saturday instead of going through Croatia, and only cross the Croatian border right before the sea.

Tomorrow is our day off, where we will probably visit the small town of Ptuj and maybe take a round hike around the area here. It's really great here! Rob and his family are very nice and interesting people. He and his wife come from the art/drama/music field. They left London because it felt too crowded there and because they practically lived only for their work. Here in Slovenia, they want to renovate an old house and later organize workshops in the art field. But first, there is still a lot to be done here, so for those who are interested in a little adventure in Slovenia, this would be the perfect place (for more information, see here https://www.workaway.info/en/host/261348156138).

At the moment, the house is still in such bad condition that the family is sleeping in a large tent, but for winter, they have a small apartment in Maribor. There is a compost toilet with sawdust for the "big business," and for the "small business," you go somewhere in nature. The shower is located at a viewpoint outside, where you can enjoy a wonderful view of the hilly landscape. Clothes are washed by hand, and for the dishes, there is a temporary facility outdoors. Filou hit the jackpot here and can roam freely all day as he pleases.

The three weeks we have been on the road have passed super quickly. Somehow, it's only now, being in a country where we don't speak the language, that we feel like we are "really" on the road. We enjoy our time here with Rob and his family, but at the same time, we are looking forward to finally heading towards the sea on Friday.

Author: Stephanie Köllinger