Travel.
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page." — Saint Augustine
Living in Switzerland has been great for travel. A short train or a cheap flight and you're somewhere entirely new. I plan most trips around two things: eating well and being outdoors. There's a lot more I want to see. The list keeps growing faster than I can cross things off, but that's part of the fun. All the photos here were shot on my iPhone 14, no fancy gear. I'd love to pick up photography properly someday, but that will take time to master. Below is where I've been so far, and a few trips that left an impression.
Zoomed into Europe and South Asia, where most of my travels have been so far. The Americas and East Asia are on the list.
Trips that stuck with me
🇮🇸 Iceland
Iceland was unlike anywhere I've been. The landscape feels like it belongs on another planet: black sand beaches, waterfalls pouring off cliffs into nothing, and geysers that erupt while you're standing right there. Driving along the south coast with the wind rattling the car and the weather changing every ten minutes was an experience in itself. I didn't catch the northern lights this time, which is a good excuse to go back. The kind of place that makes you feel very small and very alive.
🇭🇷 Croatia
Croatia caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting much beyond nice beaches, but the coastline turned out to be one of the most beautiful stretches I've seen. Dubrovnik is stunning, and yes, I stayed right next to the famous Walk of Shame staircase from Game of Thrones, which was a fun thing to walk past every morning. The views from the city walls are worth every step, you can see the entire old town and the Adriatic stretching out in every direction. Split had a different energy, more lived-in, with Diocletian's Palace doubling as an actual neighbourhood full of restaurants and laundry lines. The seafood along the coast was excellent, and I made sure to try as much of it as I could before leaving.
🇫🇷 France
I lived right on the French border during my three years in Geneva, so France was less a destination and more a regular part of life. Lyon became my go-to for weekends because the food there is genuinely some of the best I've had anywhere. Annecy for the lake, Chamonix when I wanted mountains and snow, and Paris whenever the mood struck. Living that close meant I got to know a side of France that most visitors don't see. I spent a lot of time in small towns and local markets, but Paris still had its moments. Standing inside the Louvre for the first time, walking along the Seine at night, watching the Eiffel Tower light up from across the river. Some things are popular for a reason.
🇨🇭 Switzerland
It feels a bit odd putting Switzerland on a travel list since I live here, but I've spent a good amount of my weekends on Swiss trains, exploring one town after another. They've almost become a second home. Oeschinen Lake and the Rigi are two great hikes, but my favourite so far has been seeing the Matterhorn from Zermatt. Photos really do not do it justice. There are plenty more hikes on the list. What keeps surprising me is how different everything feels depending on where you are. Zürich and Geneva barely feel like the same country. And Swiss winters are basically Narnia. That, and the fondue. I blame the winters for what has become a very serious fondue habit.
🇬🇷 Greece
Greece for me was all about Santorini. The blue and white architecture is even more striking in person than in photos, and the Aegean really is that blue. I spent most of my time walking through the narrow streets, eating pita bread with feta, and stopping for frozen yogurt more often than I'd like to admit. The evil eyes everywhere are hard to miss, you could say they're really off the place. I'm also a cat person, and Santorini delivers on that front too. They're everywhere, completely unbothered, living their best lives on the cliffs. It's a small island but it left a big impression.
