On today's Monday Momentum, I want to kickstart a conversation based offa mistake I made....TWICE!.....
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π€¦ββοΈ Don't assume the basicsπ€¦ββοΈ
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It all boiled down to one assumption:
That my hostel would of course have a kitchen. Spoiler: Nope.
β βCue me eating cold tuna from a can in my bunk bed (b/c gotta get that proteinπͺ)
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That got me thinking: how many other fitness-on-the-road fails are just⦠assumptions in disguise?
And some of them DIRECTLY relate to how you spend your money!!! π€
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3 Quick assumptions that'll cost you:
β β "This hostel has a kitchen"(more below on how to avoid my tuna disaster) β "I can grab cash anywhere"(ATM fees are brutal)β β "All hosts have ulterior motives"(missing free stays + my safety post)
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Let's goπ
πNotes from the Fit Travel Trail
Zdravo!ππ (ZDRAH-voh)
π Hello from Bosnia & Herzegovina!(aka....BiH) They speak Bosnian here (super similar to Serbian and Croatian). Herzegovina is the southern region with dramatic landscapes and that famous Mostar bridge.
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Heard of Bosnia because of the war in the 90's? (Hi, Mom! Yes, I'm safe!)β It's completely safe now, though they don't hide the war scars - buildings with bullet holes transformed into powerful street art.
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Here are some notes from the former-Yugoslavian trail:
π Counting down to Sofia! 10 days until I'm back home in Bulgaria
π₯ Hit the wall at city #10 so I cut 3 cities from my 6-week trip (sometimes less is more, though 15 is still a lot)
βοΈ Got a heat rash because this Balkan sun is NO joke
π Emergency shopping trip because my organic bamboo shirts literally disintegrated in this heat (I'm not joking)
πββοΈ Dyed my hair in a hostel bathroom... again (some things never change)
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β΅ Boat day on Kotor Bay β my Budva host let me drive his boat! (We saw an old submarine hiding spot, PLUS he treated me to a seafood dinner)
π Cross-border road trip with my Mostar host (yes, I met him for the first time in Budva, and we drove across borders together, AND had a Bosnian feast on our 4+ hour road trip)
πΆ Scored a FREE full apartment for a week, but with zero wifi, so my eSIM became my laptop hotspot hero
Even for my non-geography nerds....it's very funny when you look at it.
β β βFun fact: Bosnia & Herzegovina DOES have a coastline...but it's only about 20 kilometers (12 miles) long!
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Final country starting Thursday.....Serbia!
πFeatured Expedition
First off, is Couchsurfing always sleeping on a couch? βNOPE! Sometimes I'm in my own private Airbnb apartment!!! (I've had this multiple times!)
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Secondly, and more importantly.... IS COUCHSURFING SAFE??
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After dozens of questions asking about my Couchsurfing experiences...
I finally wrote a post about this #1 topic. βππ³π³ Including the story of the one who tried to "make a move on me" and exactly how I handled it like a pro β β
Inside this post:
My communication & safety protocol that's never failed me
Red flags before and during your stay
Why 90% of your Couchsurfing fears are overblown
This isn't just another "just be careful" post - it's a real playbook for confident solo travel.
π Lukomir, Bosnia β where alpine hikes meet ancient endurance β°οΈπ¦΅β β Think you're fit? Try hiking to Lukomir, Bosniaβs highest inhabited village (1,495m). This isn't just a scenic trekβit's a test of stamina, stability, and serious quad endurance.
Locals have made this mountainous journey for centuries, often carrying supplies on foot across wild terrain. Now it's your turn to feel what that kind of functional fitness really means.
π The trail from Umoljani to Lukomir is about 16km round trip, with rugged paths, river crossings, and breathtaking ridge views over the Rakitnica Canyon.
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Hereβs what to expect:β π₯Ύ 8km each way on rocky alpine trails π₯ Moderate elevation gain (~700m total) π§ Little to no water on the routeβbring plenty π² Homemade burek + mountain tea reward at the top
π Bonus: Along the way, youβll pass medieval tombstones (steΔci), waterfalls, and maybe a shepherd or two.
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