#1. From Prague to Vienna: a time of friendship and a deeper understanding of my Indigeneity
I did not initially plan to visit Vienna, but life decided that it would be the best place to start – and it turned out to be true. As a non-EU resident, I had to apply for a French student visa, which is possible only in Vienna if you hold a Czech student residence permit.
I stayed at my friend’s place for one night, and it was the right choice. We had never met before, but we are both Indigenous Bashkirs, and this shared identity helped us become close very quickly. Our conversations made me reflect deeply on my own indigeneity: how trust is built within our community and how much strength it gives me.
As an Indigenous Bashkir, caring for the environment has always been natural to me. This is one of the main reasons why I chose green travel. It has shaped my everyday life for many years: I always carry a reusable water bottle, I am almost addicted to second-hand shops, and I prefer repairing things instead of replacing them.
My indigeneity is not only about who I am – it is also about caring for the environment around me and choosing a different, more authentic type of living. Preferring a train over a flight was my way of honouring the land I was crossing, not just passing over it.
#2. From Vienna to Innsbruck: slow walking and inspiring mountains
When I was nineteen and received my international passport, I had only one dream – to visit a city surrounded by the Alps. That is why I chose Innsbruck as my next stop. I spent only one night there and had just a few hours in the morning for coffee and walking, but the city immediately gave me a strong sense of belonging.
As a woman with a migration background, I am constantly searching for my place in the world. Innsbruck showed me that mountains and small cities truly suit my lifestyle. Maybe one short visit is not enough to make such a conclusion, but when I recall my experiences in mountain cities – Vladikavkaz in Russia, Almaty in Kazakhstan – I feel that this is the type of place where I could imagine spending several years of my life. That morning, I drank a slow black coffee, walked along the river, and observed how the city was waking up. The sun over the mountains touched me deeply.
#3. From Innsbruck to Venice: what kind of travelling do I love?
The journey from Innsbruck to Venice was the most beautiful part of my entire route. It began with small villages in the snowy Austrian Alps and ended with cinematic views of the Italian mountains. I listened to music, enjoyed the sunshine, and kept asking myself what it would be like to live in such places.
Arriving in Venice, I was overwhelmed. The city is full of history and art, impressive buildings and bridges. However, at the same time, my coffee app could not show me a single place for a simple black coffee, and I could not find any quiet corners – tourists were everywhere. For the first time, I seriously started to reflect on what kind of travelling I truly love.
For me, it is about going deeper into local cultures and having long conversations with local people. Venice is undoubtedly beautiful, but it felt overdecorated and overcrowded. Still, I was glad to spend time there – it helped me understand myself better.
#4. From Venice to Milan: the beauty of travelling without expectations
I am a daughter of a nomadic culture, and sometimes I feel that my love for slow and meaningful travel comes from my ancestors. Another influence they gave me is uncertainty – I rarely know my next step in advance. After Venice, I had no clear plans, so I had to choose between going directly to Paris or staying somewhere else for a few days.
I decided to give Italian cities another chance and booked a hostel in Milan. It was an accidental decision that brought an important insight: sometimes expectations fail us, and sometimes they are exceeded. Milan impressed me from the very first moment: the architecture of the Central Station left me speechless.
During my stay, I met many young students, discovered local cafés with incredible pizza and gelato, and cried while standing on the rooftop of the Duomo di Milano. This city was the right choice for my truly Italian experience, and I wish I could come back here one day.
#5. From Milan to Paris: slow travel as a small life
The journey from Milan to Paris was again filled with mountain views, but it was also a time to reflect on the entire week I had spent crossing two countries and four cities. Slow travel gave me space to think about my indigeneity and how it helps me approach environmental protection in everyday life.
I began to accept my “unusual” way of travelling: without strict plans, without fixed expectations, and guided mostly by intuition. During this week, I felt anger, disappointment, inspiration, surprise, and love for new places. Slow travel felt like living a small life within a larger one.
