Meet Gina Petrovich 鈥� this 琉璃神社 woman is always on an adventure, and now she鈥檚 willing to share her unique view of the world with our readers. This Monday we, at the Capital News are running her introduction. Next Monday we鈥檙e going to share her first travel column. It鈥檚 genuine and from a local view. Better yet, it will give you something to daydream about when the weight of the Mondays sets in.
In the last three years, Gina Petrovich has been to 18 countries and thinks that鈥檚 a pretty small number, compared to cruise travellers who can visit multiple countries in one trip.
鈥淚t鈥檚 mostly since I started travelling alone. I did the Euro trip with family and all I learned from that was how not to travel with family,鈥� the 琉璃神社 woman said, laughing.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so much to see, so every time I leave I usually come home with some crazy (story) or misadventure mishap and I鈥檝e just learned so much and met some really fun people,鈥� she said.
The 36-year-old鈥檚 mishaps include almost missing her first day of work at SunRype as she remained trapped in Bali due to an erupting volcano and when she burned her retinas after experiencing snow blindness while hiking in Peru.
READ MORE: Okanagan woman trapped in Bali preparing for the worst
But that hasn鈥檛 stopped her from travelling. Petrovich recently visited Hong Kong for a week and plans to visit Jordan and Isreal next for the history and culture.
She joked that since she doesn鈥檛 drive, it鈥檚 easier to get around in other countries than it is in 琉璃神社.
鈥淚 was telling my friend it was easier to get around Hong Kong than hike the Coquihalla summit and I really want to hike that,鈥� she said.
What started as a solo trip to New York a few years ago led to her passion for travel, which fit nicely with her photography hobby, she said.
鈥淢y first of two trips to New York City鈥� but just that, like the feeling of liberation just getting on the plane, getting off the plane, running in the Toronto airport, which seems to be a thing, I can鈥檛 be in that airport without running and crying.鈥�
鈥淎 New York minute wasn鈥檛 enough so I was back for another minute within a year,鈥� she said.
And travelling along allows her to make new friends.
鈥淚 find for me, when I鈥檓 with a friend, I鈥檓 looking down and talking to my friend, when there are new friends (that could be walking by in front of me),鈥� she said.
Her trips include Hong Kong, Hawaii, New York, Peru, Bali, Thailand, Europe, Mexico, Jamaica and more.
READ MORE: Erupting volcano traps Canadians in Bali
There鈥檚 a common misconception with travel is that you have to quit your day job in order to go far, Petrovich said, adding people often aren鈥檛 utilizing the time they have.
鈥淧eople aren鈥檛 making the most of it because it鈥檚 in their mind that they don鈥檛 have enough of it鈥�. Five days in Hong Kong is better than no days in Hong Kong,鈥� she said.
鈥淭o be able to keep your job and travel, you don鈥檛 have to go somewhere close and quick, you know you can go far when you only have a week, but you don鈥檛 have to quit your day job,鈥� she said.
She booked her Hong Kong trip the day before she left while on her lunch break.
Even though she has faced challenges during her travels, she said it鈥檚 part of the experience, like how she didn鈥檛 know a word of Cantonese.
鈥淚鈥檓 a vegetarian, so I went into a restaurant and I鈥檓 like 鈥榓m I going to end up eating meat? Is this a mushroom? Because it looks and tastes like meat,鈥欌�� she said.
鈥淚 love how I feel doing it鈥� its a very rewarding feeling knowing that three days ago I was at work and now I鈥檓 in Hong Kong, riding on this crazy people car ride.鈥�
Some people call her crazy, but she thinks she鈥檚 one of the luckier travellers because she gets to experience these things and come away with a good story.
鈥淎 lot of people come out of Bali and say it was beautiful, I come out of Bali and (say I got cool pictures of an erupting volcano.)鈥�
Petrovich will be writing a travel column for the Capital News every two weeks.
carli.berry@kelownacapnews.com
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