Portfolio

My Portfolio Around the World

“Tourism allows me to combine my love for culture and history with my passion for adventurous travel.”

– Zoran Vilović

ADVENTURES AROUND THE WORLD

Europe

Already in my early childhood, my parents would take me on day trips and short journeys to neighboring countries like Slovenia, Italy, Austria, and Hungary. These were my first international travels, my first trips beyond the familiar Croatian environment.

I have always been intrigued by exploring and discovering something new: places and cities where people speak differently, look differently, behave and radiate different energy, eat different food, drink different beverages, and sing different songs…

We Europeans like to think of ourselves as the center of the world, believing that everything, both good and bad, started here. However, reality may not be quite like that…

In the past few years, I have visited Montenegro, Turkey, Greece, Spain, the USA, Costa Rica, and, multiple times, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Slovenia. In the near future, I plan to visit Portugal with Madeira and the Azores, Malta, explore Italy in much greater detail, and head towards Northern Europe.

I also want to explore the Balkan countries more thoroughly, especially the ex-Yugoslav states, our neighbors Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Albania.

These are all plans and wishes, and I’ve never been short of those… but we all know how life works. They say that while we make plans, God just laughs.

It is also said that a healthy person has a thousand wishes, while a sick person has only one. So, I wish everyone good health and peace. Everything else will happen when the time is right.

Central and South America

I visited Costa Rica, the most popular country in Central America, about halfway through my 88-day journey across the USA. Spending three weeks in this tropical third-world country gave me not only a chance to relax but also insight into a completely different environment, one I had never experienced before.

With my visits to Brazil and Argentina, I am merely opening the door to exploring this magical continent, whose rainforests and mountain ranges still hold many secrets waiting to be discovered by present and future generations. The metropolises of South America: Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, left such an impression that I feel an irresistible urge to visit them again.

There isn’t a single country in South America that I wouldn’t love to visit, whether for its natural beauty, rich history and culture, or the countless culinary delights I have yet to taste. However, before I can truly scratch the surface of South America, one skill would certainly come in handy: at least mastering the basics of Spanish!

ASia

I believe that I have only cracked open the door to the vast Asian space with my visit to Asia Minor. After crossing the Bosporus, I walked through the Asian part of Istanbul on their significant holiday, Republic Day. The following days will be spent exploring some of the wondrous natural formations of Anatolia and a few mysterious underground cities hidden deep within the sediments of ash from three extinct volcanoes.

With my visits to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, located at the bottom of the Arabian Peninsula, which also formally belongs to Asia, I have only peeked into the interesting and completely foreign Arab world.

I primarily perceive Asia through the dominant yellow race and their northern neighbors, the Russians. The Turks and Arabs look quite different from the “real Asia”, I imagine, as do their culture and architecture. Unfairly, I am leaving the most populous country in the world, India, from my wish list. Despite its rich history and culture, I certainly want to visit India, although I am simultaneously put off by the well-known poverty affecting a large portion of its population.

North America

I almost immigrated to Canada back in 2013, but to this day, I still haven’t visited it. I first visited its southern neighbor, the USA, in 2009 while working on Carnival, but at that time, I only saw two cities: New Orleans (Louisiana) and Mobile (Alabama). However, during the fall and winter of 2023/2024, I visited 11 more states and Washington, D.C.

It was my longest journey, lasting an incredible 88 days, and I have captured my unforgettable experiences in my first travelog, which is now in its final stages.

Australia

Australians are among the happiest people I associate with on numerous occasions. One of the few things that can truly worry them is the disappearance of beer from the bar, something I haven’t witnessed so far. Primarily, it is the distance that forces me to leave Australia out of the priority category. However, the possibility of meeting some dear people, whom I would love to see again, could make me change my mind.

Africa

Magical Africa, the cradle of the human race according to scientists and the second-largest continent on our planet, I have not yet visited. I wonder if I will start with the North African countries closer to me, such as Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, or with the most distant, South Africa. I have strong reasons for both options.

Antarctica

I am not a fan of ultra-low temperatures or the completely white, icy, snowy landscape, so that continent will have a hard time seeing me. However, I still leave the door slightly ajar…