Meet Gina Petrovich ā this Ā鶹AV woman is always on an adventure, and now sheās 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 weāre going to share her first travel column. Itās 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 thatās a pretty small number, compared to cruise travellers who can visit multiple countries in one trip.
āItās 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,ā the Ā鶹AV woman said, laughing.
āThereās so much to see, so every time I leave I usually come home with some crazy (story) or misadventure mishap and Iāve just learned so much and met some really fun people,ā she said.
The 36-year-oldās 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 hasnāt 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 doesnāt drive, itās easier to get around in other countries than it is in Ā鶹AV.
āI was telling my friend it was easier to get around Hong Kong than hike the Coquihalla summit and I really want to hike that,ā 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.
āMy first of two trips to New York Cityā¦ 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 canāt be in that airport without running and crying.ā
āA New York minute wasnāt enough so I was back for another minute within a year,ā she said.
And travelling along allows her to make new friends.
āI find for me, when Iām with a friend, Iām looking down and talking to my friend, when there are new friends (that could be walking by in front of me),ā 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
Thereās a common misconception with travel is that you have to quit your day job in order to go far, Petrovich said, adding people often arenāt utilizing the time they have.
āPeople arenāt making the most of it because itās in their mind that they donāt have enough of itā¦. Five days in Hong Kong is better than no days in Hong Kong,ā she said.
āTo be able to keep your job and travel, you donāt have to go somewhere close and quick, you know you can go far when you only have a week, but you donāt have to quit your day job,ā 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 itās part of the experience, like how she didnāt know a word of Cantonese.
āIām a vegetarian, so I went into a restaurant and Iām like āam I going to end up eating meat? Is this a mushroom? Because it looks and tastes like meat,āā she said.
āI love how I feel doing itā¦ its a very rewarding feeling knowing that three days ago I was at work and now Iām in Hong Kong, riding on this crazy people car ride.ā
Some people call her crazy, but she thinks sheās one of the luckier travellers because she gets to experience these things and come away with a good story.
āA 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.)ā
Petrovich will be writing a travel column for the Capital News every two weeks.
carli.berry@kelownacapnews.com
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