On The Road Interview with Alexandra Kovacova Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler

Getting ready for another trip of a lifetime, Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler’s founder Alexandra Kovacova took the time to answer our On the Road interview questions this week. As a former air-hostess and current travel blogger with not one but three interesting websites to keep up with, trust me if I say this Slovak girl knows a thing or two about travel!

Teotihuacan, Mexico

• Tell us a bit about yourself and how you started to travel. Do you remember your 1^st travel experience? Why are you passionate about traveling?

The trip that made me fall in love with traveling was my first solo trip to Barcelona back in 2007. I went there to visit a friend who sent me a message when I was on the way that he fell in love with me and he needed to ”unfall of it” so he disappeared. I was left in Barcelona on my own for 3 weeks with no accommodation booked but turned out the best trip of my life till then. Made a lot of friends and been traveling alone ever since. And why am I passionate about traveling? It means everything to me, makes me alive, gives me freedom and makes me appreciate every moment of my life.

Alex with Taboo from Black Eyed Peas in Rimini, Italy

• Now that we know where do you come from… could you tell us where are you heading to? Which are your plans for the future in terms of travelling?

I am just on my way to Panama where I will spent a month traveling. Then another month in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras, practising yoga, exploring the new places and visiting some friends. Will see how much I like it there or if I continue to San Salvador, Guatemala and Belize. I think I will go back to Slovakia in July for summer months.

Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler has gone places! Here’s this shot of Perito Moreno glacier, Argentina

• What do you think of travelling with a purpose or meaning in mind? What do you look for when travelling long-term?

I am looking for freedom, for happiness, for living in the present moment, new experiences, lifelong friendships and unforgettable details. Traveling does not have to have a purpose but for me it really does. It brings the best out of and pushes me out of my comfort zone, teaches me things I would not learn at University. Traveling makes me a better and more knowledgeable person.

Alexandra Kovacova in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico

• How do you fund your travels? Have you found a job or income source that allows you to be on the road fulltime? 
  

I have been full-time travel blogging since March 2011 so around 3 years now. A small part of my income comes from writing articles for Slovak magazines back home too but most of it is from travel blogging.

• Did your job, studies, volunteering experiences or other projects help you to travel the world? Where have you been thanks to those? If so, tell us a bit about those experiences.

Alex snorkeling with sea lions, La Paz, Mexico

Definitely yes. Now, obviously, as my job is traveling and writing about it, I go to all those amazing places thanks to my job. Before, I spent 2 years working as flight attendant but as we had short flights only around Europe, we always returned to our base every night. But I still could visit many European cities on my days off, which I did … had a city break literally every week. Aw, and before that, back at University I studied in Czech republic, I also spent half a year studying in Madrid. Or let’s call it partying at that time as we did not really study 😀

Bonanza beach, La Paz, Mexico

• What would you recommend to someone who wants to follow your steps? Which kind of training or studies is necessary? Would an investment be needed in the first place? Please, give 3 pieces of advice (you wish to have known before starting) of what to do and what to avoid in order to succeed.

Definitely, saving something is the best advice. Second, learn foreign languages, it’s always helpful. And third, make a small step towards your dreams every day, it will help on the long run for sure.

• What does a perfect day in your life looks like? Do you follow any particular routine?

I do have some health habits – pranayama and meditation in the morning, fruit for breakfast, then beach time, swimming, yoga, some spa treatments and spending time with new friends watching a lovely sunset while munching on a veggie salad. Sounds relaxing, right?

Fit when Traveling’s editor Alexandra Kovacova practicing morning yoga iin Los Cabos, Mexico

• Where do you come from originally and where you call home now? Can you give us some local tips we cannot find in a guidebook but you highly recommend about your hometown?

I was born in the Easternmost town of Slovakia called Snina. I spent 18 years there and been studying, living and traveling for more than 10 years already. I still call Snina my home as my family lives there and I visit them a few times every year, usually in summer when my mom and my friends are on holidays, and then also at Christmas.

There is no guidebook about my home town, I’m afraid haha. The nature around is pretty awesome though, we have a 1,000 m a.s.l. Snina’s Rock mountain here which is of volcanic origin, and many beautiful forests, lakes and rivers. There’s a number of unique UNESCO wooden churches close by in almost every village.

• Do you read, write, draw, listen to music, sing, watch movies or do something else while travelling? How do you interact with technology these days and which gadgets you definitely take with you everywhere? What is your favorite book? And movie?

Rome Colosseum, Italy

I read, write, listen to music, sing in the shower (does that count?) and watch movies rarely. I do not watch TV though, only movies on my laptop. I read on my laptop or smart phone usually and listen to music on both of them too. I take my Samsung smart phone, laptop, Drift HD Ghost camera for extreme sports, Nikon DSLR and waterproof Nikon Coolpix camera on my trips. Don’t have a favorite book. My last fave movie would be Peaceful Warrior; and then some girlie romantic comedies I’d better not talk about here 😀

• Do you keep a bucket list?Which are your craziest dreams? Where are your favorite destinations on earth? (feel free to add any other information you would like to share with our readers here)

A bucket list? Each time I visit a city/country, I add another 10 to my bucket list so stopped writing them all down. My craziest dream is to do skydiving in every single country in the world. On my 29^th birthday I set up another 29 dreams. Favorite destinations? Latin America – from Mexico, to Costa Rica, Panama, Bolivia, Argentina, and then also Spain and Italy.

Always stunning Niagara Falls, Canada

You can follow Alexandra’s adventures on her blog, twitter and facebook. Enjoy!