Tag: Reflections

How I Became A Citizen Of The World

Posted onAuthorRenata67 Comments

How did I become a Citizen of the World? Why do I have these itchy feet? Where does this greed for exploring come from? Why this fascination with foreign customs’n’cultures? Was there a specific moment? Or did I get injected this yearning for travel in homeopathic doses?

Renata Green on the Beach in Split, Croati
For the first time on Croatian beaches.

I’ve put together five anecdotes about my earliest – and most impressive – travel memories that might explain a thing or two.

It’s really amazing what my brain remembers, how these trips sank in and anchored in my mind and soul.

This Way to the Whole Story ->

How to Avoid Copyright Infringement: Unexpected Traps

Posted onAuthorRenata60 Comments

As I am reading posts written by my fellow bloggers, I’m getting chills. There is so much copyright infringement – and as I’m afraid that the ‘offenders’ don’t breach the law on purpose, read this post on how to avoid it.

erased painting to avoid copyright infringement
This picture is mine – what’s on it, however, is not. If I had photographed the girl from the front, I would have had a different legal problem – based on GDPR.

After I’ve notified some of those bloggers time and again individually, I finally decided to put my tips into writing for everyone.

This Way to the Whole Story ->

Language Learning in Brazil

Posted onAuthorRenata Green6 Comments

My passion for travelling and my interest in learning yet another language took me to Rio de Janeiro, the legendary metropolis on the Atlantic coast of Brazil.

Renata Green in Rio de Janeiro while learning the Portuguese language in Brazil.
This is what Bildungsurlaub stands for: Getting inspired by seeing things from a new perspective!
Here at Rio’s Jardim Botanico, a beautiful, serene oasis not far from the beach of Ipanema. 
There is not only an eclectic mix of untamed nature growing next to manicured lawns and flowerbeds, decorated with old, weathered statues and fountains. There is also an exhibition of modern art taking place. 
My favorite piece is an installation by Gustavo Prado called “Caminho Inverso”/”Reversed Path”. It consists of about thirty mirrors facing the top of the palm tree alley which shows you the plants from many, many….different perspectives!
This Way to the Whole Story ->

From North German Ports to the Americas: Migration in the 19th and 20th Century

Posted onAuthorRenata Green55 Comments

In the 19th and 20th centuries, millions of people left Europe for the Americas in search of a better life – choosing a migration route through North German ports.

sculpture called Die Auswanderer, emigrants, remembering Migration from North German Ports to the Americas
This sculpture called Die Auswanderer, hence emigrants, is standing on the shore of the river Weser. It remembers the seven million passing through the port of Bremerhaven. Actually, this statue by Frank Varga was donated by the German-American Memorial Association.

As a counterpart to the arrival halls in Ellis Island, several museums in German cities remember the adventurous journeys of the emigrants in transit.

This Way to the Whole Story ->

The Ski Instructor of Sri Lanka

Posted onAuthorRenata Green17 Comments

I’m often asked how it is to travel by myself. If I’m not scared. If I don’t get lonely. If I’m not afraid that the sky may fall on my head tomorrow.

A Ski Instructor by himself in a snowy landscape
No, Sri Lanka looks nothing like this. Definitely not.
(Photo: Sondrekv, Påske, detail, cropped to 2:3, CC0 1.0)

The answer has always been no – and meeting Sri Lanka’s only ski instructor was clearly another proof that travelling solo is a great chance to come across people that open up to you in a blink of an eye.

This Way to the Whole Story ->

most instagrammable – till death do us part: a rant

Posted onAuthorRenata Green32 Comments

Yes, this is a rant on how Instagram deteriorates the art of photography to death. But it also makes the world a dangerous – and endangered – place.

mural of a guy taking a picture. most instagrammable - till death do us part: a rant
You’d be surprised at how many pictures death is present – even though not always visible.

I love good photography. That’s why I hate Instagram.

This Way to the Whole Story ->

Grub First, Then Ethics – Brace Yourself for Cuba

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Yes, Cuba is a wonderful place with days on endless beaches and nights at hot bars. Nevertheless, brace yourself for Cuba.

A lady and a little boy at the doorstep of a deteriorating building in Santiago de Cuba
Cuba’s life-threatening beauty.

Obviously, the difficult monetary situation and the unimaginable economic difference between locals and visitors might lead to misperceptions.
Grub first, then ethics – as a matter of fact, in Cuba, you are often reminded of this sober truth.

This Way to the Whole Story ->

location location location – my adventurous accommodation choices

Posted onAuthorRenata Green3 Comments

Location location location: This is a roundup of some of my adventurous accommodation choices. I’ve actually made them in search of the best price-performance ratio.

Road lined with trees, illustrating a location for adventurous accommodation
On the road in the Deep South of the USA.

After all, who doesn’t want to stay at a nice, comfortable hotel at an exceptionally low price?
I do!
However, very often, these accommodations are located in – euphemistically speaking – remote locations. The Spanish call it en el culo del diablo – in the devil’s butt.

This Way to the Whole Story ->

i am not a dark tourist, the world is a somber place

Posted onAuthorRenata Green9 Comments

I am not a dark tourist, the world is a somber place. I realize that almost every country I’ve visited lately had to endure terror and bloodshed related to civil war.

bye:myself - Renata Green - byemyselftravels: Rijeka Croatia
Visiting a country and learning about its history can lead you to quite dark places. 

What does this fact say about me? And what does it say about the world we’re living in?

Disclaimer: This is a sad reflection.

This Way to the Whole Story ->