How Solo Travel Transforms Loneliness into Solitude - Tsvety Roo : 168

Tsvety Roo is a digital nomad and solo traveller on a mission to explore loneliness, self-discovery, and what it truly means to connect in today’s fast-paced world.

Her journey began when she made the bold decision to leave a successful career at a NYC agency, embrace minimalism, and step into life as a nomad. For the past two years, Tsvety has lived without a permanent home, travelling through 22 countries and visiting 37, uncovering how solo travel can lead not only to deeper connections with others but also to a more meaningful relationship with oneself.

Through raw honesty and lived experience, she shares how she broke free from isolation, embraced fear instead of waiting for it to disappear, and discovered the surprising power of meaningful connections with strangers. Along the way, she learned to slow down, stay longer in each destination, and even create “mini communities” that offered a sense of belonging.

What makes Tsvety’s story compelling isn’t just the places she’s been, but the profound inner transformation she’s undergone. Solo travel taught her to distinguish between loneliness and solitude, redefine what “home” means, and adapt with resilience when plans went awry. Travelling minimally—with just what she truly needs—became not only practical but liberating.

Her story is an invitation to step outside your comfort zone and discover how choosing the unfamiliar can transform not only the way you travel, but the way you live.

Let's enjoy Tsvety's story. 

To connect with her: https://www.tsvetyroo.com/

Chapters

• 10:20 From Loneliness to Life-Changing Decision
• 16:00 Redefining Home and Building Connections
• 24:50 The Art of Slow Travel and Adaptability
• 34:35 Finding Mini-Communities Around the World
• 43:10 Embracing Fear and Future Adventures
• 45:24 Closing Thoughts and Inspiration

Transcript

Daniela SM : 0:01

Hi, I'm Daniela. Welcome to my podcast, because Everyone has a Story, the place to give ordinary people's stories the chance to be shared and preserved. Our stories become the language of connections. Let's enjoy it. Connect and relate, because everyone has a story. I had the delight of speaking with Tsvety Roo, a digital nomad and solo traveller who has spent the past two years exploring 22 countries and discovering the deeper meaning of connection and self-discovery. I especially love this conversation because earlier this year, Dave and I returned from our six months travel adventure, so I could really relate to Swati's journey, her search and her sweet and kind personality. I know you will find her story inspiring and full of practical wisdom about embracing solitude, facing fear and creating community wherever you are. So let's enjoy her story. Welcome, swati, to Last time we spoke, you were in Bulgaria, and now you're in Germany. podcast. Thank you for being here, thank you for having me. So you're a world traveller, obviously, and I know you have a story. So why do you want to share your story, the biggest?

Tsvety Roo: 1:17

mission for me is to inspire others and to not be afraid to solo travel, and that's what I've been doing for the last two and a half years, and I want to breathe light into this realm of traveling that a lot of people feel haven't been introduced to it yet and they're not sure if they could do it themselves. And I'm here as a living proof. You can solo travel. You can do it the way I did it, which I'm sure we're going to get into, or you can do it for a limited time, but basically it's possible and it's so rewarding. And I'm here to share the lessons that you can gain from solo travel, all the benefits and, yeah, to inspire, hopefully, someone out there who's been thinking about it and can just start on their journeys.

Daniela SM : 2:13

Thank you. And I read the other day that traveling is like reading a book, and if you don't travel, it's like you only read the first page. I love that. I got chills. Yes, of course not everybody has to like everything. Traveling is not the answer for everyone, but there is a lot of us who love to do it. A friend of mine just posted that she has gone into like 95 countries and now she's retiring from traveling to new places and now she has decided to go back to those places that meant the most for her and I thought, okay, well, what an interesting new beginning for her. You know, you just think that, oh, you want always a new.

Tsvety Roo: 2:52

Yes, exactly Just one of my countries, spain, I go back to throughout and it's been 20 years or so that I kind of find my way to Spain, different parts of Spain, and every time I go back I'm at a different place in life and when you yourself have evolved and have grown and you see you have different priorities when you travel to that same place. And it's not the same. Maybe initially. It was when I was 20 is when the first time I went to Barcelona I'm saying it with the proper accent and it was about just checking off the tourist attractions, that first time, really absorbing a lot of it from a 20-year-old point of view.

Tsvety Roo: 3:46

And then now, almost 20 years later, when I go to Spain I love to indulge in the food, I love to just listen to, for example, how fast the Spanish people speak to me, and I don't speak Spanish. I know a few words. I don't speak Spanish, I know a few words, but it's just the sort of it sounds like a song, like da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da, a song that continues on. I said do they take a breath at any point?

Daniela SM : 4:15

No, I know you notice different things and it's what point in life that you're at yes, that's true, that's true, we do speak fast in Spanish and I think Italians and Portuguese they speak really fast. And so my husband, who his Spanish is not his first language, but he's French he wants people to wait to give him a chance to talk, and that doesn't happen when my family's together. I always said to him once they breathe, if they breathe, you go ahead and you start talking. And he's like no, they have to give me the time. And I'm like well, good luck with that.

Tsvety Roo: 4:51

Yeah, he has to make that opportunity, yes.

Daniela SM : 4:54

So, swati, tell me, when does your story start it?

Tsvety Roo: 4:57

started two and a half years ago when I pulled the trigger to book a one-way flight and it was to Spain, I felt the most comfortable to start one-way flight and it was to Spain I felt the most comfortable to start my solo travel experience. I was to a new city. It was to Malaga that I've never been. I was stifling this dream. It started to feel real when I booked that one-way flight. And to go back a little bit further to really when I made the decision was nine months earlier. So we're talking two and a half years ago is when I finally booked the flight, but it was nine months prior to that. So this three and a half years in the making, sort of, is when I had this long walk, a meditative walk in San Diego, california, which is where it was my last permanent location, and I had this long walk and I was so lonely and I was so depleted and I was so burnt out of just feeling disconnected from life and I get emotional. Feeling disconnected from life and I get emotional. I'm sure you could probably hear it in my voice. Yes, I can feel it, but it was such a dark time and I had tried so many different ways to combat and to fix the problem. And I took this long walk and I started to ask myself some tough questions that I hadn't asked before. And it was what was really my dream? What have I been stifling for so long? And then, what if I gave myself permission to start living towards making that dream happen? And so these questions were very hard. There was a reason why I was stifling them, because that means you're admitting that you're not living in alignment and that you're not living towards your goals. And that's tough to admit and it's tough to say I've been doing it wrong. And it's tough to say, uh, I've been doing it wrong. Or, you know, you seem to to make it hard on yourself to make this shift in life, and it's a big shift, but I knew I had to to do something towards it. And I and I said I've always wanted to travel and I have. I've traveled before with other people, but this seems like it was calling me. I said I'm going to just do it alone and then see what happens. It took nine months to finally book it after I had this revelation of a walk. It took nine months of overthinking of the fear before pulling that trigger and then I finally booked that flight.

Tsvety Roo: 7:42

And then I finally booked that flight, I made a drastic decision to put everything in storage and not have a permanent location, and so I just made it harder to go everything. Look, have the job, have the apartment, look for the partner, do the workouts. I was trying so many different avenues that living in the US is sort of hey, if you do these things and you check them off the list and everything looks good on paper, then you should be happy. You shouldn't be lonely. This is all making sense, but it wasn't.

Tsvety Roo: 8:29

It was not what my heart desired, it wasn't aligning. I wanted to learn from different cultures, I wanted to see the world and I wanted to grow so much and that being one of my values, it was very tough because, becoming a solo traveler without a permanent home, you have to redefine a lot of certain words that we're used to Examples what does a home mean? Does it mean just one location? What exactly is the definition of home? I had to sort of rework that. Also, keeping and making connections, meaningful connections, like can you do that when you're constantly on the road? The most important one is having that new, reinvigorated relationship with yourself.

Daniela SM : 9:25

So you said a lot of interesting things there, so you had it all and you also. I think it's interesting to mention that you were not born in the US.

Tsvety Roo: 9:34

I moved when I was 10 years old, so most of my life, that dual identity yes.

Daniela SM : 9:41

Yes, your original country is Bulgaria.

Tsvety Roo: 9:44

Bulgaria yes.

Daniela SM : 9:45

Eastern Europe. You never traveled very much since you came to the US.

Tsvety Roo: 9:50

Yeah, I did travel. It was a lot with my sister, my older sister. The travel bug had bit her and then having that role model really helped, so we traveled together. She moved to Germany in my 20s and so it was sort of, oh no, my travel buddy, where did it go? And that was her dream to live in Germany. So as a role model to follow your dreams, she is one of those people that showed me the way and it's amazing to have that in my life. I'm so grateful. It took me a lot longer to understand what I was missing and what I was stifling.

Daniela SM : 10:34

And then because you came from another country. Were you in a culture with Europeans mostly when you grew up, or not?

Tsvety Roo: 10:42

Nope, I grew up in Michigan Detroit, michigan shout out to the Midwest there were a lot of sort of international groups and through my sister she liked to create an environment for whether German or French and that community I was exposed to when growing up I'd say predominantly Americans. I love that because I really was embedded in the American culture and still am, and that's my dominant. I feel definitely American because I lived there for 30 years.

Daniela SM : 11:20

I just ask you this because I know that all the cultures, especially in South America, are very into community and Canada and where I am, in the US, where you grew up, is mostly very individualistic, and so when you talk about lonely, I understand that, because I feel like people are very individualistic.

Tsvety Roo: 11:39

No, I think from a cultural perspective. That's what I've encountered too when traveling, especially just this year in the beginning of being in Thailand and in Asia and just realizing when you can go up to people and they want to help you. They're not either. They're used to it, especially in Thailand. They're used to a lot of tourists, but also they're just super friendly and they're curious. You know where are you from. I get that question a lot. If I need something, they help me and then they want to know more about me and it's really nice.

Tsvety Roo: 12:18

And I think in the US we've become so isolated and it comes from the devices and it comes from, like you mentioned, the individualistic culture, and it's not leading to great things at all. It's the opposite. We're becoming more lonely when it comes to finding a partner where they're supposed to fill that sense of community in just one person. That was an expectation I had when dating in the US and that didn't work out. It's just impossible. You can't have just a community in one person.

Daniela SM : 12:57

We expect our partners to be a village.

Tsvety Roo: 13:00

Correct. It's terrible because the more I travel, the more I see these communities. Every person in a relationship has their own personality and they have different needs and they have interests, and it's more open in that sense. So I get a question saying what if you are in a relationship and you want to solo travel? I've had this question before and I say I feel like it's like everything else. If you are communicating that I just need some time for this weekend to go to the next town or just be on the beach and relax and I'm not escaping you I need some time for myself and you're able to communicate that with your partner, I think that's honorable and it's probably good for your relationship.

Daniela SM : 13:53

Well, also, when you look for your partner, like you know, I met my husband. I knew, having previous boyfriends, that for me freedom and trust were most important. You always dream, oh, if he was romantic. But I'm like, ok, I'm going to give that one up for trustworthy. I think that was so important. And freedom. And also I had a lady from in the podcast. She has her own podcast and she loved traveling. So they went traveling the family. And then the husband and the daughter says you know, mom, we don't really like to do it as much as you. And so the husband is like you go and you do it. It's not easy for other people to understand that's what she does and she's happy with that and the relationship for sure helps that way too.

Tsvety Roo: 14:35

Yeah, I think it would be beneficial. Just again coming back to that, so many benefits about solo travel for me, and one of them being, when you spend this time alone, it's coming back to yourself. It's this solitude versus loneliness differentiating that and I didn't understand the difference. And so now that I know what loneliness was and I'm able to look back in retrospect, I said I was deeply, deeply lonely. Solo travel has helped me understand and find solitude and be okay, and not just okay, but be empowered to take these trips, to go to these different countries, to have this confidence, to be able to just sit with my feelings, with my thoughts. Sit with my feelings, with my thoughts, without having to feel anxious, without having to feel this sort of I need to distract myself with my devices. I need to call somebody I need. I need somebody to fill in this time and instead just be in the moment, and solo travel has really transformed that for me.

Daniela SM : 15:46

Yeah that's beautiful. I think I'm still working on that and you already have achieved it, so congratulations. Oh, we're all working on it, yes, but we always. We're a work in progress, anyway, until we die, yeah.

Tsvety Roo: 16:00

And the crazy part is the more returning back to yourself, reinvigorating, and it seems that it's such a positive energy that the more people I meet which is so wild. I didn't think that would be another sort of benefit, but these meaningful connections of just being okay by yourself and then all of a sudden you're just attracting all the different people that are curious and then starting those conversations, has been life-changing for me. So the second point, the second huge benefit of solo travel for me is making those meaningful connections and have so many stories. I don't know if we're going to get through all of them, but there's so many stories of just meeting random people, different ages, different backgrounds and us connecting on these travels, and I've learned so much about myself in the process of learning about these people.

Daniela SM : 16:58

Yes, the beautiful thing of traveling, of course, is seeing new things, but these experiences with the people, for me, has been the thing that I cherish the most. Yes, that made the impression of that place. Oh, this lady that I met, that she helped us. You know another lady who gave me a hug when I bought her honey. You know things like this. So, yes, exactly.

Tsvety Roo: 17:20

The next question is you know what's the favorite experience? Or from all of these travels in different countries and now I'm up to 39, which is amazing, very grateful, blessed to get up to so many countries you know what are the favorite experiences. Every time I think about the connections that I've made, or just the random. You know deep conversations that happen or, like you said, where there's like a physical sort of port. While on this, whether it's through a hug or whether it's something that, like they've said, that really resonated with you and coming back to you, are very much present as a solo traveler, because you're not sure if you're going to see that person again, and so you want to really make the most of that time together. Wonderful, that's beautiful.

Tsvety Roo: 18:15

With a stranger and then potentially lifelong friend.

Daniela SM : 18:19

Okay, so you bought the ticket and you decided you were traveling and you went to Spain. How long you stay in Malaga, and what happened afterwards?

Tsvety Roo: 18:28

So I stayed in Malaga for about a month. I didn't really have anything planned that first year. I only knew sort of six weeks in advance of where I was going. It was one of those things that I embraced all the uncertainty that came with this decision and I know from speaking with my family and my friends they're just like what do you mean? You don't have any plans beyond six weeks. How is that even possible? What do you mean? You don't know where you're staying or which country you're going, and so that was very liberating initially, and I think I just liberating initially and I think I just went to an extreme because I had been stifling the dream for so long. So now I was just like you know, I'm just going to just be free.

Tsvety Roo: 19:18

After a while I started to figure out which countries really resonated with me that I wanted to go see. I also started to slow down. I was going really fast through countries meeting. I was spending two weeks only, or maybe even seven, eight days, and your body gets tired. Your body gets very tired.

Tsvety Roo: 19:42

That first year was intense. You're switching cultures and people are speaking different languages and you don't even have time to breathe and sometimes there's jet lag because you're really flying to a whole different continent. This year, over the course of traveling, I like to stay longer in places, at least three weeks. That way I get to embed a little bit more into the culture and take a breather and my body isn't as tired. And I stayed three weeks in Bali this year, one month in Thailand and two months in back to Malaga. And I like to return to some places because what ended up happening is I created like mini communities and coming back to community being so important, being such a healthy aspect that we keep not prioritizing and we should Because these mini communities, whether it's through other solo travelers, whether it's through locals that I've met in these places, whether it's through other solo travelers, whether it's through locals that I've met in these places, they are filling up so much of that empty space.

Daniela SM : 20:57

It's amazing. Yes, we were seven weeks in Malaga, I remember I went and bought a bra into a little corner store that it was like. It had like a triangle shape, so you come in from one door and get out from the other. If there were more than two people in the store you couldn't really move. I bought one thing and then I went back again and back again, you know, and so we talked to the woman who sells and she's my friend now, and so I can, you know that kind of thing that if I go back, I will be like hey, hi, you know, and then the butcher at the market, the Terrazana market, pablo, he will tell me, here, I will make it for you, this is how you do it, and he will tell me how to cook it and stuff. And so it was like every day, every two days, we would go and buy something from him and not a friend, but kind of you felt like he's the person you talk to. So, yes, I know the feeling.

Tsvety Roo: 21:44

Yeah, yeah, like these many communities, it doesn't even have to be with locals. So I have a new example that just. I went to Croatia. I was in Pula, and I made a friend. I decided it was like I'm going to do a hostel this time and I go varieties, I go sometimes Airbnb. If I'm able to splurge on a hotel room, sure, I'm not, it's not against anything. So I walk into this hostel. I was like I'm going to save some money this time and the only person that was in the room was this woman and she kind of looks up at me and I look down and she's like oh, I think you're sleeping above me in the bunk bed. I said, yeah, yeah, I think so.

Tsvety Roo: 22:31

And then how it happened in 10 minutes time is we found out that we were similar ages and she felt so old and that she feels like you know, over 35, you're just in a hostel, like I can't, you know, sort of there's like a judgment to it. And I said you know what? I'm not judging because I'm 39. So her eyes opened up and everything lit up and then we ended up going to dinner together and we had like split a liter of wine and and so there's, at the same time, of just you know, she, she.

Tsvety Roo: 23:10

She started to tell me that she felt lonely on her travels as a solo traveler for two and a half weeks and I said, you know she's like I'm so glad I met you. You're turning around this whole experience that I had the last two and a half weeks and I'm like that's, that's what this is. You know it's's. You had to wait two and a half weeks for us to meet, but now your whole trip has changed because I'm here to say it's been two and a half years and just kind of being open and you taking that step as a solo traveler, you're going to meet some amazing people and make connections yes, be open to everything all the time.

Daniela SM : 23:47

Not easy, but yes.

Tsvety Roo: 23:49

It's so great. And the other example is that she felt so self-conscious about being older. She was, by the way, younger than me, she was 36. And so, okay, you got three years less than me. There's a point of think that other people are judging us, or are we judging ourselves?

Daniela SM : 24:09

Yes and so when you left.

Tsvety Roo: 24:10

you keep having a job. So as a graphic designer, I'm very lucky that I can work remotely. I can do freelance projects. It's been good you got to manage the time here and there.

Daniela SM : 24:20

So you went to Spain and after you picked the countries that you wanted to visit, so you actually jumped from one continent to another. How is your routine?

Tsvety Roo: 24:28

you wanted to visit, so you actually jumped from one continent to another. How is your routine? When I do have a project, I definitely that's the priority I try to stay longer in a place, so then I can do both and so that way I can focus on that. I had a project in Malaga a few months ago and so I stayed there two months. I also had speaking engagement. I worked around that, you know.

Tsvety Roo: 24:50

So there's no urgency to go see a certain place, and I really want listeners to take away that there's a freedom about that as well. You don't have to go or like put that pressure on yourself that you're like I have to go to Vietnam tomorrow, you know, to go to Vietnam tomorrow, you know, have to see Morocco tomorrow, you know, whatever it is, so they're still going to be there, flowing with what's working and what's aligning. So if you do have a project and you know, make sure to give yourself the space, sit still for in a specific place for long enough to finish that. And then, if there's a desire to go somewhere and it's still not aligning, for example, vietnam for me has not happened yet, and it's not because of lack of trying, because there's just so many things that happen, like the visa. I didn't realize in time which was such a rookie mistake. You're going to make so many mistakes too, and that's kind of the part of this that the resilience of persevering through all of these challenges. I feel that now I've become such a problem solver and I'm super resourceful about okay, well, you know, if that doesn't work, then maybe let's try something else.

Tsvety Roo: 26:08

Sometimes things just not meant to work out in Vietnam, hoping it's next year will happen, but I didn't have the proper visa. Then flight was delayed, then something happened three strikes and I said, okay, I'm going to let it go and I'm going to end up just staying in Bangkok here for the next three, four days. And it was such a blessing because I really loved Bangkok and so it's kind of pivoting is super important. And being flexible and adaptive All of these qualities they're going to be needed in the future and to have them and to continue to hone them in this lifestyle has been great. Yes.

Daniela SM : 26:49

I know that flexibility, adaptability are super important, and I noticed that for me I am adaptable. At the beginning. I may take a little while, like a day or two, and I will complain a little bit, but then I forget about it. Okay, this is the way I am Just go and complain and then you will be fine in a day, you know, and so that's okay. When you say that you're going to make mistakes and I can understand that, because you know, we traveled, my husband and I, for six months, but we were two heads right, so I would think about something, he would think about something. If I had to do it all. It's exhausting and I probably would have forgotten something, you know, because I don't want to think about it everything.

Tsvety Roo: 27:30

That's okay. I had to learn compassion for myself. I made silly mistakes, things that oh, you know as a professional solo traveler if that's even a thing now I think I should put a name tag on professional solo travel. You have to give yourself grace and be compassionate and say, yeah, I'm not going to get it right all the time everywhere, just knowing that you're doing the best you can and you for every mistake. I'm sure I made 10 things that were correct at least. I think that's another lesson of having compassion. And are they really mistakes?

Daniela SM : 28:10

That's the other. They're lessons, right, because now you're not going to forget again, whatever you mean.

Tsvety Roo: 28:15

Yeah, I wouldn't have seen Bangkok if Vietnam worked out. Understanding that, because I think once we get so comfortable thinking about sort of pre-solo travel, pre-me beginning on this journey, about sort of pre-solo travel, pre-me beginning on this journey we just want to control so much. We're not as flexible and we like our routines and we like the security that comes with it and the comfort Getting out of that comfort zone and realizing how much you can grow. We're just taking that little bit of step outside. It's just priceless.

Daniela SM : 28:47

Yes, Something that I remember I liked very much was important to me to have a good bathroom. We were not very lucky every time, but when I got it then I enjoyed it really very much.

Tsvety Roo: 28:59

And that's okay. Yeah, and I think people when asking you know, what kind of suitcase do you have? What are the, how do you travel? And I said I have a backpack that I'm in love with, going to the grave with me. This backpack is so good. I started with a big suitcase and the backpack and now I'm down to a smaller suitcase and the backpack and I've left things at friend's house and then you just realize how little you actually need as a solo traveler and you know family, different kids, and you need a lot more for myself. You're just like, oh, I can really, can really survive without those 15 pairs of shoes. It actually happened.

Daniela SM : 29:44

I got like maybe four pairs of shoes and we were always wearing the same. Especially if it was cold, I was wearing the same clothes every time. And so it was. You know my husband. He went to a city and I went to another city to see a friend and I sent him some pictures and he was like, oh nice, wearing the same clothes again. And so we were laughing about that. When I came back home, I didn't know how to get dressed again. But this was only six months, right, I was going to wear the same thing I was wearing for six months. And then I'm like, no, look at your closet. I'm like, oh, my God, I don't know how to put this together. How did I get dressed before? And so it was just really funny how I was like my creativity, because for me, me, I think getting dressed is a bit creative. Right, you want, you want to combine. It was gone. It took me a while to get back to. Yeah.

Tsvety Roo: 30:35

I can relate. Sometimes I go back to the storage unit. I was like, oh, I have such cute things, oh. And then I end up donating, like most of them, because I'm like, oh, I haven't worn these in the last year, so why are they in the storage unit? I think what I'm really getting good at now is, if I buy something, I let go of something unless I'm really attached to it, like the backpack For all the people that I recorded that are travelers, and you know I was.

Daniela SM : 31:05

I was recording a few before we go because I wanted to learn from everyone and I realized that everybody has their own style. There's nothing really wrong. I mean this lady she has seen somebody who was traveling with like a tiny little bag and she travels with a big suitcases. There's nothing wrong. The wrong thing is you have to carry it if you have more. And for us I realized we had one suitcase and one little suitcase For me. It was like God, I would love to go to more places, but these suitcases are actually for me. I think the idea would be to have a vase, somewhere that you can leave things, and then you go to little places with little things for a week or two. I don't think I will be the person who can only travel with a little tiny bag. Yeah, and that's okay.

Tsvety Roo: 31:49

Honestly, that pressure another misconception that people are like if I'm a traveler then I have to travel light. You don't have to. It's easier, like you said, for some places. I still have my at least a suitcase and a backpack, so I downsized but I still brought it. It was fine, still made the little trip up the rice paddies with me when I was in Bali. At this place the taxi driver just dropped me off at the bottom of the sort of long driveway up to the Airbnb and he's like this is as far as I'm going to go and I said okay, and so my little suitcase and my backpack and I'm going up the driveway.

Daniela SM : 32:30

Yes, I know we had so many stories like that. Oh my God. Look at the stairs. Oh my God. And so you know. Thank God in once of that it wasn't really the address.

Tsvety Roo: 32:44

So I was like, okay, thank God. Okay, yeah, it's okay, I have muscles from, not from going to the gym, but because I'm carrying around either backpacks, suitcases, bags, whatever it is, yeah. And then obviously I am so particular about the sizes of the items because certain airlines allow you with, you know, especially cheap airlines you have to look at the centimeters and and it's, and it seems like this is overwhelming. But now it's just part of my routine, I feel. I go into airports and I do like a large exhale, like, oh, I'm home. Okay, like you know, all airports are structured similarly, obviously with the security and then food, and I feel like I can just hang up some pictures now, at whatever airport I'm in, I feel like okay. So kind of finding that routine and a non-routine lifestyle has been interesting for me.

Daniela SM : 33:47

And so you've been traveling for two years. So you feel that you wanted to be a nomad.

Tsvety Roo: 33:51

I didn't even know that's the definition that I want. I accidentally ended up here and strategically I would say there was nothing strategic about it.

Daniela SM : 34:03

But you plan, so you plan to travel. You just didn't know how long, or did you know?

Tsvety Roo: 34:06

Exactly. Initially I thought it was going to be three months. Oh Yep, that's how much faith I had in myself. I was like, oh yeah, this is going to be three months. And initially I had a big storage unit with my couch and my bed and everything. I'm just going to come back after three months. And then three months turned into six, and then six months turned into six, and then six months turned into a year. And then I downsized because I said maybe not so much and it just naturally kind of started to evolve. And then I found a groove of just staying longer in places so I wouldn't get tired physically, because your body does, I would say every two months or so when I was traveling and switching places very fast I would get sick. And so that I learned you have to slow it down a bit, not only mentally but from a physical aspect and now part of life. I stay somewhere for a month or two and then go to the next place. Interesting.

Daniela SM : 35:10

So I thought for the six months that I wanted to be a nomad and I realized that what I want is to start all over again in somewhere else. That that starting is the new beginnings is always something that I really appreciate. But I didn't like too much to go one place to another place. We did that. We were staying only a week, but it's because we didn't like too much to go one place to another place. We did that. We were staying only a week, but it's because we didn't find a city that we want to stay here until we got to Malaga and then we were like, okay, we're tired and we're staying anyway, and this is a beautiful place. So I was really excited and now I'm totally in love with it and want to go back.

Tsvety Roo: 35:47

I go back every year I think that's I call it. I pay my pilgrimage to Malaga. Oh, that's funny, it's great. The next question that I get asked is you know how long do you think you're going to be doing this and when do you think you're going to settle down? It could be Malaga is my place I'm not sure. Right now it's hard to tell. I'm not at the same place where I have only six weeks planned. I try to plan at least a couple months. Now I'm too late Because it is staying for longer in each place I do have. I plan to do Bulgaria for a month again and then Finland for a month in the coming months, because when we were traveling, we were picking countries that were economical.

Daniela SM : 36:35

but you pick countries that you're curious to, it doesn't matter the cost.

Tsvety Roo: 36:38

So, for example, it's Singapore. It mattered because that's not a cheap country, so I stayed only three, four days Going there was just a visit, unless somebody calls me up and says hey, I'm planning to travel for a month. You can stay at my place for free, which is the biggest expense in this traveling. You can eat pretty cheaply, even in expensive countries, and if you have a free place or very low cost in an expensive country, if somebody called me up from London, you can just take care of my plants, which is what I'm doing in Finland in a few months.

Daniela SM : 37:19

So you're house-sitting. Yeah, I'm house-sitting, yeah basically Okay, perfect. Yeah, so when did you start house-sitting?

Tsvety Roo: 37:25

23,. Yeah, six or seven months into it. I just reach out to friends. I have a good community now Good is probably an understatement. I have a very, very good community of travelers and friends and people that I reach out to, especially when I start doing research to a place I haven't been and I do as a female solo traveler. I do very heavy research Is it safe? Which parts should I go to? Like, have you been there as a solo traveler? So I reach out to my friends. They connect me with whoever has been there and then I also, you know, put it out there Like, are you going to be traveling? Do you need somebody to house sit?

Tsvety Roo: 38:10

Also, homestays in Asia. I did homestays in Bali. What are homestays? Homestays is when a family is. They own the business. Yeah, they live on the premise and then they rent out. You know the few, like, let's say, three or six rooms and you still have your own room in a bathroom. But then you hear like the the rooster at 3 45 in the morning but so this is the same as renting a room, isn't it?

Daniela SM : 38:36

yeah, but you it's.

Tsvety Roo: 38:38

It's like a. They're like kind of mini hotels in in bali, for example, because they are still rooms. You are are cooking your breakfast Very affordable.

Daniela SM : 38:49

I know that you're already telling me all the questions that people ask you usually, but then I guess something that will make people curious is the fear that you have of traveling alone, not just for safety, it's just more like I don't know, should I do it right? And so you did say you have to get out of your comfort zone, be adaptable, just do it, you know, do something that is that it makes you afraid.

Tsvety Roo: 39:13

You know I love this because it's a perfect segue to the third lesson that I learned is embrace that fear. Don't wait for it to go away. It's not going to go away. What happens is it starts to shrink. It's not screaming in your ear, it's not as strong when you commit to and you start doing it.

Tsvety Roo: 39:34

Because if I was going to wait for my fear to do this which obviously it took me nine months to actually book it to make the first step there's so many doubts, there's so much anxiety that I mean, I'm not even that much of an anxious person, but it was such a big shift in the way I was living before, and so you have insecurities about it, and so I didn't wait anymore. I couldn't. I said this fear is coming with me the suitcase, the backpack and the fear All four of us were getting on this flight and this is happening. And so eventually, what starts to happen becomes this fear smaller and smaller. There's still some doubts. Should I go here? Should I do that Making decisions?

Tsvety Roo: 40:28

Sometimes you know you have, yeah, you doubt yourself. After a while it just becomes smaller because everything else grows you grow, your confidence grows, your resilience grows, your ability to say you know, I've already done this for two and a half years, or I've already. I made that first step and I went to that country or I went to that city, because you don't even have to go abroad. Maybe you don't even have a passport, and that's okay. Maybe you just taking a first step to having lunch by yourself or dinner by yourself, I'm building myself up, and then maybe it's taking that trip Because alone is so tough. It's so tough. So making it sound like, yes, you can do it and yes, you can, but it's so tough, so I can relate. I've been there, you can do it though.

Daniela SM : 41:25

Yes, and have you had the difficulty between being friendly and other you know guys, for example, or other people thinking that you want more than just a conversation?

Tsvety Roo: 41:38

Yes, Culturally we as Americans tend to be overly friendly, and then some cultures don't really like small talk as much. So I have to be culturally sensitive now over the course of time and say like, okay, so I like to look at the body language, see if this person is just you know like are they on their computers and they just don't like want to be left alone, and they just don't want to be left alone.

Tsvety Roo: 42:07

Now I look at that first and if they kind of seem open to it by, let's say, they put their phone down, they're kind of looking around, or there's an indication sometimes where you feel like an energy of being open, Surroundings and looking at people, sometimes listening.

Daniela SM : 42:32

That's a really good observation and thank you for bringing that up.

Tsvety Roo: 42:35

I try to pretend in new countries that you know I kind of put my shoulders back, walk with intention, have this like I guess, fake it till you make it confidence in a new city, new surroundings, and it seems to be working to deter a lot of people that potentially are looking for a victim.

Daniela SM : 42:59

Yes, yes, you said three things that you learned. The fear was the third one and the one and two. Where can you summarize?

Tsvety Roo: 43:06

One and two was embracing solitude and coming back to yourself, to making meaningful connections, getting that courage to start conversations with.

Daniela SM : 43:17

And so what's next for you? Keep traveling and you know, I know you're sharing your story in different podcasts to inspire others, but is there anything else that you're thinking that you're going to be creating?

Tsvety Roo: 43:28

Yes, definitely, I'm going to start a book. I knew you were going to say that. Oh my God, everybody's been asking me about this. I was just like, all right, well, I got to do it. I also do one-on-one sessions on my website there's a link below at Svetirucom. Not only just inspire people through the podcast, but also I can help you with your first step figuring out what country is the safest for you as a first choice. Probably some workshops down the road. I have some free guides on the first steps of that. Those are also on my website. Different sort of materials that can help people, because that is that's my mission. I just I want to share this transformation that I had with others.

Daniela SM : 44:13

That's wonderful, and you have inspired me again, so I appreciate it and you're an amazing, amazing woman so. I am so grateful that you're sharing your story. I'm grateful that we met now. I guess you have a friend in Vancouver and if we, if you don't, come and visit here and it will be for free, thank you, oh, my God, did not expect this one. We will certainly meet in Malaga, I'm sure.

Tsvety Roo: 44:36

Oh, yes, Malaga and, fun fact, never been to Vancouver.

Daniela SM : 44:41

There you go. It is beautiful, so wonderful. , thank you so much for sharing your story and all these tips. I really appreciate it, and you inspire me, as I said to you, so I think many people will get inspired too.

Tsvety Roo: 44:56

Thank you so much for having me. Just a blessing Super grateful.

Daniela SM : 45:00

Thank you. I hope you enjoy the conversation with Swati as much as I did. Her openness and courage are a beautiful reminder that sometimes the scariest step choosing the unknown can bring the most rewarding transformations. If this episode spoke to you, share it with someone who could use a reminder of the power of connection and self-discovery, letting the ordinary magic spread a little further. Join me next time for another story conversation. Thank you for listening. Hasta pronto.