ODPOTUJ is the four of us and the journeys we create together.
This is how our journeys and stories take shape, which we then tell day by day, just as we experienced them.
Who Are We?
We’re a perfectly ordinary, yet completely different family of four: Dad Igor, Mum Anja, and our two curious daughters, Nara and Nia, born in 2015 and 2017.
The idea of “home” is a bit slippery for us. Yes, we have an official address written in our documents, but our real home changes almost as often as the dates on our plane tickets.
Suitcases or Backpacks?
Since we prefer travelling by plane, our suitcases have practically become part of the family.
But when we’re heading off on a trip that involves moving around, the kind where we change places five or six times in a single week and sleep in just as many different beds, we switch to backpack mode to keep the logistics at least somewhat under control.
How It All Begins...
It usually starts with me, Anja, the family’s flight-deal hunter. I have a finely tuned instinct for bargains that even the best detective might envy.
I’m able to catch a flight for half the price before others even realize they could go anywhere at all.
When I find a good deal, I check the weather at the destination. Once the weather gets the green light too, I hand the baton over to my husband, Igor.
Igor is the one who then sits down at the computer, jumps between destination websites, flips through Lonely Planet guidebooks and navigates his way around Google Maps.
He’s our chief strategist, turning my idea of “let’s just go somewhere” into an actual itinerary, planned by days and kilometres and, if we’re lucky, with a few coffee stops along the way.
We create the ODPOTUJ blog together.
Igor takes care of the daily travel diaries and the overall look of the blog, while I write the introductory pages and teasers for upcoming trips.
The Green Light
Once the basic plan is ready, we hold a family meeting about where to stay.
We look through the photos, read the reviews and, like a proper serious team, get into the details. We check how far away public transport is, so we don’t have to start every day with a marathon just to reach the nearest bus stop or metro station.
We’re particularly careful not to choose accommodation in a part of town considered “not the safest”. After all, we travel as a family with children, not as two solo backpackers looking for an adrenaline rush.
We like being alive, and we prefer to choose our own adventures rather than have the neighbourhood arrange them for us.
Only when all four of us nod in agreement does the reservation get the green light.
The Holy Trinity
We always bring our holy trinity with us on every trip:
Barcaffè coffee, because without it I’m a serious safety hazard. In plain English: do not approach before the first cup.
We all drink Cedevita. It’s one of our travel staples and our go-to vitamin refreshment.
And, of course, Čokolino, because Nara and Nia simply love it for breakfast. It’s their travel constant, something familiar among all the new places.
The Travel Pharmacy
We shouldn’t forget our travel first-aid kit either. It’s always packed, never unpacked, and sits in the hallway cupboard waiting for the next trip.
Inside is a proper little pharmacy for a family with children: something for a fever, cough syrup, eye and ear drops, something for a sore throat, a thermometer and an entire collection of plasters. From the ordinary kind to ones with cartoon characters, which have a proven ability to provide instant comfort.
And because stomachs sometimes decide to have adventures of their own while travelling, we also carry something for diarrhoea, disinfectant, cream for insect bites and a soothing skin cream, usually Bepanderm.
Having our travel first-aid kit with us makes us feel safer and better prepared, although we always hope we’ll never really need it.
Just knowing it’s there, fully stocked and always within reach, gives us the peace of mind to get on with exploring the world.
When School Bags Take a Break
We plan our travels around the school holidays. That’s when the pace of everyday life slows down, the school bags get a rest, and we speed up.
For us, the holidays are a chance to swap the classroom for the world, the school board for the departures board, and our daily routine for the unpredictability of travel.
Little Adventurers
For our daughters, these trips are more than just holidays. They’re their own little school of life.
They discover that the world is much bigger than their street at home or the school corridor, and full of new places, languages and customs. They learn patience in airport queues and often discover that they’re far braver and more curious than they thought.
When we’re exploring cities and nature, there are days when Nara and Nia walk between 20 and 25 kilometres without a problem. That’s when it becomes pretty clear to us that they’re no longer beginners. They’re already seasoned little adventurers.
When Things Don’t Go to Plan
Sometimes things simply don’t go according to plan when we travel: delayed flights and trains, buses that never show up, unexpected changes in the weather, or just tired legs after a full day of walking.
That’s when they show us just how grown-up they’ve become. They stay calm, listen to us, help us work out what to do next, and accept that things don’t always go according to plan. Their comment in moments like these is usually quite simple:
“That's part of our journey too.”
At the same time, they’re curious explorers. They seek out hidden corners of cities, enjoy nature and history, and often notice things that we adults miss.
And that’s probably one of the best things about travelling together. They’re not the only ones growing. We’re growing alongside them too.
Together
Travelling brings us closer together. We laugh together, try new flavours, discover hidden corners of cities, and encourage one another when our energy starts to run low. Our youngest, Nia, is especially good at that.
Along the way, they also learn some very practical things: how to pack a backpack, look after their belongings, and adapt when things don’t go quite as planned.
We come home from every trip with a new collection of shared memories. Some are big, others completely ordinary, but it’s these moments that slowly piece together our family story.
In Between Our Travels
If anyone were to ask what best sums up our family life, our family friend Lucas Craig has a pretty simple answer:
“You two work in between your travels.”
And he’s right. We work so we can travel, explore and experience the world together, and eventually turn those experiences into the stories we share on ODPOTUJ.
And in between, we’re already thinking about where we’ll go next.
Where do you want to go?
Our current, completed, and upcoming trips, written day by day.