Who I am: Slovenia

I’m moving pretty quickly through the next six countries; essentially changing countries every four days. So, I have to use my time wisely in each country and choose transportation and sightseeing options that make the maximum impact.

Ljubljana, Slovenia is my first stop after Italy and upon arrival I’m shocked at how drastic the weather has changed. I was just in the countryside picking olives and now I’m freezing. There’s absolutely no way I can do any decent sightseeing without the proper winter gear, so I immediately ask about the nearest shopping center. “BTC,” said the hostel worker, “you’ll find loads of stuff there.” Slovenia is a small country with a population of just over 2 million. There are more people than that in Brooklyn alone, so I figured that the shopping mall would be some random selection of home grown stores and I could shoot in and out in a few hours and do some sightseeing afterwards. Boy was I wrong…

The next morning I looked up directions by bus and started to scan the BTC website in order to get a “plan of approach together”.  My eyes immediately stopped at the words “over 450 shops.” 450 WHAT?! What the hell?! Who puts 450 of anything in the same space? Think about having 450 flavors to choose from when you walk into Baskin Robbins. That’s too many choices, especially for a person like me.

You see... For some people, ice cream is their thing. For others, electronic gadgets or betting are their vice of choice.  I, on the other hand, am a shopper. Like a super hero, every instinct that I’m naturally gifted with comes alive in shopping malls and bazaars. I have never, ever, gotten lost while shopping and can sniff out a good sale from a mile and half away. Sometimes I’ll even forget that I haven’t eaten until the mall is closed! Hyper focused on trying to make a decision in a world of too many choices. Funny, but I have long given up being ashamed of it, instead turning my weakness into a career.   

“This should be interesting. I’ll take pictures so people back home can see how insane 450 stores look,” I thought before heading out. I updated my Facebook status telling friends and family, where I was going and that if I did not update my status again by 6 pm to send someone in to get me because I would be in the corner of the hottest shoe store, grappling bags and shaking in shock. 450 stores are going to be a problem for me…

The first hour was okay.  The place is massive and consists of a water park, car wash, sport center, casino, movie theatre, entertainment Arena, and quite a few bars and restaurants in addition to the 450+ stores. Regardless, of the size, I picked up gloves, hats, and scarves and was very proud of myself. “Oooh fur coats…. NO! You are not Apollonia!  Stay focused.” The second hour crept up on me and I still needed a coat and boots, but I managed to pick up a few other “necessities.” By the third hour, it was getting bad…You know that scene in New Jack City when Pookie, the reformed junkie, starts losing his marbles while undercover in the crack factory. Well, that’s how I started to feel.  450 stores?!

What was supposed to be a one, maybe two, hour excursion became a full on hunt. I was on a mission and I worked that mall like a job, building up a good sweat and miles and miles of road time from 9 am to 9 pm. I finally left because the bank thought someone had stolen my credit card and they placed a fraud alert on it. Proof positive that God knows his children; this is who I am!  I have problems and those with the same disease should not attempt BTC on their own. Go with a friend, go with a spouse, go with a sponsor, but don’t go alone!

Loaded with bags I went back to the hostel feeling guilty that I had spent an entire day of my limited time in Ljubljana shopping. To top it off, I forgot to take even one photo! Shameful! Thankfully, Ljubljana doesn’t have a ton of major tourist’s attractions. So, the next day, I headed out to the city with a vengeance and made the Ljubljana Castle my first stop.

Ljubljana’s center city is gorgeous and romantic. Situated around the river Ljubljanica, the cobblestone streets are lined with chic boutiques and pubs where hearty stews are served in order to heat you up. Small, jazz clubs and lounges, cafes, old churches, and farmer’s markets make up the remainder of the picturesque scenery. However, the Ljubljana Castle in the backdrop looking down over the city center completes the fairytale-esque look of the city. This place is made for lovers strolling hand in hand and the locks on the bridges, which are seen all over Eastern Europe, are a testament to the many couples that pass over the Ljubljanica.

As I weaved through the farmer’s market making my way to the funicular, which is an elevator of sorts that takes you up a steep slope, I couldn’t help notice all of the people in USA scarves and colors. “Where dey do that at?!” Who comes to Europe rocking red, white, and blue and advertising their love for America from head to toe? “These people must be Texans or something,” I thought and continued on my way. Turns out that the USA and Slovenia soccer teams were playing that evening. I thought that I might go to the match, but I’m good on soccer for minute due to my Croatia experience.

As I toured the castle, I thought that it was really lovely, but not what I expected. I had become accustomed to ruins and such and Ljubljana is not that type of city. The castle looks like a classy, ultra chic, loft right out of the pages Architectural Review. It has an executive center, a white table cloth restaurant, as well as a 3-D historical presentation in its theatre. Uber-modern! I left the castle and headed directly to the Ljubljana city museum where I had already contacted photographer and author Bojan Brecelj .

When traveling alone, you don’t get many opportunities to take photos of yourself and I wanted to find a professional photographer to capture me in this moment. I read about Bojan’s Selffish studio which features live self-portraying and thought that that would fit the bill in terms of unique. So, I emailed him and he said that his studio is now setup at the Ljubljana city museum for an exhibit entitled, “Who are you?” Come by on Wednesday and you can take photos, he replied. By the way, since it’s an exhibit now, it’s free. SCORE!!! I’m there.

Bojan Brecelj

The exhibition is unique in that visitors are invited to the studio in order for them to create their image and tell a little about who they are. In “creating your own image”, you stand in front of a large mirror with lights built in and looking at yourself, you determine when the shot will be taken by pressing the camera button at your foot. At the end you have to offer a statement about “who you are” and then you become part of the exhibit. Bojan and his assistant showed me the ropes and I hopped right in. It looked really fun, but much like the shopping at BTC I had too many choices and ideas running through my head and couldn’t figure out what to do or where to begin. This was a problem.

This situation I had found myself in was so similar to my shopping excursion and to many of the conditions I find in life, that I began laughing when writing my personal statement. This is exactly who I am! I wrote:

“I am a plethora of choices wound tightly together…. A lovely, hot mess.”