House in the forest or by the sea? Experiences recharge me

Introduce yourself in a few words..

I am Desislava Avdjieva – creative, joyful like a child about the little things, curious about new things. A woman who loves to create, challenge herself and others, and leave a mark, but if the most important ingredient fun is missing, then everything else loses meaning. Business, marketing, and brand strategies are my stage, but my life is full of many roles – entrepreneur, mentor, event host, traveler, and adventurer who loves to try different experiences and teach through role-playing games. I love to write, dance, attend concerts, theatres.

What does traveling the world mean to you?

Traveling for me is inspiration and inner renewal. It is a way to see different cultures, to connect with people and ideas, to challenge myself, and to return richer in knowledge and emotions. Every journey brings a little self-discovery, which provokes me to be a better version of myself than I was yesterday.

How many different countries have you seen so far? Share an interesting story or highlights from your travels?

If I have to be precise, I have seen 38 countries: 1. Jordan, 2. Singapore, 3. United Arab Emirates, 4. Thailand, 5. Vietnam, 6. Egypt, 7. San Marino, 8. Italy, 9. Germany, 10. Hungary, 11. Austria, 12. Greece, 13. Serbia, 14. Romania, 15. Namibia; 16. France; 17. Portugal; 18. Spain; 19. Macedonia; 20. Albania; 21. Slovenia; 22. Russia; 23. Azerbaijan; 24. Tatarstan; 25. Georgia; 26. Turkey; 27. Denmark; 28. India; 29. Maldives; 30. Malta; 31. Morocco; 32. Tenerife; 33. England 34. Palma de Mallorca 35. Namibia 36. Czech Republic 37. Slovakia 38. Cyprus 39. Malta

Each has its unique character. So far, Namibia is in first place in my heart, the white swallow of Africa. So beautiful nature, different people, free animals that respect your space, colorful experiences. It’s interesting to watch the Milky Way above your head as if you can reach it. Or to visit the place where the desert ends and the ocean begins, separated by a high desert mountain. Climbing Big Daddy in Namibia is also not to be missed, and when you descend from it, you find yourself in a cracked abandoned land with trees. A culinary catamaran on the Greek islands is also one of my favorite experiences. Every day a different sunset and you are an assistant in the kitchen of chef Mila Miller, who teaches you how to combine ingredients, foods, and eat diversely and nutritiously. Relocating a yacht for a regatta from Varna to Athens without stopping for 3 days in open sea was also one of my strong experiences – days when I learned patience, strategy, and trust in the crew, skills that are directly applicable in a business context. While you are all one and care for each other, in the sea you first look to secure yourself. I can tell many adventures…

Do you like to repeat destinations? Give examples and motivation “for” or “against”?

Yes, I repeat destinations when they inspire me or have a special energy for me. For example, every year I attend the folklore costume festival in Zheravna, where I connect with Bulgarian traditions, roots, and the spirituality of our people. There I feel the authentic atmosphere of the village, the rituals, music, and customs that preserve generations. Repeating favorite places like this allows you to dive deeper into the culture and discover new details and inspiration every year.

What was your first trip that truly changed you as a professional and can be said to have changed your thinking?

Singapore and Dubai, where I encountered futuristic technological concepts. There I saw how the business of the future combines creativity, strategy, and digitalization. This experience gave me another perspective, as if you jump into the future for a little while. I believe that to be successful, you must constantly adapt, seek innovations, and build yourself and your team.

What do you learn about yourself and your professional skills when you are in a new cultural environment?

I learn that I can be flexible, creative, and adaptive. In a new cultural environment, I encounter different approaches to communication, which gives me the opportunity to develop greater emotional intelligence and see opportunities where others might stop. Since the time I was a flight attendant, I have learned to adapt quite quickly.  I usually come up with something creative, I learn to accept people with all their differences and see beauty where it may be invisible at first glance.

Have you met people or ideas during your travels that have influenced your career path?

Definitely. Every destination is an opportunity to meet professionals and leaders from different fields. Even brief conversations at events or in social settings can lead to strategic partnerships and ideas that otherwise would not have appeared. Ideas for events come to me. When I attend large events, they always influence me to expand my idea framework.

Do you think that your travels help you expand your professional network? How?

Yes, my travels significantly help me expand my professional network. I often meet people from different professional and cultural communities, exchange experiences and joint initiatives. Often after a trip, I return and we start a new project or work with a new client or partner, I don’t seek it, it happens unconsciously and it’s not in my travel tasks.

What skills do you develop the most when you travel, and how do they reflect on your work?

I develop adaptability, strategic thinking, creativity, and communication skills with different cultures and people, which directly reflects on my work – I better understand audiences, create campaigns with a global perspective, and handle unforeseen situations. Traveling with people of different spiritual orientations and ways of thinking helps me develop and enrich my inner world, expanding my personal perspective and understanding of the world.

Is there a city or country that inspired you to start a new business or project?

Overall, every trip gives me a positive boost in my work. For example, during a trip to Dubai at the beginning of 2025, I attended a personal development event and came up with the concept of Leadership Forum 2025, which took place in Sofia. I was at event for human skills and came up with a concept for the leaders of the future, whose first part will be realized on November 24, and the second part will be on November 20-21, 2026 at NDK, hall 6.

When you are in an unfamiliar country, do you feel more motivated or more distracted? Why?

I am more motivated. The unfamiliar environment activates my curiosity and desire to explore the new, to learn and develop. At the same time, it requires concentration and quick adaptation, which trains my mind and intuition. I love that not everything is planned or if it is, I don’t know all the details and I’m not the one organizing it. After all, my work as an organizer is enough in my daily life, and during my break, I rely on not knowing everything and experimenting.

Are there destinations that act as a “restart” for your creativity and ambition?

Yes, mountains, sea and river destinations, as well as spiritual places act as a “restart” for my creativity and ambition. They allow me to break away from the daily routine, to recharge my thoughts and return with new ideas and projects. Recently, I was at Sokolsky Monastery – a powerful energetic and spiritual place, where I was alone and managed to connect more deeply with my inner world, which helped me recharge my motivation.

How do you manage the balance between work and pleasure when you travel?

When I travel, I try to combine work and pleasure in a way that maintains both productivity and personal satisfaction. I trust my team, and only things that require my intervention are those for which I have a specific time to complete. This way, I manage to combine business with pleasure – to absorb new ideas, recharge my thoughts, and return from the trip with both professional value and personal joy and fresh motivation. Of course, this is if there are urgent matters and it’s not every day of the trips, I love my free time as well.

How did traveling change the way you perceive the value of money?

Traveling fundamentally changed the way I perceive the value of money. For me, investing in experiences, knowledge, and personal development brings long-term value that material possessions can hardly reach. Every trip teaches me to appreciate unique moments, meetings, and new skills I acquire – they enrich my life in a way that no material things can replace. Moreover, encounters with people from different cultures and participation in events, courses, or even challenging activities like survival in nature show me how much can be learned and how personality can be developed through experiences. Over time, I started to see money not just as a means of purchase, but as a resource for creating memories, and filling my emotional bank gives me wings for various challenges.

Do you travel with the aim of finding new ways to earn money?

At this stage, I do not travel with such a goal, although some of my travels have been business-related. However, travel often unlocks new business ideas, partnerships, or approaches that can later turn into profitable initiatives. I don’t go, however, with such a goal on vacation, and if inspiration comes, it’s welcome, but it’s not an end in itself.

What lessons about financial independence have you learned from different economies and cultures?

Well, from the Germans, you can learn a lot about frugality and excellent resource planning. Those who live large do not always have reserves for unforeseen situations. The truth is that daily accountability, monthly planning  and saving from every earned resource create long-term stability. It doesn’t sound sexy at all to want to  treat yourself to something, to have earned money, to have it in your pocket, but since you first have to set aside for savings, there’s nothing left for those pleasures. In theory, I know a lot, but practice is still not my strong suit.

Do you think it’s better to spend on experiences rather than material possessions?

For me, yes. Experiences enrich me, but certain material possessions can also bring me long-term joy, like a house in the forest or by the sea.

How do you see the future of digital nomadic life?

I am a passionate fan of digital nomadism, I love to practice it. More and more companies allow remote work, and technologies give us the freedom to create, manage, and expand business from anywhere in the world. This means more flexibility, but also the need to be disciplined, strategically oriented, and able to balance work with personal life and inspiration from the environment.

Are there specific countries that are more favorable for work and investments?

Yes, Thailand, Bali, where there is year-round tourism, good service, natural resources, low prices.

If you could choose one place in the world to develop your next big idea, what would it be and why?

Tuscany, because I feel at home there, or Bali, where I haven’t been yet, but I’m sure I will love it. For me, it’s important how I feel in a certain territory to be able to realize my ideas.

What are the destinations you would definitely recommend visiting and why?

I would recommend Tuscany in Italy, nature, beauty, delicious food, wine, and a lot of fun and culture. Singapore, where there is nature and innovations, both give their advantage to residents and tourists. Namibia, this beauty of animals, nature, and different experiences is not to be missed.

What is the career advice that you would give based on what you have seen around the world?

The career advice I would give is to remain curious, adaptive, and accepting of people’s differences, not to forget to be active listeners. Invest in experiences and knowledge, build contacts, seek innovations, use technologies, and change without fear, because change is the most certain thing in this world.