Coni

Beiteddine Palace, Lebanon 🇱🇧 This 19th century Ottoman Palace is one of the highlights of the Chouf Mountains. Although conceived by Italian architects, the place incorporates many traditional forms of Arab design —so much that I felt transported to Morocco! The Palace was features in the Lebanese 100 Livres Banknote until the 1980’s, and the proud caretaker of the site will be happy to show you the one he saved. If you want to visit it, the easiest ways are to rent a car, hire a driver or take an organized tour. By public transportation is doable, albeit more complicated —you’ll need to take a bus from Beirut to the lovely village of Deir Al Qamar and from there either take a taxi or walk uphill for about an hour. #lebanon #visitlebanon #lebanontravel #lebanese #beautifullebanon #livelivelebanon #liban #discoverlebanon #exploringtheworld #offthebeatenpath #offthebeatentrack @lebanese.culture1 @welovelebanon @lebanon.habibe @thankyoulebanon @thebeirutpost @livelivebeirut

Have you noticed the tree in the Lebanese flag? It’s a cedar 🇱🇧 There are still three Nature Reserves with wild cedar forests in the country. This particular one -the Cedars of God- is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it was even mentioned in the Bible. Of course I used the opportunity to unleash my inner hippie and I spent half the hike hugging the beautiful trees ✨ #lebanon #cedar #cedarsofgod #cedarsoflebanon #treehugger #sheisthewild #youngandwildandfree #naturecalling #optoutdoors #takemetothemountains

The Med ☀️ I bet that, when thinking about the Mediterranean Sea, your mind goes straight to France or Spain. No one ever thinks of the coastal side of Africa and Asia. Have you ever heard about the lovely coast of Algeria, Tunisia, or Lebanon? Well, I’m here to tell you that you have been missing out! Beirut has an amazing promenade if you want to scroll on the seaside, the Al Raouche rocks have become a landmark of the city, and there are plenty of beaches to enjoy the *very* hot Lebanese spring and summer. There are other amazing cities to add to your itinerary if you want to enjoy the seashore: Byblos, Batroun and Tripoli towards north, and Sidon and Tyre to the south (although, considering the situation with their southern neighbor, currently I’d stick with the north). ✨ Save this post so you don’t forget to include Lebanon on your next Med-escapade! #lebanon #visitlebanon #lebanontraveler #beirutlebanon #mediterraneanlife #mediterraneanstyle #corniche #windinmyhair #nextdestination #solofemaletraveler #solofemaletravel #theroadlesstraveled #offthebeatenpath #offthebeatentrack #getoutandexplore #aworldofwonders #beachtime

Welcome to Beirut, Lebanon 🇱🇧 The city promotes itself as having layers of history of different conquerors and religions, of people living together in harmony. But even to the naked eye, the contrasts are in today’s world, not in the city’s history. Sure Christians and Muslims live together peacefully, and Roman ruins stand among modern buildings. But what’s most shocking is how the very rich live among the very poor. I grew up in Latin America, so I’m absolutely used to lack of distribution of wealth. But here you see extravagant yachts and fancy modern edifices, just across the road from buildings that are falling apart, with kids on the street begging for money. Trendy cafés with English menus, full of expats and tourists, and your normal Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, Paul, and the like, among humble local eateries. Lamborghinis and Maseratis contrast with the local mini buses that have seen better days ages ago. Designer shops showcase beautiful handmade crafts, while the traffic outside is chaos, with most traffic lights still not working after the port explosion. I was expecting a broken country, and although some of the infrastructure is indeed broken, the spirits of people are definitely not. This is a country that has been through it all, yet they have it in their hearts to open their borders to everyone who needs them. That’s how they ended up being the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita and per square kilometre in the world, with an estimate of 1.5 million of Syrians and half a million of Palestinian refugees. I’m very conflicted on how I feel about this capital city. It really wants to be European (strangely, it feels more Western than many cities in Eastern Europe), so much that it’s hard to find a Middle Eastern vibe (other than in the chaotic traffic, and the mix of mosques and churches). It feels to me like the city’s soul is missing. Beirut might not be among my favorite places, but -as you can see in the photos- there’s plenty of beauty in the city. And there’s so much more to share about Lebanon, so stay tuned!

Denmark 🇩🇰 I always imagined Denmark as a boring gray flatland. Luckily the universe brought me there to experience the country with a beautiful spring weather, that made it not only lovely, but lively. Little green rolling hills in the countryside are dotted with yellow and purple flowers that make you reminisce of Copenhagen’s Nyhavn, while the turquoise waters and white cliffs of Mount Klint contrast the brown bricks of Odense. No matter where you look, Denmark is full of colors! Who knew?!? #denmarktravel #denmarkphotography #danishnature #copenhagendenmark #odensecity #mountklint #mønsklint #optoutdoors #naturelover #sheisthewild #travelbloggervibes #springindenmark

My dad bought an atlas printed in the 1950’s during a trip to the United States. When I was a kid he’d tell me stories of his travels, and I’d quickly browse through the pages of the atlas to find where he’d been. I grew up immersing myself in it. I deeply studies all 50 states (I remember even quizzing myself to make sure I remembered all the names). I spent days and days pretending I was going around places that no longer existed (even though to me they were very real… it took me years to learn that geography is more about politics than about cartography). Checoslovaquia, Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union, Rodhesia, I visited them all running my finger through their borders. I lost myself in the lines that defined what a country is. I looked for exclaves, I questioned why some lines where straight and others followed rivers or mountains. I spent countless hours imagining what it would be like to actually set foot on any of those magical foreign lands. And now that I get to travel the world I feel like I’m honoring that child, that not even in her wildest dreams thought that she would end up living in Yugoslavia of all places! Thanks daddy for igniting my wanderlust. I hope now you’re traveling with me ❤️ #croatiafulloflife #croatiafullofmagic #croatiafullofcolors #croatiafullofhistory #croatiafulloflove #pula #pulaarena #dreambig #sheisthewild

From one of the most stunning views in the world I want to share with y’all that I finished my cancer treatment ✨✨✨ After way over a year of chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, and 2 surgeries, I’m finally done. It feels anticlimactic. Like my brain was expecting a party or something to believe it’s truly over. So as a way of celebrating, in true Coni-style, I decided to write. I’ve been making notes throughout the whole cancer journey, so I put together a *very much* personal post, with everything I went through and felt in this tough ‘year in the life’. If you’re curious, I’ll leave the link in my story and my bio 😊 #breastcancerjourney #suckitcancer #lifeisbeautiful #cancerfree #bloggerlife #dubrovnikcroatia #dubrovnikonmymind #croatiafullofcolors #croatiafulloflife

I signed up for several races this year, each tougher than the last, just to test my limits. A sort of competition with myself, to see how far I can push. I started in February with a half marathon in Split. Now I did my first proper trail race, also a half marathon through the beautiful countryside of northern Croatia: @istria100 The funny thing is that when I’m out there, there’s no competition, not even with myself. All I focus on is the next step. And the simplicity of existence then is addictive! What a lovely way to connect to the mountains, to nature, to myself… My soul needed a few hours running through the heart of Istria. I can’t wait for next year’s! Nor for my next race (@spartanracecroatia, here I come!) Special thanks to my wonderful partner for always being incredibly supportive and encouraging, and to my friends Ante and Darija (@never_give_up_st) for getting me into this beautiful sport! #istria100 #meetyourextraordinary #utmbworldseries #utmb #trailrunning #trailrunner #mountainlove #colorsofistria #adventurestartshere #idrunthat #idhikethat #optoutdoors #sheisthewild

I’ve always loved type-2 fun, you know, the one in which you question why the hell you’re at it while you’re at it, but knowing that in retrospect is gonna be an amazing experience. Today I went hiking in the snow, and while at it, I suspected it would be type-3, the one that is not really fun, even in retrospect. While going uphill I was thinking that going down was gonna be miserable. It was cold and windy, and the patches of ice and slippery rocks didn’t help. But after warming up with a cup of tea in the mountain hut, somehow going down was actually fun, type-1! I looked like a penguin and went ridiculously slow, but it was a beautiful day out 💙 #sheisthewild #adventurethatislife #adventureisoutthere #adventureculture #theoutbound #wildernessculture #keepitwild #stayandwander #exploremore #goexplore #travellingthroughtheworld #exploreeverything #mosor #croatiafullofnature #croatiafullofmagic #croatiapostcards

Symbolisms ✨ At this time of year we get caught up by resolutions -the idea of new beginnings makes us hopeful for a better year to come. And it’s actually a beautiful thing that collectively we expect that 1st of January will be different than any other Monday. If you’re overwhelmed by the new year, remember that there’s no pressure. Expectations are mostly self-imposed, and you need to be kind to yourself. But if you want to join the crazy club that actually believes that this Monday is special, sort of a clean slate, by all means, resolute away! For sure I’m counting down the days, hours and minutes to leave 2023 behind. I’m absolutely sure that 2024 will bring joy and adventures, and I have a list of resolutions that will guide my year 💫 📍 Pictures from January 2023 in Nassfeld, Austria #newyearresolutions #adventurealways #wintervibe #newyearnewgoals #bekindtoyourself #wanderlusters #gooutandexplore

Do you know much does the average person run? It’s simple. The average person doesn’t run! To be a runner you don’t need to run fast. A 45-minute 5K is the same distance than a 15-minutes 5K. You don’t need to run far either. 1K or 100K, as long as you put one foot in front of the other, regardless of PRs and race goals paces, you’re a runner. I started running because I wanted to be a better hiker. I wanted get fitter to be able to go higher and further. I used to put on my earphones and hoped music would allow me to escape the torture that running was. I told you that I was never athletic, but I’ve always been a bookworm. So during the time I couldn’t train, I read. Everything I could find to help me go back on track. From Born to Run to The Comfort Crisis. And I realized that I have been approaching it wrong. I’ll get fitter through running, that’s a fact, not a goal. What I want is to have fun, to connect with nature, to learn about my body, to push my own limits. So I’m ditching the metrics, and trying to get back to the roots. I’m running slowly and easy. I’m conscious of how my foot lands, of the length of my stride, of straightening my back, of keeping my head high, on breathing through my nose. I’m not doing what could be my best, but I’m actually enjoying running! That’s why I decided to do an ‘Advent Run’ instead of just enjoying the sweets and drinks around the Christmas Market. It was a slow and tiring trail in the mountain, but I felt pure joy ✨ #borntorun #thecomfortcrisis #zimskaadventura2023 #visittrogir #croatiafullofnature #runnerlife #trailrunning #runninglifestyle #themountainiscalling #freshairtherapy #adventurealways #youngandwildandfree #sheisthewild

I wasn’t a runner. Like, never. I was the definition of a ‘couch potato’ most of my life. My heart didn’t grow with me, so physical activities were something that seemed impossible to me growing up, and I just kind of accepted my fate as an adult. But I always loved the outdoors. So I hiked. As much as my limitations allowed me to. Until one day mid-last year I realized that it was my mindset what was stopping me, not my tiny heart. So I started running. With only one minute intervals I’d be out of breath. But I continued putting my running shoes on and going out. No excuses. By the end of the year I was still very slow, but I finished several races, including my first half marathon. Not in my wildest dreams I thought I could run 21K. But there I was, getting a medal at the finish line! Just a month later I got diagnosed with cancer. And chemotherapy made it impossible for me to run. Hell, I could barely walk! After surgery, when my body was strong enough, I had to start all over. One minute intervals. Breathless. But with a stronger mind, knowing I’m capable of anything I set myself to do. I did a few very slow 5K races in September/October, and then I had another surgery. I’m still recovering from that. I still can’t start training. But I know I will. So I signed up for a half marathon in February. And another one in the mountains in April. And to my first Spartan in July. And to a trail (full!) marathon in September. It seems unfathomable to me now. But I love a good challenge and I’m sure that at least I’ll give it my all 💪 📍 Vodice Trail Run - Split Glow Run - Race for the Cure - Runesco Šibenik Half Marathon - Lucky Train Nin - Lošinj 6K // Who knew that running would get me to travel around the country? Hopefully soon it’ll be around the world! ✨ #limitationsareperceptions #runninglife #trailrunning #runninginspiration #happyrunner #strongmindset #halfmarathoner #trailrunninglife #suckitcancer #cancerjourney #couchto5k #couchpotatonomore #marathontraining #adventurealways

The joy of choosing to be child-free 🐣 Don’t get me wrong, I love kids. I have nieces and nephews from my siblings and close friends that I adore. But motherhood is not for me. I grew up believing that in order to have a happy life there were boxes to tick: go to university, get married, get a postgrad degree, have kids… So I planned my life around those ‘goals’. I graduated from Law School, I got married, I moved abroad to get a fancy postgrad degree. Kids were always in the back of my mind, sort of in a ‘to do list’, but I never felt like I was ready. I was successful but unhappy. So at some point something in my mind made me stop and consider why I was following this check-list that was never really my own. I got divorced, I changed careers, and I made the conscious decision that I actually didn’t want to be a mother. I got some judgement for the first two, but the child-free thing is something that society has a lot of issues understanding. Luckily, my partner and I are on the same page about this, and his is the only opinion that really mattered on the subject. I feel like every decision I’ve made that’s ‘outside the box’ is received as if I was passing judgment on those who are having a more conventional take on life, especially when it comes to parenthood. And it’s quite the opposite. I believe that everyone has to follow their own path in life, looking for what makes you happy, not for what the rest expects you to do. If having children is something that will fulfill you, then go ahead. Being an aunt is more than enough for me. I love having the freedom to see the world, to fight cancer without worrying about a life that depends on me, to be unapologetic about who I am 💪