Leonie Buchegger Interview
Travel isn’t just about postcard views—it’s about dusty roads, fleeting smiles, and the quiet, in-between moments that make us feel truly connected.
Q. Your social media feels less like a 'travel feed' and more like a diary of lived experiences. How intentional are you about keeping it raw instead of polished for algorithms?
Very much. Especially with my photography work. I never did social media for the algorithm or money, and I still don't do it for that reason. I believe some of my experiences lived and reflected upon on could be worth sharing with others so they can as well reflect and eventually integrate something from them.
I would rather have less reach, but the one I do, with more purpose and meaning. Besides, I believe that people can feel and recognize something real and of value, and I believe that authenticity is always more valuable than fake.
Q. You often show not just the postcard views but the quiet, in-between moments—dusty roads, tired faces, fleeting smiles. Why do you think people resonate more with imperfection than perfection?
Travel is so much more than the destination. Emotionally, and physically. We are complex beings and only showing a singular state of perfection which most likely isn‘t the most memorable one anyways is maybe visually beautiful, but emotionally shallow.
When I think back of a trip, I often remember people, moments of struggle and hardship, a challenge I overcame successfully or a connection I made with someone, something that I have learned and changed the way I think and see. The mountain top views are surely stunning and worthy to be seen, but the hourly long way up through rain, sunshine, laughter and frustration is what actually shaped and changed me in the long-term. So I find these moments often more valuable and meaningful.
Q. Scrolling through your posts, it feels like you blur the line between traveler and local observer. How do you build genuine connections in the places you visit, beyond the lens?
There is a difference between seeing and feeling a place. Whilst my objectives vary from trip to trip, I deeply enjoy culturally immersive experiences that are real and raw. I detach from my thoughts, the lens I wear, the person I am and try to live, move, and understand the people from a neutral, curious and understanding perspective.
In order to connect deeply and honestly to people you need to be open and non-judgmental, practice empathy, and show some sort of vulnerability and compassion. Connection, I believe, is quintessential to learn and grow, and live a happy and fulfilling life, yet it is what my generation is struggling with most.
I see it as a side effect of the digitalization. It is a skill that can be practiced, and I think is valuable for anyone, but especially travelers, that seek an experience that will broaden their horizons and connect deeper to everything around them.
Q. You’ve shared content from places like Kyrgyzstan that are far off the beaten tourist track. Do you feel a sense of responsibility in how you portray lesser-known destinations to the world?
I do, especially since my post are seen by a big audience. Although I am a journalist, I don't identify as a news outlet, and try to report beyond the factual. Every place has a unique feeling and character, and I enjoy sharing my own personal experiences of it, although those are subjective and won’t be the same for everyone.
It is of very high importance to me to travel to a place correctly, with the right intentions and execution. More complex destinations can take months, even up to years of planning: finding the right local connections, objectives, routes, and so on. I do believe there is beauty in every place, and that everywhere in the world you will find good people.
But amongst sharing the beautiful experiences, views and encounters, I believe it is equally important to share the realities locals are facing, good and bad. Whilst I always aim to stay in a neutral position, what initially shaped me was probably experiencing the world differently as a woman, depending on where I am. I believe there is a point in travel, where it takes a certain approach to visit certain places ethically and from a space thats beyond curiosity and self realization.
Especially by someone with a wider online audience, being aware, and sharing those struggle and hardships many are experiencing, is something that to me is quintessential. It seems unfair to stand next to a sister who is equally smart, skilled, and passionate yet has maybe a tenth, if any, of the rights and opportunities that I have. I take high care to ensure I travel in a way that is mindful, meaningful and with a greater outcome than my own benefits.
Q. Your captions often carry a reflective, almost journal-like tone. Do you write them spontaneously on the road, or are they crafted later with distance and perspective?
My captions are crafted in all sorts of places, since I travel all year round. I also journal a lot and sometimes share snippets that I find more resonating at times. It can take me hours, days and at times even weeks to craft a post and ensure that I accurately display what I want to bring across.
All of my artistic pictures have meaning beyond, and usually reflect a big topic in my own life. The captions are reflections and processes I have already integrated. They are an opportunity for me to then share the most important conclusions from these processes. I want to say that all of these are ever ongoing and transforming, but at times more present than others.
By expressing myself through my photography and writing, I hope to evoke a new thought strand in people that could eventually trigger an equal revolutionary realization as it did in me, eventually. And if not, at least a second of forming ones own opinion on a topic, as I find that many people lack that now a days. To live a conscious life you need to ask yourself who you are and what you do, which causes a certain discomfort, questioning current realities, conditioned behavior and so on. A journey thats worth it, though.
Q. In a time where social media rewards speed and trends, how do you stay true to slower, mindful storytelling?
Detaching from the outcome and rather immersing in the process. Social media gives me the opportunity to share with a wider audience and connect easier with like-minded people, which is awesome, but worthless if done in an inessential way.
Good things take time. Sometimes I craft a story weeks after it happened. Not because I have forgotten it, but because sitting and feeling into it is part of the process. Editing a video and publishing it is only 1/3 of the work.
Besides, I 100% believe that people can recognize authenticity and see its value, over something fake or solely made for views. The right audience will always find you, and I would always prefer finding one that resonates with me and my work, than building a platform on superficiality and fleeting content.
Q. You’re part of a generation that grew up online, but your work feels like an antidote to hyper-digital life. Is that contrast intentional?
I like to see my work as a gentle yet compelling spark to remind people to seek out true joy and happiness, instead of short-term dopamine. I personaly find most of that for myself in nature, which is often also a central aspect of my imaging.
Q. And for a fun one, if Instagram suddenly disappeared tomorrow, how would you continue sharing your travels and stories with the world?
(Only instagarm or all social media?) I have been working on creating a youtube channel, and I will surely pick it up regularly sooner or later, hopefully still in 2025. Additionally, I also post on TikTok.
Bio:
At seven Leonie Buchegger wanted to become a veterinarian, at fourteen a surgeon, and at eighteen a photographer in New York. But her love for traveling has always been there. Over the past years, this curiosity has carried her to more than fifty countries, countless adventures, and beautiful encounters. What began as a gap year turned into her greatest passion and calling. Today, at 22, she travels full-time as a photographer, group leader, blogger, and explorer around the world.
Interviewed by - Divya Darshni
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