Polina: The World Really Feels Greener When You Look at It With Open Eyes (Travel Vlogger, 94K+ Followers)

Polina Interview

 "For me, my life really does feel beautiful, and I think people can feel that through my content."

Q. When you first stepped into a completely new environment, what was something small but real that made you realize: “Okay, my life has actually changed”?

The first time I truly stepped into a completely different environment was when I immigrated in 2022. That was the moment I realized life can be so different, even in countries that seem culturally similar. People were different in the best way possible.

Growing up, I heard so many scary things about the world, mostly from the media and older generations, and then suddenly, I experienced real life myself. I realized that most people are actually very kind. Most people don’t want anything bad for you. If you smile at people and treat them with warmth, very often they open up and give the same energy back to you. And if they don’t, that’s more about them than about you.

Another thing that completely changed my life was learning English. It opened the whole world for me. Suddenly, I could communicate with people from everywhere, understand cultural differences, build friendships, fall in love, and connect with people I would have never met otherwise. Language really changed the way I experience life.

Q. You’ve explored over 40 countries — how has constantly being on the move shaped the way you see yourself?

Travelling is still shaping me because I’m constantly moving and learning. Even when I return to the same place, I experience it as a different version of myself because I’ve already seen more, lived more, and met more people since the last time I was there.

Travelling made me realise that I’m actually an interesting person, and maybe I became one because I allowed myself to experience the world so openly. I don’t stick to one perspective created by social media, television, or other people’s opinions. I prefer learning through real life and real people.

It also changed the way I see everyday life. I complain much less now. I feel grateful most of the time because I learned that beauty exists in almost every moment if you allow yourself to notice it. The world really feels greener when you look at it with open eyes.

Q. Was there a moment during your travels that quietly shifted your perspective on life or people?

There are two moments I always carry with me.

The first happened while I was volunteering at a hostel in Istanbul. I was surrounded by people from Iran, Iraq, and many other Middle Eastern countries. Before meeting them, most of what I knew about their countries came from the media and stereotypes. 

But once I actually met them, I realized how beautiful, intelligent, funny, and kind they were. It completely changed the way I see the world. Since then, I trust personal experiences and conversations in real life much more than headlines or media narratives.

The second moment also happened in Istanbul. I met a woman from Germany who was a teacher and loved travelling. She told me her dream was to move to New Zealand someday. About six months later, I was travelling around Japan and standing at a tiny train station in a small village when I suddenly heard someone say my name. It was her.

She was there with the partner she had met in New Zealand, and she was moving there to start a new life with them. We were both shaking because it felt so unreal and random. My eyes even teared up a little. But it’s gonna be our secret. That moment stayed with me because it reminded me how beautifully connected life can be. Since then, I’m less afraid of goodbyes.

Q. From the outside, your lifestyle feels like a dream — what’s something about it that people often don’t see or misunderstand?

For me, my life really does feel beautiful, and I think people can feel that through my content. Travelling isn’t always exciting every second, but I genuinely love my life because I learned how to appreciate very simple moments.

I find beauty in baking cookies from random ingredients, helping someone carry groceries, sitting on a train, or supping super not tasty coffee somewhere unfamiliar. Those moments matter to me just as much as the “big” experiences.


I also think people often measure happiness through money, but my life taught me something very different. There was a long time, I was earning around 250 euros a month while living in a country where rent alone could cost that much. So I learned how to enjoy life with very little ahahah.

Now, I don’t feel like I need much to be happy. I need food, people who believe in me, my best friend, my partner, and experiences that make me feel alive. That already feels like a very rich life to me.

Q. After experiencing so many places and cultures, what does “home” feel like to you now?

For me, home is connected to people much more than to a physical place. It’s having people you can invite to go for a walk, to pilates, to sit in a park with, or simply share sad and happy moments with.

My audience also became a part of that feeling. I can travel almost anywhere now and still meet people who think similarly to me, people who understand my mindset and energy. That makes the world feel softer and less lonely.

So I think home, for me, is wherever I can feel understood and connected. And I hope everyone has a place they can call a safe space or home. 

Bio

My name is Polina. I immigrated four years ago, and ever since then, I’ve been building my adult life while constantly travelling. I’m now 23 years old, and I’ve visited 41 countries and around 160 cities so far, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

I love travelling around Europe, but more than places themselves, I love the people I meet along the way and the feeling of being at home almost everywhere.

My content creation journey started while I was working at a bubble tea shop. I had free time, started posting online just for fun, and one of my videos unexpectedly blew up. Since then, content creation has become my full-time job.

For many people, it’s a dream job, and for me, too. I feel very lucky that my work allows me to share my perspective, travel, meet people, and inspire others to see beauty in the world around them.

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Interviewed By Sabhyata