What Visitors Think of Seattle – Slovenia (33 F)

This is the second in a series of What Visitors Think of Seattle.  We’re big fans of Couchsurfing. We’ve had the pleasure of hosting over 40 visitors from around the US and Internationally.  Visitors always have interesting observations about Seattle and it’s great seeing Seattle through the lens of a fresh pair of eyes. We profile some of our visitors and noted their comments about Seattle, the US and some of our learning about where they’re from.

“E” (a 33 year old female) was from Slovenia.  She was visiting from Vancouver, where she was working. She came to Seattle for only one night because her visa in Canada was only good for 6 months, so she made a quick trip to the US so that her visa could be renewed.

Like so many folks from Vancouver, she took the Bolt Bus to downtown Seattle. Back in Slovenia she was a freelance journalist who did photography on the side, but while in Vancouver she worked on Granville Island at a wine shop since wine was a passion of hers.

As a journalist in Slovenia, she mainly wrote environmental pieces and traveled all over the country to write stories of people who are doing things to help the environment. She left Slovenia due to a lack of journalism jobs and just a needed life change. When traveling she always uses couchsurfing and has never had a bad experience. She’d traveled all over Europe, Asia and parts of Africa.

What she did while in Seattle:  

Day 1-Met in downtown while I was working and told her to meet me back at 5:00 so we could take bus back to my place together. During this time she went to Capitol Hill, had empanadas, walked to Pioneer Square and then to Pike Place market. We then had dinner prepared by my other couchsurfer, M, and we all went to a karaoke bar.    

E’s Questions/Observations about the US:  

• Like many visitors, she had questions about the elections. 
• She noted that Americans and Canadians travel very differently. Most Americans travel within the US and most Canadians travel around the world.  
• She wanted to know the history of Cuba/US relation.   
• She said the impression of people in her country are that Americans are dumb since most Slovenians have never met an American and their only “interaction” is based off of TV and movies.    

E’s Questions/Observations about Seattle:  

• Since she is a wine enthusiast, I opened a bottle of Roosevelt Red from a local winery, Eight Bells Winery. She really enjoyed it and was surprised about the abundance and quality of wine in our area.  
• When we went to a karaoke bar, she initially got a Corona. I let her taste my Manny’s Pale Ale and she liked it and got a pint.  

My Learnings/Observations from E:  

• She had strong opinions on the way Slovenia handles taxes and college. Since college is funded by the government, you end up having students who try to take advantage of the system by going to college for 10 years.  

• Also because companies get subsidies for hiring students while they’re still in school, it’s also an incentive to stay in college as long as possible because students are likely to be let go by the company without the help of the government subsidy.  
• With a high tax rate there is no incentive to work when you can be a student and chill.  
• While watching TV, she about fell on the floor laughing at a Subway commercial where people are breaking chairs, splitting their pants, have buttons popping of their shirt because they are obese. She thought is was a strange portrayal of Americans.  

• She had a strong interest in my pictures of street food from my travels and Luke Chueh prints. 
• Although I offered her anything in my fridge for eating, she insisted on going to the grocery store. I literally had to tell her if she didn’t help me eat some of my food, it would go bad and I’d have to throw it away, before she hesitantly relented.  

Upon her return to Slovenia, E ended up establishing a business, a food and wine tasting walking tour in her home city.  

• See what a 28 year old from Ireland thought
• See what a 34 year old from Thailand thought
• See what a 25 year old from Finland thought
• See what a 35 year old from France thought