Travel blogger, journalist, photographer, TV show host, entrepreneur – Veronica Pototska is my guest on this week’s Inspiring Travel Bloggers. Hailing from Kiev, Ukraine, Veronica has been making a strong and steady influence in the world of travel blogging through her travel blog Siniciliya where she shares her travel experiences with several valuable travel tips to the readers. She is also the successful founder of Travel Mode On – a digital content agency. I met Veronica through a Facebook travel group and since then I have been getting inspired following her travels.Read the interview below as she shares her stories, anecdotes and suggestions with us.
Tamshuk: Tell us about the story behind the name of your blog – Siniciliya. I mean, it is just so unique. The name doesn’t give away what your blog is about yet it is intriguing enough for readers like me to visit.
Veronica: At the age of 7,I heard that one could own an island. Back then it sounded like a whole different universe to me. I still dream to own a tropical island someday and it will be named Siniciliya. The name itself is a wordplay of my maiden name Sinitsa and an island in Italy called Sicily (locals call it Sicilia or Siciliya).
Tamshuk: What was your motivation to travel places and write about your experiences?
Veronica: I was born in the end of the USSR period and I was growing up knowing that a very limited amount of people could leave the country and see the world. Of course, those people could only be a part of guided group and they could not explore the places they could visit. But I read a lot of books written by Jules Verne and dreamed that someday I would also go explore the world. So I did as soon as I got my first opportunity. I got addicted to traveling from my very first trip abroad. Whenever I came home from a new destination many people have asked me to share the stories from the countries I visited. They wanted to know about my adventures, cuisines, street food, culture, festivals, and holidays. And I loved sharing my stories and photos with them. Then I started sharing my photos and stories on social media and later created my blog Siniciliya.
Tamshuk: Any favorite destinations you have been to? And any particular place that you haven’t been yet but really want to visit?
Veronica: I have visited over 50 countries but there’s a special place for India in my heart. It has vibes and a soul, that opens to those who can understand and accept it. I have visited it 6 times already and really looking forward to exploring more. I haven’t been to Australia and New Zealand but I really want to visit them.
Tamshuk: As a traveler, you know that traveling is not only about heavenly experiences in paradise. There are bound to be some bad experiences too. Share with us what has been your most unpleasant experience when you have been traveling.
Veronica: Unfortunately, I had some very unpleasant experiences and if I were to look back at them I’d say most of them were associated with my gender. A female traveler overcomes more unpleasant situations in general. Although I always respect cultures, act and dress up appropriately, there have been situations in Turkey, Nepal and India that were way too risky. I learned that no matter what I have to listen to myself, to my intuition and remember that safety always comes first.
Tamshuk: What is the secret behind those captivating photos? Any particular camera you use those?
Veronica: The main secret behind my photos is love. Love for the place, people, vibes, moments and of course for each other. Nowadays I travel mostly together with my husband Vitaliy and he is the photographer of many photos in my blog. Recently we held our first travel photography exhibition and we called it “The Moment”. It was about feeling a perfect moment, capturing it with a camera and sharing with the world. The camera I use is Canon Mark II.
Tamshuk: Going by the awesome photos on your blog, you are quite the fashionista. Is that a conscious effort to incorporate an element of fashion along with your travel experiences when you publish an article on your blog or is it something that just happens naturally?
Veronica: Oh, thank you, Tamshuk! Since I have now taken my blog to a new professional level, I do incorporate an element of fashion into the photographs. I want to create perfect visuals that convey a message of a particular place and a moment, or even narrate a story of a particular travel. Before I go to a new destination I try to pack accordingly. For example, I knew way in advance that I will be cruising the Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong under the red sails of the Aqua Luna junk, so I chose a red floral dress by a Russian designer Ulyana Sergeenko.
The street style in Hong Kong inspired me to explore the stores in Causeway Bay and choose an outfit that would say “I am Hong Kong”.
Tamshuk: The reason why I consider you to be one of the most inspiring travel bloggers is because how you stay true to all your activities – publishing new posts on your blog, managing Travel Mode On and your media assignments – yet at the same time you are always available to your followers(including me) on social media. Tell us, how important it is for you to regularly interact with your followers and fellow aspiring travel bloggers?
Veronica: My mission is to inspire others to travel the world, to see how beautiful and amazing it is and, of course, to leave one’s comfort zone. For that reason, I do my best to interact as much as possible with my followers. Of course I do devote some of my time for digital detox. Other than that I am almost always available.
Tamshuk: Well, you have already achieved quite a lot as a Travel Blogger, Journalist and Entrepreneur. How would you define success or what does success mean to you?
Veronica: That’s a tricky question to which my answer was changing from year to year. At some point, I defined success as being recognized by others. Although this is still very important to me, today I define success as staying true to myself, developing my talents and exceeding my own limits.
“I define success as staying true to myself, developing my talents and exceeding my own limits”
Tamshuk: Finally, what advice or suggestions would you provide to folks like us who aspire to become an influential travel blogger?
Veronica: I would advise to stay true to yourself, do what you are best at, be professional in all areas and spread kindness in the world. Thank you, Tamshuk, for this wonderful interview.
Thank you Veronica for sharing so much. A woman of substance and truly an Inspiring Travel Blogger. I hope to continue getting inspired by your stories and travels.
Follow the amazing journey of Veronica on her travel blog Siniciliya, Instagram and Facebook page.
Tam, this is great!
I like the interview! I like Veronica’s blog a lot. Traveling is always interesting to me!
Such a great interview. I would love to visit India. Her dress is really pretty in the photo where she talks about fashion. Great post.
What an inspiring blogger! I love the story behind her blog name. So creative!
Veronica sounds awesome and I love how her blog was born 🙂
Tamshuk, thank you for this interview! And thank you guys for reading it and leaving these amazing comments! I really appreciate them and I hope I inspired you.
Tamshuk, you have asked some awesome questions that really allow us to get to know Veronica. It’s great how it’s so conversational but also very informational and interesting at the same time. I particularly love the content covered, it was really motivational and has put my own ideas about my blogging into perspective. Thanks Tamshuk!
Great interview. Very inspiring, and a great, indepth look at how to become a professional blogger
Wow! This is such an amazing interview. Veronica is certainly inspiring. I think I need pick up my A-game with a better camera. Though I would REALLY hate for it to be broken by one of my 3 little ones so I think I will just still to my point and shoot for now.
This interview is just amazing! Getting to know more about her is just inspiring. This just took me to greater heights and to believe that traveling is life. Can’t wait to read more of this, Tamz! <3
Great interview and pictures. I do admire her drive to travel and make a unique experience of it!
I was pretty curious to know more about Veronica. She’s such an inspiration and she and she has impressed me for w-quite a long time now, since I’ve been connecting with you guys through Facebook and other social media platforms. I love the fact that she’s used every possible way to get out of the country and of the embargo to do what she want to do in life, and that’s why entrepreneurs like her inspire me. Great interview, it’s been captivating to learn more!
I love Sinciliya’s blog so I really enjoyed reading this! A great interview with some interesting questions!
Great interview !. I also like to travel. I love writing my travel in Bali.
This was such a great interview Tamshuk! I hadn’t heard of Veronica’s travel blog yet but I will definitely check it out now!
What an interesting interview! I love the picture of Veronica and the red dress and red sails. How fun to know that it was coordinated in advance!
I was pretty curious to know about the name of your blog too – glad to have that question answered! I’ve known you for a while now, so it felt great to read about some of your experiences, Veronica 🙂
Great interview Tamshuk, pretty inspiring 🙂
Nice interview, very inspiring. I love the outfits by the way….
50 countries, that’s wow! She’s such an inspiration. It’s kinda hard to pronounce the name of her blog but I find it clever and unique. She also takes real good photos.
I meet Veronica and her blog through the facebook group she’s managing “Travel Bloggers Support”. She is an inspiring character indeed. The interview that you did with her is great, I’ve learned new things about her and I really identify with her as a female travel blogger.
Very inspiring interview and Vernonica comes across as a passionate traveler who is sincere and committed to living and experiencing each travel experience as they come.
Wonderful interview! I too dreamed of owning my own tropical island one day 🙂 Her photographs are wonderful!
Great interview! Reading through her answers are also inspiring. More, please! 😀
very inspiring interview, and Veronica, I adore your shots in Hong Kong.. perfect!
such interviews inspire you to be even greater than you currently are… i read this all through and i feel it deeply rooted in words…
Congratulations on having a chance to meet her! I follow her travel blog and she takes a lot of good pictures too! Great interview!
Veronica has some really nice photos in her blog and I’ve actually been also curious about the story behind the blog name! That’s really cool and I do imagine it being an island’s name. 🙂
This is super interesting and full of inspiration, I was inspired by what she said, be true to yourself and developing my talents, super inspiring, moving out of comfort zone, this is my take out on your blog, thank you for sharing
The way you wrote it was like talking with her personally. I don’t know why but I can somehow feel the personal touch. She is sure inspiring not only to travel bloggers but to all bloggers as well!
Ah, I love that I got to find out more about Veronica – a blog I’ve been following for a little while now (and agree that she has such stunning pictures). She definitely is inspiring as a blogger, traveler, and entrepreneur. Great questions asked BTW – much more in depth than many other similar interviews of this type 🙂
This is great. Its so inspiring to hear / read about other travellers . The photographs were great.
GREAT interview Tam, and I came to appreciate another travel blogger and could certainly feel her passion. So I can’t really say anything much because I am heading to her blog now. 🙂
Such an inspiring person. And she is indeed right. Traveling lets us discover many things and that includes leaving our comfort zone
Stories like this are always inspiring. Thanks for featuring a great travel blogger. Insights from people like her are always a gold mine.
So cool! I love learning about non-Canadian/American travel bloggers and I’ve got a serious crush on Kiev so it was neat to ‘meet’ Veronica! I’ll definitely be checking out her blog.
Great interview. Loved to read the inspiring stories 🙂
Well, I have not heard of Veronica but what a lovely interview! So articulate. Loved it.
This is a great interview. I am always curious to know more about the person behind blogs that inspire me. I love the photos Veronica has on her blog, they are beautiful and she captures moments on her journey that really transport you to the place where she is. Also, she is an inspiration and someone who motivates a new blogger like me to want to do better and grow. Tamshuk, you asked some really excellent questions which gave fantastic insight into who she is and what she does. Hearty congratulations to the both of you!
Thank you for sharing this beautiful blog! She is a very lucky girl with husband who takes photos like these. Mine usually takes his selfies while I’m trying to balance with a dog, camera and phone 😀
Great back story! I cannot imagine growing up in the USSR and transition back to Russia. What a unique perspective.
It’s a great job to write about fellow travel bloggers. Nice read, beautiful pictures.
I’ve been following Veronica’s blog through the Travel Bloggers Support group. The pictures suck me in. Thank you Tamz for an awesome interview. I’m looking forward to reading your next interview 🙂
Ooh, Veronica and her beautiful blog are totally new to me. Veronica, I love your photos and it is very obvious that they come from a place of love. Great interview. Can’t wait to read more.
Very interesting to see where people came from and what inspired them to travel. It makes me appreciate the freedom I have to travel as I please and how important sharing our stories are to inspire others.
It was amazing to read through this interview. It was great to know so much about Veronica and was really inspiring. Abd Tamshuk you did an awesome job. ????
Thank you guys,
I tried my best but it was all Veronica with her honest answers and those beautiful pictures. I hope to get you onboard for this feature too someday