What Even More Nomads Have To Say About the Winter
by Gabriella Tutino
Here at Coworking Bansko, we could give you a million reasons why winter is the best time to visit our town and join our nomad community space: the snow activities, the warm and comforting Bulgarian dishes, the welcoming community we pride ourselves on. But instead of listening to us, why not take the word of fellow nomads who have visited Bansko or made it their temporary home? We’ve interviewed a handful of Coworking Bansko members past and present who love Bansko come the winter season. Read on to see what they have to say!
Name: Viktoria Polishchuk
Occupation and name of business:
Business Analyst for Ukrainian IT company, Integros. My boss doesn’t mind if I travel full time as long as it doesn’t affect my work — if the client is happy, the boss is happy. I do think of starting my own business at some point, but as someone said “you’re just the nomad baby”, so with not even a year yet behind my semi-nomad life, I’m still testing the waters and trying to figure out what works best for me.
Originally from:
Kyiv, Ukraine, however you might make a case that I was a bit of nomad my whole life. My family moved around the country a handful of times, I’ve switched schools; I grew up that changing places is the norm, not staying in one place.
Also my parents got me hooked on traveling real good for which I’m eternally grateful.
Times you’ve visited Bansko:
Two for now: one month last winter, and two months in the summer. I’m coming back this winter for three months and it probably won’t be the last time .
What drew you to Bansko?
Snowboarding. I actually was looking into Bansko as a winter destination to combine snowboarding and remote work a few years back since the rent is so cheap, but a lot of reviews included bad internet complaints, so it didn’t work for me.
Then last year I was looking for “coworking ski resort” thinking if there are coworkings on the beach, someone would have come up with coworking in the mountains. So, I was surprised to find that there was Coworking Bansko celebrating two years. What rock was I hiding under that this news skipped me? I proceeded to book my tickets.
What do you love about Bansko in winter?
Everything! Snowboarding is my favorite hobby, and I really like Bansko as a snowboarding resort — it’s affordable, and there’s different kinds of slopes, and the ability to go freeride of slopes which I really love. Another interesting thing I noticed is the weather conditions on the slopes. Of course, there will always be great days and bad days, but it was a rare occasion when weather was bad all over the whole resort. For example, like, it is super windy at the top, it is much better in the middle-lower part on the slopes between trees; and if the lower part is foggy, it might be awesome and super sunny at the top.
I also love board games night twice a week — my second favorite hobby. Mattias has quite the collection which is always growing.
The Coworking Bansko community isn’t in this list because it is awesome all year around!
How does Bansko compare to other ski towns?
For me it has everything I need. Of course, more slopes and less people in queues would be better, but with the price and everything else, you can’t beat it.
One recommendation for visitors:
Do not book return flight! I was so disappointed last year that I had other plans and my month in Bansko passed so quickly. This year I will better count the days so as not to overstay my 90 days. A lot of people I know extend their stay, so don’t make the decision before coming here. There’s a 99% chance you’ll stay longer than planned.
Oh, and if you’re planning to be on the slopes frequently and staying for two months or more, it’s better to buy a season pass and save time with a skip-the-queue pass.
Name: Jon Schreyers
Occupation and name of business:
I’m a web developer, and my business is Tech Whisperer.
Originally from:
Belgium, but mainly grew up in England
Times you’ve visited Bansko:
I’ve been here for a year and a half so far and have only been away a couple times.
What drew you to Bansko?
I wanted to get back to Europe as I was a bit sick of the visa runs. My original target was Croatia, but Split was too seasonal, and Jenny had been posting good things and the fact she’d bought a place in Bansko. A couple of messages later and I was keen to try it out. I ended up buying a place pretty quick and learned that snowboarding was my new favorite thing, so I stayed on for the summer and winter season. Will be staying for the upcoming season as well :)
When did you first visit?
March 2018
What do you love about Bansko in winter?
Snowboarding. I’m addicted now. I had a somewhat full season here and have gotten pretty good so now I’m looking forward to next season with equipment that is actually good quality :)
I’m not much of a social fella, so living next to the gondola and having access to a mountain was amazing for me.
Favorite winter activity in Bansko?
Snowboarding.
How does Bansko compare to other ski towns?
It’s the only one I’ve been to, so it’s my top pick so far.
One recommendation for visitors:
Bulgaria isn’t known for its great, immediate service, so I would be prepared to wait a bit. It’s all a bit rough around the edges here and that’s what makes it more of a unique experience.
About the Author
Gabriella Tutino is a NYC-based freelance writer, book reviewer, and court reporter. Her work appears on Tor.com, Comics MNT, the US Review of Books and Highbrow Magazine.
You can find her travel blog here: https://gabriellasadventuresblog.wordpress.com/
