Meet ImpacTrip Team: Local Coordinator Split
Petra Gabric is our local coordinator in Split, Croatia. It always feels like if she was your oldest sister, responsible and funny at the same time.
Her sense of humor and her typical Croatian hospitality make her the best friend of all the volunteers who pass through Split.
Describe yourself in 3 words: “It is really hard to point 3 things but I would say I am a bit sarcastic person, sociable ( friendly ) and very passionate about food.”
What does traveling means to you? “Traveling plays a big roll in my life. Every travel I took shaped me into the person that I am today. I think that traveling helps you to learn about yourself because it puts you in different situations and surroundings that you are not used to. And the best way to meet a person is to travel with her.”
Why did you choose to be part of ImpacTrip Team? “This was a really easy question. I applied for the job because of the companies main goals but I stayed because of the people, always making these goals possible.”
The most remarkable moment for you at ImpacTrip: “I had a lot of great moments but for sure the most memorable were the 9 days I spent in Lisbon when I went there to meet the team and to do my job training. I was so scared of what was waiting for me but when I got there and met everyone, tried Impact mom’s food, then I knew I have made the right decision. And every moment on those 9 days was remarkable.”
What is for you the biggest challenge in the tourism sector nowadays? “For me, the biggest challenge for sure is to suit all the different needs clients have. Nowadays for people became so hard to adjust and to compromise even when it comes to volunteering. So for me as the coordinator, it is really challenging sometimes to balance between needs of the clients and needs of the community (our social and environmental partners ).”
The most unforgettable experience abroad and why? “I had my fear shear of unforgettable moments most of them were amazing but some of them were terrible. It is hard to choose one but one that I certainly won’t forget was the accommodation in Budapest. We planned to go to Budapest for the New Year and like always it was a last-minute decision. So we didn’t have a lot of choices when it comes to accommodation for a reasonable price. The apartment was so filthy and gross that 4 of us end up sleeping on one sofa covered with our jackets. The only difference between sleeping on the street was that we had a roof and doors.”
The 3 things you admire more in people: “First, the emphatic, a person needs to be able to understand other people’s feelings and to show that empathy through work. Because if you are not a good person any other quality that you have doesn’t matter. Another one is hard worker and positivity. When a person can keep a positive attitude in life even when he or she is faced with troubles.”
What’s your favourite travel time and type? “My favorite time to travel is summer and it is not important where it is, justneeds to be a place next to the sea or the ocean. And in winter I always need to take a few days and go on skiing that is also one of my favorite ways to relax. Fresh air on the mountains or on the seaside is what helps me to realise all the negativity and stress.”
Three things you always take with you when you travel: “My sunglasses, mobile phone and lots of clothes, more than I need. And things that I never bring I can’t remember because I am always over-packed I even bring my towels and pillowcases.”
Leave your motto: “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none”