Reflections on growth
Crocuses blooming in the Julian Alps.
As spring approaches here in Slovenia, the first flowers are starting to bloom in the forests, hills and mountains. First come the confident hellebores, as soon as the snow recedes, and the sun starts to warm the ground, they emerge, with their grand white and pink flowers announcing spring is on its way. Closely followed are the primroses, they always surprise me with their flowers, as if every year it feels as though they shouldn’t be here yet, despite their welcome, cheerful yellow clusters. And we wait expectantly for the seas of crocuses, first just a few, but then quickly followed by great swathes, that turn the hillside meadows into blankets of purple and white.
For the early blooming flowers, there is of course a risk and a reward. Bloom too early and you might not survive a harsh cold snap, but in just the right conditions, early blooming has an opportunity to catch the first pollinators and a greater chance of success.
More to Explore is now entering its third year, and spring feels like a natural time to reflect on our own growth. I often mistakenly add an extra year to our age, it can feel like longer, certainly more than two. In this time I have welcomed close to 100 guests on my tours, with adults, young people, teachers, friends, families, and many solo travellers trusting me to create an unforgettable journey through Slovenia’s wild places. It’s taken me almost 20 years of personal learning and professional development to get here, and I feel a bit like the primroses at times, surprised at my own success and yet aspiring to their joyous welcome and unassuming presence.
When we moved to Slovenia, with our young daughter, I was often met with gentle disbelief when I shared my vision of what I hoped to create here and what expectations folk are believed to have for a trip to Slovenia. One of the biggest areas of growth has not been my progress as an International Mountain Leader, or even setting up the business itself - which was full of it’s own challenges - but it has been my own self-confidence, and trust in my vision. The more guests that come and connect with my slow journeys, and feel the energy of exploring together in inclusive and welcoming groups, without the need to bag peaks, stretch ourselves in the conventional adventuresphere, or to cram in the big icons, and instead embrace small paths, local producers, family run businesses, away from the crowds, and spend time in nature together, the more I feel More to Explore hold its space.
It has also offered incredible opportunities to collaborate, bringing together friends and colleagues with shared visions, supporting each other with our own growth, and opening up new paths to explore together. More to Explore thrives with our partners and I am incredibly proud to support each of them.
So as we enter our third year here are my key hopes and aspirations:
Continue to grow slowly, embracing word of mouth as my most powerful tool, and responding to every enquiry with personal understanding and a desire to connect the right experiences for every individual.
Care for and strengthen the amazing connections with local producers, small businesses and partners we work with on every journey.
Craft a small number of journeys that offer an inclusive space for guests to enjoy time spent outdoors in all its beautiful simplicity and complexity. Sharing unexpected places, with opportunities for awe, looking after each other and offering a space to let go, where everyone feels welcome.
Seek balance, ensuring More to Explore remains a small family-run business, with relationships at our heart.
And here’s our biggest challenge:
Getting seen! In a world where online visibility is key, and algorithms decide what gets a platform, small businesses like mine strive to be discovered. That’s where my first aspiration is so important. Making personal connections is powerful in every part of my business. If you email More to Explore, or reach out via our contact form or socials, it is always me (Mikaela) that will respond. I fully believe in our goal to grow slowly, and I am personally committed to every single trip we run, which I design and craft with love, experience and knowledge.
Our first spring trip of 2025 in April is ready to go and bookings are now closed (you can join a last minute waitlist). But we do still have 5 spaces left on our June Wild Swim Slovenia journey, when the wildflower meadows will be in full bloom, as we swim, walk and cycle our way through my beautiful home regions, and I will share how we truly aspire to our business name!
It’s been an incredible journey so far, I am proud of what we’ve achieved, and like the primroses, I am sure I will continue to be delighted and surprised by all of our adventures as we continue the journey together.
Love, adventure and cold water
Mikaela xx
Founder Mikaela enjoying an early winter recce above Pokljuka.