In this edition of Celebrity Travel Addicts, we speak with Adaleta Avdić, the Bosnia-born travel and lifestyle blogger behind adaatude! We chat with her what made her fall in love with travel, the one thing she feels all travelers should know, her top things to do in her favorite travel destination, and much more. Find out where her favorite restaurant in the world is and see where she’s headed next!
I’ve always loved being on the road and exploring new destinations but my real exploration started when I began working at my old corporate job in the tourism industry. I was an Account Manager and I had to visit all of my clients who were all over the world. This is how I learned to pack one carry-on for 3 weeks of travel in Europe. Not my first time around the block!
I travel approximately two times a month for 3-4 days for each trip. Therefore, I’m out of town about 8-10 days each month but that’s not a solidified schedule. This is simply what the average seems to be the past few months!
People ask me this all the time because they think I am “so Los Angeles or New York City” which may be true, but I love the serene and more relaxed nature of Tucson. While I can travel the world and get that hustle and bustle throughout the world, I genuinely crave the relaxed nature of Tucson because it’s a great place to call home. The weather is wonderful and dry heat is a blessing, and it never gets really cold. Since I’m not a cold weather kind of girl, it’s the perfect climate year round.
The biggest thing that everyone should know is that every destination deserves travelers and negative press shouldn’t scare travelers. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people believe it’s unsafe to travel somewhere. So many people have direct messaged me and told me I am crazy to go to Mexico, and I think that’s silly information. I could go to Detroit and be in more danger in my country, than if I go to Mexico. The most important thing about travel is being aware of your surroundings. Every destination, no matter how nice it is, can be the most dangerous if you’re not being conscientious of your surroundings.
The biggest piece of advice for those wanting to get into this space today, is BE YOURSELF. Don’t come into the space copying your favorite influencer or someone who has inspired you to start. People can spot lack of creativity from a mile away, and it’s best to be yourself and be your unique self. People fall in love with originality.
The biggest concept I want my audience to gain from following my work is that I am honest, I won’t have a brand buy an opinion from me and if I like a product it’s because I do love it. Because I’m always honest, and I tell my truth via Instagram stories (on the regular) I really believe my audience knows I’m not telling lies like a lot of influencers do on the regular. Being real is so important, and my audience knows I’ll tell them my honest and real thoughts about a particular product, experience, process, etc. Always honest here, and if my view is ignorant or not accurate, I am always willing to hear the ins and outs of the other side which makes me more approachable and willing to learn long-term.
Norway is really special to me (it’s where I got engaged) but we loved every single city. Oslo and the surrounding islands are amazing, but I loved visiting Bergen and Tromso. It was the destination that really blew me away and exceeded any and all expectation I had of a place.
Portugal was another special country because Lisbon and Sintra were so incredibly beautiful. Lisbon 3 years ago wasn’t quite so popular and it wasn’t overrun with tourism, so we really got to enjoy the city, the restaurants, and the people. When we went to Sintra, we fell in love with the city (unexpectedly) and it was such a beautiful beach destination with the best cappuccinos.
Boston, Massachusetts and New York City also make my top 3 destinations list (I know I’m cheating here) but I can’t pick one over the other because I love these two cities for very different reasons. Boston is such a historic town, with amazing historic sites and people who are just beyond incredible. There’s so much charm throughout the city including the beautiful Harvard campus. Not to mention some of the best restaurants with world acclaimed chefs. When it comes to New York City, I don’t even know where to start. All I can say is that the city is magical, and there’s no city that gets me more motivated and inspired than New York City. The creative energy, the hustle, the grind, and the plethora of options is perfect for a creator.
My Top 5 List will have to be for Norway because the country means so much to my fiancé and I.
If visiting the Oslo area, I’d highly recommend spending a day exploring the various islands outside of Oslo. There’s a ferry that makes visiting each island super accessible and easy. Each island has its charm, but a lot of people who work in Oslo live on the islands which is just a magical lifestyle in my opinion.
I’d recommend trying the Norwegian beers, and Norwegian berry wine (not made from grapes) which is so interesting and of course different from what we’ve experienced here in the US.
Eat all the seafood because you’ll never get anything fresher, no matter how far you travel. This also goes for tap water. I am such a water snob and the BEST water I’ve ever had was Norwegian tap water in Norfjell.
Take a cruise through the fjords, and make sure to go dog-sleeding once you get to northern Norway. Lastly, if you’re there during the right time of year, make sure to try to see the Northern Lights. It’s an experience you’ll never forget, especially if you’re dogsledding and see the lights above.
I’ve only traveled to about 10 countries so far. There’s so many more to go!
Because I live in Tucson (and we have the best Mexican food in the US) I love Mexican food. Bosnian food is, of course, a favorite, but I also love Japanese food given ramen has my heart.
My favorite restaurant in the world is Chef Alisah’s here in Tucson. It’s a Bosnian kitchen that makes the best cevape and baklava (honestly makes everyone’s mouth water because of how delicious everything is) and I can’t recommend it enough.
My favorite international airport is Oslo. The airport is so clean you could literally eat off the floor. Not to mention the entire airport is so organized, and the placement of ticketing machines, shops and restaurants all makes sense.
Mr. adaatude, aka my fiancé. I love traveling the world with him, and this is the amazing freedom I have working for my brand.
I love listening to audiobooks, or reading a book (depending on availability) because I do enjoy reading. The other thing I do a lot is starting writing about what I’m feeling, what I’m doing and what I’m eating or thinking. This helps me write the blog post for the destination in a shorter period of time.
Norway was and is the most exotic place I’ve traveled to so far, and it simply blew me away because I never thought I’d enjoy a cold destination. I enjoy the cold a lot more than I ever thought I would, but this is the coolest and most exotic place I’ve ever been. I genuinely believe every person should have the opportunity to travel to Norway, at least once!
Make what you really need and plan to wear. Lots of people pack 3 outfits per day, which isn’t realistic because most of us don’t spend enough time in our rooms to be able to go back 3 times to make those outfit changes. If you bring 5 good outfits, you’ll be all set especially if you re-wear several pieces with other pieces. This makes for more outfits overall.
Makeup removing wipes, an extremely hydrating moisturizer, sunscreen and multiple portable chargers in case my convertors fail.
I’d love to go to Tokyo and eat my weight in delicious ramen, but I’d also love to find my favorite 10 bikinis and hit the Maldives or a city in Greece.
“I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.”
My next trip is back to my hometown of Los Angeles, and then I’ll be off to the Hamptons and New York City.
Adaleta Avdić was born in Bosnia in the early ‘90s and came to the United States as a refugee when she was 5 years old. Having escaped a life of hardship and war, her and her family arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where they were part of a Catholic refugee rescue, taken in by a Catholic priest and his family. The help from the church allowed Avdić’s family to start a new life in the United States and afforded her dad the opportunity to become a professional pilot. As his career progressed, it would take Avdić’s family to Los Angeles three years later.
Avdić has been working since she was 16 and went on to graduate from the University of Arizona, with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Business Writing. Taking that writing degree to a new level, Avdić established her blog adaatude.com in 2013 as part of a senior class college project. Fast forward to present day, after years of dedicated posts, she speaks to 85K readers with 47K unique page views a month. Now known globally as @adaatude on social media, she is sought after by major brands to be their brand ambassadors. Over 600,000 followers later, Adaleta Avdić is an accomplished Social Media Influencer and well-known blogger that covers various topics including beauty, travel, lifestyle, and fashion.
Beyond the blog and social media, Avdić maintains a YouTube channel with over 10K followers that engage with her videos which are uploaded once a week. She’s always on the hunt for the perfect shade of lipstick, the best fitting clothes and a delicious meal while traveling and exploring the world. She actually worked as a professional in the tourism industry for 7 years before becoming a full-time blogger, so traveling is second nature to her. She even got engaged in Norway! Avdić has since settled down in Tucson, Arizona and will soon be a new homeowner. Of all her passions, she is most passionate about giving, and donating to local charities such as Casa de los Niños, and loves participating in local events and community gatherings.
Make sure to see her latest tutorial on YouTube, or read about the best product finds from around the world on adaatude.com. Follow @adaatude on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest for your daily dose and fresh outlook from Adaleta Avdić!
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