Zibarna (noun): Urban City, a center of influence. A place where decisions are made.
The idea of creating a blog – Zibarna – was born more than ten years ago. Being a medical student, I worked in an international NGO, which allowed me to travel frequently and learn to look beyond my boundaries. I was always intrigued by the beauty and diversity of the places I visited. Zibarna is inspired by urban cities around the world, where, for me, decisions that impact our cultures and lifestyles are made. But ultimately, it is inspired by people.
Seeing the world from a medical student’s eye and later as a young doctor motivated me to write about how other cities tackle challenges – often with success. I tried to understand why a system worked in some places and not others. For example, efficient integrated recycling waste management is nowadays taken for granted in many cities. In others, such as Panama City, where I’m from, this is still an entirely different story. For many years, I took notes of my observations and ideas, hoping to share them one day.
In 2016, I started my medical specialization in Europe. Living there made it even easier to travel through many European cities when I had free time. On one of my trips, I was a victim of a terrible but pretty smart scam. Back then, having visited dozens of countries, I considered myself an experienced traveler, and I didn’t think something like this could ever happen to me. I was furious. Afterwards, I went to the police, and I quickly realized I wasn’t alone. This horrible event and many other travel experiences motivated me to share my experiences to prevent other travelers from going through similar situations.
When I started to put words on paper, my passion for travel writing emerged. What I was writing took on a life of its own. Eventually, it became my first book, which I will launch in English and Spanish. Without realizing it, alongside writing my book, the idea of Zibarna sprang back to life.
Zibarna is now a storytelling platform committed to creating authentic, informative, and inspiring travel content to support a new generation of travelers looking for positive life experiences. Our team of creative editors, writers, and tech-whizzes believe that traveling is one of the best ways to learn about the world. And equipped with experience and knowledge, we have the power to make positive changes. Therefore, via our blogs, books, and other digital media, we hope to raise awareness about sensitive tourism issues that affect cities worldwide. Problems include climate change, poverty, drugs, human trafficking, and many more.
I think that the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us the hard way that we weren’t doing many things the right way. We can’t take everything for granted – the way we travel has probably changed forever, and we must adapt. Soon, with vaccination programs taking place around the world, country borders will begin to open, and it will be possible to travel again. Hopefully, by then, we can explore the world from a different perspective.
In the meantime, we invite you to subscribe to our blog and receive updated content on a regular basis. We also invite you to visit our website: www.zibarna.com.
