DMWC Lifestyle Lounge Interview IVANA SIMJANOVSKA
interview by Aneta Mackovski
Wine has been a part of her life for almost ten years and has completely changed it in every possible way. Ivana Simjanovska is the organizer of Skopje Wine Salon-Vinodonia, an international wine judge, author, publisher and a wine consultant and a guide for the Macedonia Experience. For the last few years she has been working single handedly as a promoter of Macedonian wines as well as giving lectures and wine tastings in Macedonia and abroad. Her passions, wine being the biggest, involve travelling to wine and non-wine regions, pilates, spending leisure time with her family and amazing friends. Ivana is a foody and enjoys tasting different kinds of dishes, though she admits she is more into eating than cooking.
What does the concept LIFESTYLE mean to you?
Lifestyle is the way you move seamlessly in the world with the attitude you have towards yourself and other people, taking care of yourself and your health to find that perfect balance, having a passion and sharing it with others, making yourself feel good with the things you do, being thankful for the things you have and never forgetting to help others. The attitude you have towards yourself whether it be health, career, etc. it is the same one you’re going to have towards the people that surround you.
Do you aspire to involve your life passions into your daily routine and do you believe that this would further an authentic lifestyle?
My passions are part of my everyday life and, I consider myself to be lucky that it is so, wine being the biggest one of them all. Once you find your passion, there’s no way back. You have to follow it. It’s a must!
Where do you look for inspiration and motivation to achieve your lifestyle goals?
In my family and friends that make me happy and motivate me, all of them being my biggest supporters of what I do. They are my drive, moving me forwards so I can achieve my goals easily. I surround myself with people that are better than me in whatever they do and, I draw inspiration from them to be even better in what I do. Another thing that brings me satisfaction is to be able to inspire people, this brings me immense joy. I believe all of us should inspire the ones around us to be better, to do good, to leave a mark in the world, no matter how small this mark might be.
What do you consider to be a healthy and gratifying lifestyle and what is your advice for creating and maintaining it?
Dedicating time for yourself and your passions and following them, finding time to exercise, learning how to deal with everyday stress without consequences, so you could find that perfect balance in life. To have a gratifying lifestyle is to have goals and the only way to achieve them is to believe in yourself and to work hard to accomplish them.
Living in Macedonia is exciting and distinct. Please share your impressions of your favorite places you have visited in Macedonia.
Without any hesitation, Ohrid is the place where I find my inner peace especially watching the sunrise or sunset at St. Jovan Kaneo. In the last few years while also working for Macedonia Experience, I have had the chance to visit forgotten places and villages in rural Macedonia and to just get away from everyday hectic life in the city, some of my favorites are Galichnik and having an epic meal at Pavle’s, enjoying the sunset while having trout and wine at Trpejca in Ohrid, having a dish of home-cooked snails