Ljubljana, Slovenia, has Melissa falling head over heels.

I’m in love. Reminiscent of the 1995 film It Takes Two, it’s that “can’t eat, can’t sleep, reach for the stars, over the fence world series kinda stuff.” I didn’t think it would happen so fast. I mean, I’ve always been interested, but what happened caught me off-guard and now I’m in deep.

You must be wondering who stole my heart and I will confidently tell you that it now belongs to the capital of Slovenia.

Ljubljana gets me. When I walk through its streets, they guide me effortlessly to discover cafes whose atmospheres fuel my inspiration. I walk around on a high all day, proclaiming over and over again how much I adore the city; from its countless bridges, hidden alleyways and creative installations, I just can’t get enough. My curious inclination and strong desire to explore every corner is blissfully matched with Ljubljana’s open and optimistic personality. Its equally determined and laid-back nature are why we get along so well. I could wander the streets all day, discovering and rediscovering the ways that Ljubljana continues to fascinate me, and I wonder how anyone can be bored in this life.

Now that we have had the opportunity to get to know each other a little better, Ljubljana is opening itself up to me more. The city is beginning to glow in the warmth of the sun that has been emerging as of late and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to its ever-present beauty. We sit together for hours, observing how my perceptions are being shaped in parallel to what Ljubljana wants to give me, and how I am, in return, shaping the city through my own experiences, adding a layer of identity that wasn’t there before.

In the evenings, we are absorbed in conversation and tales, casually moving from bar to bar. The taste of Slovenian wine lingers as we escape and lose ourselves to the energy of the night.

That’s not all. Ljubljana has promised to show me its soul when the snow finally clears and the glacier water of its rivers will shine their bluest blue. The outdoor adventures that await have me anticipating the moment I will finally be able to breathe in the landscape that caught my attention when we first met several years ago.

I am not ashamed of this loving confession; some may say I’m in the honeymoon phase, while others will point to naivety, but I know this is a feeling that will last forever.