World Encounter Magazine - December 2023: The Winter/Christmas Travel Issue

DECEMBER 2023 ISSUE 01

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR The Mountains of Switzerland

THE ART OF HOLIDAY DINING SWEET WALNUTS FOR CHRISTMAS MORNING

EASY DREAMS THE SILENCE OF WINTER

TO THE MOUNTAINS ON SKIS

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Inside cover: PHOTOGRAPHER: LOLITA BOGACHEVA IG:@BOGACHEVALOLITA

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Editor-in-chief Lucy Morris Sally Marie Rosie Jones Tobias James Kararaina Bishara Darren Wynne Heather Wilkins Laura Woolley Isabelle Price Laszlo Balogh

Executive Editor Wildlife Editor Digital Editor Features Editor Photo/Sub Editor Photo Assistant Travel Editor Advertisement Director Logo Illustrator

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CONTENTS

December 2023

06 EASY DREAMS PHOTOGRAPHER: НАТАЛЬЯ ВОЛКОВА IG: @FOTOGRAF1VOLKOVANATALIIA WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NATALYA.VOLKOVA.5076 WWW.NYVOLKOVA.COM

08 THE SILENCE OF WINTER PHOTOGRAPHER: LAUREN DENOS IG: @ADVENTUREBOUNDMEDIA WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ADVENTUREBOUNDMEDIA WWW.LAURENDENOS.COM

18 THE ART OF HOLIDAY DINING PHOTOGRAPHER: MARICHKA ISAI @ALWAYSFOREWER IG:@ALWAYSFOREWER WWW.ALWAYSFOREWER.COM MODEL: BENDIKOW OLHA IG:@BENDIKOWOLHA

24 WINTER PHOTOGRAPHER: MARIIA SOKOR IG:@MARIA_SOKOR

WALNUTS FOR CHRISTMAS 30 SWEET MORNING PHOTOGRAPHER: ALINA KARAVANSKA IG:@KARAVANSKA.FOOD

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CONTENTS

December 2023

36 TO THE MOUNTAINS ON SKIS PHOTOGRAPHER: LIYA YAKOVLEVA IG:@LIKAIAKOVLEVA

40 МОСКВА PHOTOGRAPHER: LOLITA BOGACHEVA IG:@BOGACHEVALOLITA

46 PLANTS AND SNOW PHOTOGRAPHER: DIANA BACHU IG: @DIDIBACHU WB: HTTPS://500PX.COM/P/DIANABACHU

50 WINTER IN NORTHERN NORWAY PHOTOGRAPHER: SVITLANA SOVENKO IG: @TO4KA_KVI WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SVITLANA.SOVENKO

MOUNTAINS OF 60 THE SWITZERLAND PHOTOGRAPHER: SAYAN DUTTA IG: @SAYAN__DUTTA WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SAYAN.DUTTA.58118

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EASY DREAMS

PHOTOGRAPHER: НАТАЛЬЯ ВОЛКОВА IG: @FOTOGRAF1VOLKOVANATALIIA WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NATALYA.VOLKOVA.5076 WWW.NYVOLKOVA.COM

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THE SILENCE OF WINTER SILENCE IS NOT MERELY THE ABSENCE OF SOUND; IT IS A SPACE WHERE THE MIND CAN REST, REJUVENATE, AND REDISCOVER ITS EQUILIBRIUM. IN THE ABSENCE OF CONSTANT EXTERNAL STIMULI, THE CACOPHONY OF THOUGHTS BEGINS TO SETTLE, AND WE BECOME ATTUNED TO THE GENTLE RHYTHMS OF OUR OWN HEARTBEAT AND THE WORLD’S NATURAL CADENCE. IN SILENCE, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN – NOT TO THE NOISE OF THE WORLD, BUT TO THE WHISPERS OF OUR INNER SELVES. IT IS A CHANCE TO CONFRONT OUR FEARS, CONFRONT OUR DOUBTS, AND EMBRACE OUR HOPES WITHOUT THE DISTRACTIONS THAT OFTEN CLOUD OUR JUDGMENT. IN THIS STILLNESS, WE GAIN INSIGHT INTO OUR OWN DESIRES, ASPIRATIONS, AND THE PATHS WE WISH TO TREAD. WINTER ITSELF TEACHES US THE BEAUTY OF SILENCE. THE SERENE HUSH OF A FOREST WHEN A BLANKET OF SNOW COVERS THE GROUND, OR THE TRANQUIL STILLNESS OF A FROZEN MOUNTAIN LAKE. ALL OF THESE MOMENTS OFFER A PROFOUND SENSE OF PEACE. THEY REMIND US THAT THE WORLD HAS ITS OWN MOMENTS OF QUIET GRACE, INVITING US TO PARTAKE IN THE TRANQUILLITY THAT HAS EXISTED LONG BEFORE OUR HURRIED LIVES AND WILL ENDURE LONG AFTER. SILENCE ALSO FOSTERS CONNECTION, ALLOWING US TO TRULY HEAR OTHERS, NOT JUST THEIR WORDS BUT THE SUBTLETIES OF THEIR EMOTIONS AND INTENTIONS. IN THE ABSENCE OF NOISE, EMPATHY BLOOMS, DEEPENING OUR RELATIONSHIPS AND FOSTERING UNDERSTANDING. IN OUR RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF STIMULATION, WE OFTEN OVERLOOK THE TREASURES CONCEALED WITHIN SILENCE. WE FEAR THE QUIET BECAUSE IT FORCES US TO CONFRONT OURSELVES, TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR VULNERABILITIES, AND TO LISTEN TO OUR OWN THOUGHTS. YET, THIS CONFRONTATION IS WHERE GROWTH TAKES ROOT, WHERE WE DISCOVER OUR INNER STRENGTH, AND WHERE PEACE BLOSSOMS. SO, LET US NOT SHY AWAY FROM THE SILENCE BUT INSTEAD, SEEK IT OUT. IN THE HUSH OF THE WINTER SNOW, THE STILLNESS OF A QUIET ROOM, OR THE TRANQUILLITY OF A PEACEFUL NIGHT, WE CAN FIND A SANCTUARY FOR OUR SOULS. IT IS THERE, IN THAT TRANQUIL SPACE, THAT WE CAN RECONNECT WITH OUR TRUESELVES, FIND SOLACE IN THE WORLD’S TIMELESS EMBRACE, AND DISCOVER THE PROFOUND PEACE THAT RESIDES WITHIN THE SILENCE. PHOTOGRAPHER: LAUREN DENOS IG: @ADVENTUREBOUNDMEDIA WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ADVENTUREBOUNDMEDIA WWW.LAURENDENOS.COM

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THE ART OF HOLIDAY DINING PHOTOGRAPHER: MARICHKA ISAI @ALWAYSFOREWER IG:@ALWAYSFOREWER WWW.ALWAYSFOREWER.COM MODEL: BENDIKOW OLHA IG:@BENDIKOWOLHA

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winter

PHOTOGRAPHER: MARIIA SOKOR IG:@MARIA_SOKOR

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SWEET WALNUTS FOR CHRISTMAS MORNING PHOTOGRAPHER: ALINA KARAVANSKA IG:@KARAVANSKA.FOOD

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PHOTOGRAPHER: LIYA YAKOVLEVA IG:@LIKAIAKOVLEVA

TO THE MOUNTAINS ON SKIS

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МОСКВА

PHOTOGRAPHER: LOLITA BOGACHEVA IG:@BOGACHEVALOLITA

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PLANTS AND SNOW PHOTOGRAPHER: DIANA BACHU IG: @DIDIBACHU WB: HTTPS://500PX.COM/P/DIANABACHU

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WINTER IN NORTHERN NORWAY PHOTOGRAPHER: SVITLANA SOVENKO IG: @TO4KA_KVI WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SVITLANA.SOVENKO

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THE MOUNTAINS OF SWITZERLAND PHOTOGRAPHER: SAYAN DUTTA IG: @SAYAN__DUTTA WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SAYAN.DUTTA.58118

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Photographer: Lauren Denos IG: @adventureboundmedia www.facebook.com/AdventureBoundMedia WWW.laurendenos.com

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