Ellen Sprague

Trip Host - Slovenia

Hello! My name is Ellen Sprague. My professional career has centered on writing, but my passion is language. I feed my curiosity by seeking out opportunities to engage with speakers of other languages—digging into both the hidden and visible cultural connections and implications in the words, the unfamiliar sounds, and the surprises that come with each interaction.

I’ve been learning Slovene since 2015, but with little opportunity to practice, I say I’m really just a Slovene enthusiast with a lot of vocabulary and good friends – dobri prijatelji.

I had traveled to several western European countries before, but after my first trip to Slovenia while studying writing for my Master of Fine Arts, I was smitten. This place was different! I realized, “These people are like me – but not! While I was in college, their country was being born as Yugoslavia fell apart. I wanted to know their stories!”

Through stories and travel, I’ve learned so much about the history and culture of Slovenia and its neighbors—and second only to visiting Slovenia, I love talking about all I’ve discovered. Just ask!

After that first visit in 2012, I designed a month-long study abroad program for college students to Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina, which I led three times (2017, 2019, 2022). I debuted an Honest Heart Journeys trip to Slovenia in 2024 and served as the trip scholar on the 2025 Principia Lifelong Learning trip to Slovenia and Croatia.

Since 2022, I’ve lived in view of Pikes Peak in Castle Rock, Colorado, with my husband, Josh, and our German Shorthair Pointer dog, Bader. A former college professor, I’m now a writer, editor, educator, and lover of mountains.

Fun fact: It was my travels to Slovenia that made me realize I wanted to live in or near mountains. I really didn’t know that until I went there. What will you learn about yourself in Slovenia?