Croatia, canned Tuna, and good Wine……

“When I heard you were going with Bus2alps to Croatia I thought ‘war zone’…who would ever want to got there?”

“Well,” I responded, “48 students from Rome and Florence did.” And then there was me…the one from Barcelona.

Although often remembered for its conflict and violence the country of Croatia has successfully grown and developed into a European must see for those who appreciate good seafood and the natural beauty of coastline towns. Having grown up valuing both, I was sold.

The bus arrived to Split early in morning. Although tired from the 16 hour journey, filled with nutella, peanut butter sandwiches, and empty candy wrappers, I grabbed my almost “not acceptable carry on” (according to Ryanair) and realized wow, I’m actually in Croatia.  The port bustled with activity as fishermen brought in their morning catch….and I wondered if they ever dared eat canned tuna.

I’m not sure when it happened. Maybe while sleeping within the walls of Diocletian’s palace or while running to the top of Marjan Hill. It could have been rafting down the emerald green Cetina River or during my wine and fish dinner in Trogir. As much as I love the amazing cities I visit, I realized it’s the people I meet that make the trip memorable.

Maybe it is the student who offers their laptop to you as a “civic duty” when made aware just how “cinema deprived” you are or the girls who invite you to dine with them in Trogir and share a bottle of wine. Or it could be the conversation with the rafting instructor but nevertheless it is these moments that make the trip special and what truly made me fall in love with traveling.

“There’s only one thing in life that truly changes you….having a child.” It’s these kinds of conversations that arise on a 4 hour rafting trip down the Cetina. Coming from a young river rafting Olympian who turned his passion into a profitable business, we all listened to Stefan’s theories about life, love, happiness, and good wine. Simple, yet profound:

1)   If you can tailor something you love into a career and still be happy then you’ve truly found success.

2)    Be you. I met my wife at a dive bar because we both were fans of the band playing that night. You can’t plan for destiny.

3)    Let yourself be changed by those experiences strong enough to do so. In the end that’s all that matters.

4)    Don’t drink beer in Croatia, the wine is far better.

In the end, despite its war torn past Croatia has a lot to offer. I will never again eat canned tuna, I won’t drink beer in Croatia, and at the end of the day I hope to always find success in knowing that my passion and career are one in the same. live. love. travel.

Un beso.