Forever Young in Croatia

I’m on our balcony hearing the subtle sound of the Adriatic’s calm and gentle waves…there is a cool breeze coming from the sea- but I feel comfortable as I sit on my balcony in my summer pjs.  The light of tonight’s full moon is reflecting off the slowly moving water, creating an amber glow.  I hear a live band playing across the lake- a mixture of Johnny Cash and other retro country/rock songs.  The sound of the harmonica, drums, guitar, and base create the perfect soundtrack for this blog post….perfection.  Even though I’m exhausted, I am deciding to have a Croatian beer (Ozujsko) to complete my sensory experience of this moment.

Taking. It. All. In..

Croatia has been absolutely wonderful so far.  The city of Dubrovnik is along the Adriatic coast- across from Italy.  Old Town Dubrovnik is a medieval city that is surrounded by city gates.  Whatever I pictured a medieval castle and city to look like…this is that, and so much more.  It took 100 years for this city to be built- and a lot of slaves’ sweat and blood went into constructing it.  Yet it still stands today and looks as beautiful as ever.  The white stone is polished during tourist season to make it look extra picturesque. The city looks whimsical, as it’s constructed of baroque style architecture and surrounded by mountains.

 Having the opportunity to travel to a new country is a blessing I do not take for granted.  The feeling I’m experiencing in Croatia is much different than Italy.  Things are very peaceful and organized here.  Maybe it is because we are staying in a hotel, or maybe it is because of the way Dubrovnik is run as a tourist attraction.  It’s allowing me to enjoy every moment and feel 100% relaxed. 

I can’t help but feel a wave of melancholy come over me as I realize that this is only a fleeting moment. The slow harmonica is totally working with my mood right now.  Just the same way everyone feels towards the end of the summer.  You so badly want to reach out your hand and grasp a moment to keep in your pocket as a souvenir.  But it’s impossible… the only thing that there is to do is soak in every sensation of the moment and place it in your memory as a “happy place”.  

I’ve been reflecting a lot about traveling since I’ve gotten to Croatia.  It looks glamorous and at times can feel like it’s out of a movie, but there is also a lot of discomfort, stress, and fatigue that comes with traveling.  On the ferry from Bari to Croatia I had a minor panic attack around 3am as I realized I was in the middle of the ocean, still several hours from land, and unable to sleep.  Thankfully Lisa helped calm my mind and we talked about our awesome vacation and then I was fine again.  It’s not easy taking yourself out of your comfort zone when traveling..quite literally, as I tried to maneuver myself into the fetal position around a very tall and uncomfortable arm rest, with my beach towel as my pillow, only to get a mere 2 hours of sleep.   You would think that after dragging my 50lb suitcase around Lecce earlier in the day I would have had no trouble falling asleep- but to no avail.  Lisa and I have both felt extreme fatigue at certain times during our traveling.  Yet we’ve also felt relaxation unlike anything we’ve ever experienced.  For me,  the sacrifice of comfort is 100% worth it for the experiences we’ve had.   Croatia is giving us a chance to relax on the beach (which is made of big white rocks), swim in the crystal clear blue salt water, enjoy the fresh mountainous air, eat amazing seafood, and enjoy the nightlife of Old Town.  

The other night when we were in Old Town we were stopped by someone who was working with a tour company trying to advertise an excursion to go kayaking.  We stopped and talked to him for a little, and he mentioned that he is from Croatia.  He said that because his family is so poor, he never had the chance to visit Dubrovnik before.  He is able to be in Dubrovnik this summer because he is working with this tourism company.  It occurred to me just how privileged I am to grow up in America.  Granted, there are a lot of things wrong with our country, and there is extreme poverty that exists that people don’t even know about.  But at any given point an average income family could arrange a vacation to travel to a different state.  This Croatian man was telling us that he never got to come to Dubrovnik- because it is a tourist city and pretty expensive.    These circumstances exist all over- and I can’t help but feeling so blessed to be one of the minority of people in the world who can save and travel for a month. 

On that note, Lisa and I are slowly going B-R-O-K-E, broke.  Although there have been some moments of financial stress, we are reminding ourselves daily that these experiences cannot have a price tag on them.  I wouldn’t take back any moment I’ve had for money.  It’s actually very liberating… to know that for the past few weeks I’ve been truly living.  Spending money I’ve worked so hard for…for intangible fleeting memories.  I guess I could have used that money to buy a car, or furniture, jewelry, or a house.  But I do not think any of those investments would give me the feeling of satisfaction with my life that I have right now.  For the first time in my life, I feel 100% content.  I know that in just a week’s time I will be returning to the chaos of teaching/coaching/working.  I can only hope that I can take with a fraction of the tranquility I feel now.

The band just played Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young”.  I stopped writing to take in the moment….I teared up.  These are the lyrics I heard... “When the winds of changes shift, may your heart always be joyful and may your song always be sung…may you stay forever young, forever young, forever young”.. just magical.

More pictures to come next blog post...internet is slow so i'm only uploading a couple now...goodnight!