Croatia: Tour D'Horizon

čega nema, ne može se ni uzeti

By Christina Nguyen

November 2^nd, 2017

MONTH 1: INTO THE UNKNOWN

To be honest, I've done very little research about the countries on my itinerary this upcoming year. Part of it had to do with minimizing expectations for the next year, but the other part was largely because there wasn't time to do any research with prepping/packing. I knew that my time in Croatia would be filled with some sun, gorgeous coastlines, delicious fresh food, and of course some Game of Thrones-esque backdrops. I was also slightly bummed that I was barely missing signature events such as Yacht Week, and Ultra Music Festival. It's safe to say that I really was diving into the unknown as I had not traveled anywhere in eastern Europe before. Here's the run down on month one...

Sunsets from across our apartment and office.

The view from the top of Marjan Hill, Split.

EXPERIENCES

THE FUN STUFF

Meeting my Mangata Family, finally!
Living in a 2-bed & 2-bath multi-level beachfront apartment with Adrian, a former agent & manager/producer from Los Angeles & Denver (he has stellar film recommendations)
A 3-minute walking commute to the stunning work space
Island Hopping on our first Sunday funday
An exclusive look into how ships are made at the Brodosplit Shipyard
Meeting Croatian artist, Neno Mikulic
Day trips to Trogir, Primosten, Plitvice Lakes National Park, & Zadar
Ziplining over the Cetina River and through the canyons in Omis (before work!)
Learning how to cook authentic Croatian cuisine at Split's Culinary Academy
Eating absolutely delicious fresh food such as cevapi, burek, pasticada, peka, cuttlefish risotto, adjvar spread, trying all the olive oils, and any catch of the day

THE NOT as FUN STUFF

Lack of a routine because I haven't quite figured out yet what the new normal is
Learning how to take 7-minute showers because the water heaters are tiny
Getting used to wearing crunchy clothes because everything has to be line dried
Bura & Jugo, the powerful northern & southern wind on the Adriatic Sea that can come out of no where in a split second & change your entire day
Ever changing work space & having to pack up your desk into a backpack multiple times a day
Navigating to the correct pick up points because cars can't drive through the labyrinth of Diocletian's Palace & Old Town (& then being extremely confused because the Uber app is telling you that an UberBoat is on its way)
The constant battle between FOMO & JOMO, Fear of Missing Out & Joy of Missing Out, respectively

Fun fall day hiking at Plitvice Lakes National Park. Photo by Danika Stelton.

Enjoying a cup of tea at Neno Mikulic's home

Cooking Croatian cuisines at Split's Culinary Academy. Photo by Robert Poole.

Lost in the labyrinth of Diocletian's Palace. Photo by Micha Rains.

First week in Croatia. Playing in the backyard with friends. Photo by Jillian Rabe.

Taking photos in Plitvice Lakes National Park. Photo by Danika Stelton

STORIES

Within Remote Year we hosted, "Fuck Up Night" which was a forum to share stories about ultimate mistakes, and the lessons learned. One of my favorites stories was about a guerrilla marketing blunder. The advertising team came up with a scavenger hunt type of campaign for a reputable beverage company. This involved placing mysterious briefcases bearing the beer-maker's logo in major urban centers. The lucky folks who found the packages received clues to larger prizes, and giveaways. One can only imagine the amount of hard work, and due diligence to put together a global campaign with this kind of scale. This included thoroughly vetting each location, and gaining approval for where briefcases would be hidden. In one city the advertising team decided to hire an intern to plant the briefcases. Well... the intern accidentally planted the briefcase in the wrong location near the train tracks which resulted in a bomb scare that shut down public transportation for hours causing headaches for commuters. In a matter of minutes the multi-million dollar summer campaign was pulled. All the blood, sweat, and tears towards executing this campaign were wiped out just like that with one little mistake! This was just one of many stories, but themes included trusting your instinct, checking over things twice or thrice, knowing the devil is in the details, and not making decisions when in the wrong head space. Glad we could find some optimism, and share laughs over our mistakes.

Outside of Remote Year, the most interesting stories I heard were through our Uber drivers. They were always eager to pick us up, ask lots of questions (despite it being a very short drive), and loved sharing their stories. The drivers were quick to display hospitality, and kindness. On one occasion the weather was very cold in the canyons where we went zip lining, and our driver offered to give me his jacket for the day. On another occasion our driver overheard someone expressing that they were very hungry (after the bar), and were sad that none of the food places were opened late. As soon as we got out of the vehicle, he handed us a bag of Dalmatian pastries, and said, "You! Eat!!"

Farmers come to sell their crops at the Green Market in Old Town.

The boys with the owner of the Fisherman's Restaurant on Paklinski Island.

3rd generation fisherman on Palkinski Islands

Brodosplit Shpard PR Director, Josip Juric.

Trogir local, Mario Derossi. (not pictured is his adorable cat Pasko)

CONNECTIONS

Most of the month was spent getting to know my fellow Mangata mates. The crew are a solid bunch with stories for days. I learn something new about someone every single day. Part of the remote year crew is our local city team. Each city has local RY staff who provide an abundant amount of support during our stay. They run the operations on the ground, plan our local experience tracks, give us all the insider tips on the best places to go, keep us in line with all the cultural norms, and remind us to keep the switch on for hot water (yes, I took a freezing cold shower on Day 1). Cheers to Helena, Mate, Tamara, and Katja for welcoming us with open arms to our first city.

I didn't get the chance to get to know many locals on a personal level since I had my work cut out for me with 50 other Mangos (we still haven't figured out what we are calling ourselves yet). I spent a fair amount of time with Croatian artist Neno Mikulic, professional chef Zeljko Bremec, and chatting with a few locals who shared our co-working office space. In my experience, I found most Croatians to be open, accommodating, and had a great sense of humor.

Keeping it 1950 at our first lunch roulette on Day 1.

Taking the moment in at the top of the fortress in Hvar.

My silly family making faces at me while I was on the phone with Xavier in the alleys of Old Town.

Owning the Unknown

Croatia's history isn't very clear cut as origins, and allegiances crisscrossed constantly through time. In all the tours, and visits to each city the emergence of the country is still somewhat a mystery to me after learning about the various shifting ethnic, and national identities. I was too young to remember the Homeland Wars in Croatia during the 90's so I've only known Croatia to be a safe, independent, and friendly country.

Croatia pleasantly surprised me in so many ways. The sea plays a key role in everyday life especially for the residents along the Dalmatia coast. The layers of history has shaped the minds of locals, and inspired them in unusual ways. The art, and architecture are clear depictions of hard work, and determination despite past turmoil. Natural and human elements have driven Croatian culture, and attracted the masses. Overall, Split was a fantastic jump off point for the transition to the digital nomad life, and the start of our world tour.