Solo Trip to Croatia

Before studying abroad, I made a goal for myself, which was to get outside of my comfort zone and try something new that excites and scares me. Since I would be overseas already, I felt that traveling by myself to a foreign non-english speaking country, where I know no one, would be the perfect opportunity. The thought of it seemed exhilarating, however, once spending a few weeks in London and the number of available weekends to do this trip were dwindling, the nerves started to set in. It was time to make moves. First order of business, where to go?! Living in the city of London has been amazing, however, I wanted a change of pace, somewhere coastal. I have been so blessed with the opportunity to have traveled a lot throughout my lifetime, but this also limits the amount of new places for me to go to. I researched for two weeks straight (sorry to my professors for messing around on my computer in class) and finally found the perfect spot.

Split, Croatia. I have never been, it was a good distance away and from the reviews, people I spoke to and photos, it is beautiful. Deciding the weekend was easy, however, since I was only about a week and a half out with nothing booked yet, it became a bit stressful. I was having some reservations about traveling alone, since I never have before, so buying the plane tickets, which are non-refundable, was quite a process, mentally. Finally, I just said “fuck it” and put my concerns aside, sticking with my gut and desire to travel solo and pressed “book.” Once my flight was confirmed, I researched for a cheap but nice place to stay for solo-travelers. I chose a beautiful hostel (ironic, huh) full of character in the Old Town of Split, Croatia. It was a bit pricey for a hostel, but I wanted to stay somewhere that felt safe, so paid the price for that added security. Once my plane and hostel were booked, there was no turning back. I was locked in. A sense of relief and excitement came over me and I could not wait for my four day trip.

I am a planner to say the least. This trip though is all about getting outside of my comfort zone, which included for me, going without an itinerary. I knew of some spots that I was interested in seeing but otherwise, I went in with a “glow with the flow” attitude. Thursday, July 25th arrived and I practically jumped out of bed, triple checking I had everything before I headed to the airport. I gave myself more time than I needed, as I sat in the airport 2.5 hours before my plane departure time. The flight was smooth and when I landed in Croatia I was blown away by the mountains and islands around us. I found a shuttle bus that took me to the main sea port of Split and google maps led me the way to my hostel. The 20 minute walk through the winding cobblestone streets of Old Town Croatia was breathtaking, as the sunset peaked through. Pizza and all sorts of languages filled the air. I checked into the hostel and it met, if not exceeded, my expectations with how pretty, clean and homey (probably not a word) it felt. Before even checking into my room, I met a girl my age named Florencia from Chile and after a few exchanges of words we already had a plan and became friends? I was shocked at how fast I met someone, let alone someone I clicked with. I jumped in the shower, changed and headed out for dinner/drinks at Split’s highest viewpoint overlooking the city. It was so refreshing to learn about her background and culture, which was vastly different from mine. A few glasses of wine later we headed to a rooftop bar in the City of Split and then called it a night.

The following day, Friday, I woke up early and ate breakfast while reading a book on the hostels’ terrace. It wasn’t until this moment when I realized how much I needed this trip and how great it was for my, and probably anyones, head space. I reflected on making it here and feeling so grateful for the life I have. Alright, mushy moment is over. I spent the rest of the day exploring Split, touring ancient palaces, eating food that I can’t pronounce and walking through local markets. I stumbled upon a beach called Bacvice Beach, which was breathtaking. There was a sand and rock portion with stairs leading right into the water that stayed leveled for hundreds of feet. Besides for stepping on something sharp and my foot bleeding, I met a group of Norwegian girls who I ended up spending the rest of the day with, mostly doing water activities. It was an awesome feeling picking up conversations with different people, learning about them and getting outside ones comfort zone.

Saturday, day three of my trip, Florencia and I woke up at 5:30 to embark on a day trip to Krka Falls National Park. The day was long but amazing and if you are to travel to Croatia, I 10/10 recommend going here. We hiked mountains and cooled off in the gorgeous overflowing waterfalls where we swam and took pictures, of course. Our trip back to Split, was a continuation of our adventurous day, however a different kind of adventure. We were supposed to get back to the hostel at 6pm, however, due to a mountain fire next to the highway we were on, our arrival was postponed three and a half hours. All was fine until our bus starting to fill up with smoke and we could barely see outside the windows. Thankfully everything turned out okay but this experience made me reflect on a lot. I believe everything happens for a reason and that you can learn something from all situations. What that lesson was, I will keep to myself as some things stay personal, but I will say that it is important to be grateful for the life you have.

Sunday came around, the last day of my trip and it was a rainy one. A perfect day to be leaving paradise and travel back home. Easy Jet, the airline that I flew, wouldn’t be what it is without, of course, delays. I spent 5 and a half hours in the airport, living off of chocolate and Pringles, since the one cafe in my terminal ran out of sandwiches/anything of substance. Finally we boarded the plane and as I plopped myself, stomach ache and all, in seat 1C I knocked out and woke up in London.

Looking back on my trip, it was one for the books and one I will never forget. I am so proud of myself for clicking “book” and encourage all to do something that may scare you and/or push yourselves outside of your comfort zone. I regret nothing and loved everything. Thanks to all that encouraged me to go forth with this trip, your support means everything.