Croatia-

First night in Split

I’ve been so blessed to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard, the program is officially over and we are off to Croatia. After 11 hours of traveling Kass and me had the sun in our hair and sand between our toes at last.

Krka National Park

It was only a five-minute walk from our hostel to the closest beach and we took full advantage. After, we had our fair share of the wind blowing sand around we headed back to the hostel and got ready to explore old town for dinner. From the historic Roman monuments to the dramatic turquoise water of the Adriatic Sea I fell in love immediately. After finishing a shrimp burger and sharing two different desserts over engaging conversation we realized that we had been there for over two hours. That’s one of my favorite things. Not having anywhere to be and going completely with whatever my heart says. On the way home we found cute bars, cafes, restaurants, and shops that were still all thriving throughout the night. Sometimes they were tucked away in little corners and alleys so we made sure to keep an eye out and go off the beaten path to see more of what Split had to offer.

Blue Cave

Our first full day in Croatia, we went on a tour to the Krka waterfalls with a boat ride and a tour of Sibenik. The tour group we went with was small, but so much fun. When our tour guide came to pick Kass and me up he told us to crawl over the drivers seat and sit in shotgun (we knew it was going to be a fun day)! The drive was kind of long, but we got to know the other tourists and learned many things about Croatia! It rained on and off all day, but we didn’t let that stop us from having a good time! The tour of Sibenik was short, but the city was beautiful with all the hidden staircases that never ended and they were all decorated with brightly colored flowers. The waterfalls were next and they were breathtaking. We walked all the paths and I enjoyed every minute taking in all the fresh air that I could! We thought the day ended at the waterfalls with a boat tour to a little village 30 minutes down stream, but to our surprise we were taken to a wine tasting. We had great conversation with our new friends from all over the world tasting special wines that you can only buy there. Right before we left I thanked the owner and bought my favorite red wine for my mom to surprise her with!

Swam with the fish!

No better time for a boat ride then 8:00am in the morning, right?! Our second day in Split we took an all day boat tour to see the gems of Croatia. After two hours we reached the Blue Cave. This was discovered in the 1880’s and was only accessible by diving because the entrance was below sea level. It seemed so unreal with the way the water lite up and it was so clear you could see the bottom of the sea floor. We learned that this phenomenon happens as a result of the reflection of sunlight off the cave. It was truly awe-inspiring and all I wanted was to jump in! Next, we went to the green cave, a couple coves, and then our tour guide put the anchor down so we really could jump in. Again, this was a smaller tour group so we were cheering each other on to jump in. At first it was so cold, but my body got use to it and it was so much fun! One of the girls that I had made friends with let me barrow her goggles so I could see what was under me. Normally I am terrified of fish, but there in the middle of the Adriatic Sea I dove down and swam next to the fish! We had lunch all together shortly after in what is now my favorite city, Hvar! Just when we thought that the day was over, our boat ran out of gas and we had a little adventure. We got to explore another village and saw a beautiful sunset over the sea on our way home. Again we got another good laugh cause our boat ran out of gas a second time, but we cruised to the shoreline and made it just in time.

Just having fun

That night we explored the shops and came across a square that had raised steps all around where people were sitting and listening to live music. Soon we found a place to eat outside in the square and I tried some more seafood. Two hours later we went by the same square and enjoyed the music by dancing and laughing in the warm summer air.

The trip was short, but sweet and someday I will make my way back. From the locals to the food I never had one bad experience. Croatia has been my favorite so far and Hvar has my heart.