Let's Go, Jane!

Ah, Croatia. Yes, it is as beautiful as they say. It was a short 2-hour bus ride from Ljubljana, Slovenia to the capital city of Zagreb. Strangely, I was not asked to show my passport as I traveled from Slovenia into Croatia. I walked from the bus stop to the downtown hostel, about 30 minutes, stopping for a sandwich made from locally sourced fresh anchovies and trup (similar to tuna). After dropping off my bags, I wandered around the city, climbing a long set of stairs to be rewarded with a panoramic view of the city. There was Lotrščak Tower, which I opted not to climb, and a medieval-style Catholic Church called St. Mark’s that was closed for renovation.

With no specific plans or destination in mind, I stumbled upon the Museum of Broken Relationships. This museum consists of a collection of personal items donated by people all over the world over the last 20 years. These artifacts represent the end of relationships, mostly romantic, along with a plaque stating the country of origin, length of the relationship, and a story or anecdote explaining the significance of the item.

Some were short and sweet, “It was 300 days too long. He gave me his mobile phone so that I couldn’t call him anymore.” Some were bitter, others resigned or wistful. One of my favorites was called “A sweater of indecision.” The creator, presumably female, lived with a man for three years, during which he asked her to knit him a sweater and then kept changing his mind about the style he wanted. After being unceremoniously dumped for a much younger woman, she knitted this piece angrily and with great symbolism, as a way of processing her feelings. The result is both unwearable and fantastic.

Following the museum, I went to a restaurant that served only struklji, traditional Slovenian rolled dumplings made with various fillings, which can be sweet or savory. Mine were filled with cheese and baked in a casserole dish, served with brown beer and very filling. On the walk back to the hostel, I stumbled upon an Irish pub with a live band playing American songs from the 1990s and 2000s. I sat and listened for an hour, feeling nostalgic.

After one night in Zagreb, I continued on to the coastal city of Split (pictured above). The tiny duplex Airbnb I rented had a staircase so steep it may as well have been a ladder, and more importantly, a washing machine so I could catch up on my laundry. My all-merino wardrobe has done a fantastic job keeping me comfortable from 45 degrees in Slovenia to *spoiler alert* 85 degrees in Malaysia with minimal washing required, as well as making it possible for me to travel carry-on only for four straight months.

The Airbnb was located within the walls of Diocletian’s Palace, built in the late 3rd/early 4th century by a Roman emperor to serve as his retirement residence. The former palace, now restaurants, shops, and apartments, covers a large part of the historic old town area, and is essentially a living museum. Medieval walls, including the one that made up one wall of my Airbnb, have been modified by centuries of human life. The palace was used as a filming location for several scenes in Game of Thrones. The “roads” are narrow stone pedestrian pathways that feel like following a maze.

In need of a nature break after all this city living, I took a day trip to Krka National Park, about an hour and a half by bus. The bus let out in a town called Skradin, where I took a 30-minute ferry ride to the trailhead for a 1.25 mile loop trail that passed Skradinski Buk waterfall along with some smaller falls. After completing the loop, I opted to walk the 4-miles back to Skradin.

Hiking has, for me, always been where I do my best thinking and introspection. My younger sister had made a comment the week before after reading a blog post, “I’m amazed how you’ve managed to remain curious and excited, without growing weary.” I recognized during this walk a growing sense of boredom and unease. I had been traveling throughout Europe for six weeks at this point. My original plan was to spend another 2.5 weeks working my way down the Dalmatian coast. When you can no longer get excited about medieval castles or mediterranean islands, it is time for a change of scene. By the time I got back to Split, I knew what I needed to do.

I spent the next morning rearranging my plans. I was able to rebook the Istanbul-to-Osaka award flight for an Istanbul-to-Kuala Lumpur flight and book an award flight to Istanbul for the next day, all for less than $200 out of pocket. After 30 hours of travel, door to door, I am now happily situated on what feels like another planet entirely. I stepped out for a quick bite, and with the first mouthful of noodles—flavor bursting across my tongue—I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.