How I found a family away from home in Croatia 🇭🇷

A story of how a lack of direction created my most meaningful travel connection. #9 on my Top 10 Countries countdown.

STORY

Gunnar

2/7/20252 min read

#9 – Croatia 🇭🇷

Maybe Croatia should be ranked higher, and absolutely has the potential to be. However, this is where I was when the aimlessness of 10 months of non-stop travel really started setting in. Unfortunately, it was here I really began to feel… lost. Directionless.

But, it’s also where I made one of my most meaningful connections I’ve made throughout all my travels.

After spending a week in Hvar with some friends, I booked an Airbnb for a week in a quiet beach town near Split to try to recollect myself and figure out what I was doing with my life. I spent my days journaling, listening to podcasts on the beach, and even taking trips to a sensory deprivation float tank I found nearby.

It was perfect– I had a grocery store, a gym, and the beach all within 2 blocks. Turns out, the location wasn’t even the best part about it…

I met my Airbnb host who lived upstairs– A lovely Croatian woman by the name of Anita. She saw me trying to grill a piece of meat that was absolutely not supposed to be grilled. (See photo. I’m just surprised I was able to get any fire going)

After laughing at my foolish American ignorance, she took me in and fixed my dinner (literally). I ended up extending that week-long stay to the entire month, and that lovely woman and her husband quickly became “Croatian Mom”, and “Croatian Dad”. And yes, she still regularly messages me to check in on her American Son ♥️

This house was also where I started on this creative journey I am now hopping back on 2 years later. Fun fact, the green background in my profile photo is Croatian Mom’s wall, and the “greenscreen” I used to create my first videos.

Highlights:

– Wander the pristine alleys of Hvar town

– Explore the different beaches of Hvar by bike

– Rent a boat to experience the islands by water

This post was a bit more story-focused. I’ll be back with more actionable tips in the next one, but I believe it’s even more important to share real emotions and experiences. Things are never just what you see on Instagram.

I plan to share more of my real experience traveling non-stop for 13 months. I’ll share my thoughts on this “directionlessness”, too. I have a lot.