Heart and Soul

Last night we celebrated my cousin's wedding. She was married earlier in the year and her family threw her a party. We went to a great local restaurant in Lapad where we ate Prsut and cheese and lamb under the bell with all the wine you can drink. There was a band that was going from table to table and playing old Croatian songs. At times, the entire restaurant would sing along with their hands in the air, swaying side to side, feeling every emotion of the song. I don't know many Croatian songs but it didn't matter, I watched as they sang and swayed with them.

Out on the terrace, there was a large table of men. They were apart of a different party but when the band came to them, they sang the loudest. At one point, my other cousin and I walked out onto the terrace and all the guys from the table got up and started singing to us as we walked by. I don't think I have ever experienced anything like that before. Men in the states don't just break out into song as a girl walks by, of course I wouldn't mind seeing that happening at some point in my life. As we headed back to our table, the men, even louder this time, all got up and started serenading us all over again. I couldn't help but laugh. Some had their arms stretched out towards us, while others had their hands on their heart, singing as loud as they could. It was the most beautiful way to be hit on.

Later in the night, as the wine continued to flow, people began to dance. They danced all over the restaurant; not caring who saw them or if they were bad dancers, they just moved to the beat. They were laughing and dancing and singing. At one point, I got pulled into a dance with a guy I had never met before. We danced and he sang along to the song as I smiled. It was such a wonderful night. 

These people have so much heart and soul and it is evident in the way they sing their songs, how they dance, laugh, and speak. They are passionate and lively and when you are among them, you can't help but feel the warmth of these people. They always make life more interesting. There are times when, as an American, I just want to slap the crap out of them because they frustrate me so. Yet, as angry as I can get at these people, I can't help but love them. They are who they are. They don't apologize and they don't make excuses. You have to take them as they are and never try to change them, as if anyone could anyway. At the end of the day, they are the reason why I love this place so much and why I don't want to leave.

Easy Living

I spend most of my time in a town called Konavle. One of the things that I love most about where I live is that I am surrounded by open land. When I walk outside onto the terrace in the morning I can see green hills and valleys for miles. It's quiet and peaceful here. Everyone has their land that they work; each growing their own fruits and vegetables. Our neighbors bring over onions and fruit because there is too much and they don't want them to go to waste. One of my neighbors said that I can go down and pick fresh arugula and tomatoes for as long as they are there. Yesterday, as I was picking the arugula and tomatoes, I thought about how I would never have even considered doing this in the states. I never thought that I would like doing that kind of stuff. Yet, as I was out there picking these things, I felt so calm and happy. Who knew that picking fresh vegetables could be so calming. I thought about when I first moved here, how I couldn't even recognize what parsley looked like when being grown in a garden. I thought it was a weed the first time I saw it. Yet, here I am, a year later, picking fresh vegetables; knowing which are good and which aren't and loving it. 

In my year here, I have found that the people in Konavle live a quiet life, that's simple and peaceful. They are kind and warm and welcoming. They may never have the fanciest car or biggest house but they are okay with that. They are good people who live a good life. I'd even venture to say that they have a true understanding of the meaning of life and I can't help but admire them.

Yes, I must say that I have fallen in love with this place and will surely miss it when I leave.   

Summer's over, time to settle down....or is it?

It's September which means that the season is finally beginning to wind down here in Dubrovnik. It's been a crazy summer for me full of working, dinner with friends and family, and partying. I don't think that I have done anything like that in my life. I'm nearly 30, this should be the time when I should be thinking about marriage and babies and shit. NOPE. Instead of doing the grown up responsible thing of husband hunting, I partied like never before. I was going out every couple of days and drinking and dancing and having blast. I met some of the coolest people from all over the world. I spent the summer going out, sleeping for a few hours then getting up, going to the gym, then going to greet new guests who were at my apartment. I wasn't doing it everyday but, it sure felt like it. Towards the end of the summer, I looked in the mirror and thought, "Holy Shit! I am looking a bit haggard!" That's when I knew it was time for a break.

I know that there might be people who may think that I'm absolutely crazy; that I should settle down and stop acting like I'm 20. Well...I spent most of my twenties trying to do the right thing, being a grown up, looking for my one true love, thinking that I found him, realizing that I fucked up and spent way too much time with the wrong guy, and then being afraid and sad that I missed out on so many things that I wanted to do with my life. Turns out, it's never too late to do the things we've always wanted to do. So, I set out to check certain things off of my bucket list and I  let loose for a bit; sew my wild oats, if you will. And I have to say that some of the best moments of my life happened this summer.

Of course, it's September now and I'm tired; I mean I'm almost 30 after all. I've moved back to the countryside and am spending my days curled up on my couch reading a book or watching a good movie. I still go out, but I've definitely calmed my partying ways down a bit.

My life went down an entirely different track than I thought it would. I honestly thought that at this age, I would be married and starting a family. Had my life gone down that path, I would never have gotten the chance to experience all these amazing things that have happened to me. It's been a bumpy road at times, but I wouldn't change these last couple of years for the world. And at the end of the day, I know that I will settle down and get married and have babies one day. I'm not too worried about that. Everything happens when the time is right. These last couple of years have been a time for me to get to know myself again, find my self confidence, and just learn how to have fun again. Mission accomplished.