Our Last Week in Croatia

Our last week in Croatia was quite different from other weeks.  We had 2 days of rain which had never happened in one week before since our arrival.  But we managed to get in 3 days at the local beaches, 2 days for laundry, 2 days for packing and another spectacular dinner of Istrian specialties with our friends here.  We leave tomorrow for a week in France, and then on to the USA.  We’ve had a wonderful time here and are so glad we had this opportunity…but, after almost 5 months, we are ready to go home and get settled in there.  In less than a month after our return, the fall semester begins for Steve!

What things will I miss?  (In no particular order)

Location, location, location.  The Green Market with fresh fruits and veggies and the neighborhood grocery stores.  We could get everything we needed and it would only take about half an hour.   Where we live in Oklahoma, it’s a 30-45 minute drive, one-way, to the grocery store, depending on which store we go to.  There is a small grocery store a few minutes from the house but the prices are exorbitant and the selection is quite limited so I am really going to miss the convenience of everything being so close to this apartment.

Walking around Pula and seeing so much history.  Roman, Austro-Hungarian, Italian, Yugoslav and Croatian history right in front of me everywhere I walk.  Fascinating!  (to me anyway) 

Architecture in Pula.  So many buildings with so many architectural styles!  And then there are the buildings that have multiple architectural styles due to being rebuilt or added on to.   Living in a small town in a rural area in Oklahoma, the architecture is not as interesting so I’ve really enjoyed the buildings here in Croatia and the other countries we visited.

Gelato! Gelato! Gelato!

Apartment Living.  Cleaning the apt. is easy and doesn’t take nearly as long as cleaning an entire house;  no mowing the lawn or raking leaves here either.  Living simpler has it benefits!

The Adriatic Sea and its Beaches.  Just love it.  So blue, so crystal clear, so inviting…  We actually live near a big lake in Oklahoma but never seem to find the time to enjoy it.  But here, we’ve found lots of time for the Adriatic!  

The Idea of Living in Europe.  Going from one country to another is like going from one state to another in the US.  So it’s easy to travel around and experience the history and beauty of European cities and countryside while enjoying the people too.

What things am I looking forward to back home?   

Quiet neighborhood.  Our apt. here is on a very busy street so there is always lots of traffic noise and people noise, especially when the patrons of the café bar across the street stay too long there!  Also, the door to the apt. building slams shut all day and all night long.  Very irritating.

Air conditioning!  Ceiling Fans!

My kitchen.  I haven’t been able to bake any gluten free bread or cookies, etc. since arriving here.  The kitchen here is very small and did not include any baking dishes.  So, I am actually looking forward to baking bread!  And I’m very surprised to be saying that!

A Real Shower!  Not the hand-held shower head that is so common in Europe.

Wireless Internet.   It’ll be so nice to use my computer anywhere in the house and not have all those cables all over the place.  In fact, about 5 years ago I began to use only a laptop.  It saves a lot of desk and floor space compared to the tower/desk-top computers.

The Public Library.  I love to read and didn’t run out of e-books to read that I downloaded on my computer before we left the US.  But I miss picking up a book to read and getting comfy with it on the sofa or recliner.  Sitting with the computer on my lap to read…it’s just not the same as a book and turning pages.  I know there are e-readers out there, I just didn’t get one before we came here.  Maybe that would help, but I still think I’d miss the tactile-ness of turning pages and leafing through a book.

Shopping for Clothes on Sale.  Clothes are very expensive here and don’t go on sale like in the US.  I can almost always find something to buy that’s 50 % or more off the original price in the US.  Those kinds of deals are extremely difficult to find here.