By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger
Croatia.
Just writing the word brings about a sense of excitement and adventure. It has long been a bucket list travel destination and this May, that dream turns into reality. I am going to Croatia.
I will be starting off in Split, then headed to the Makarska Riviera, including Brela, Makarska and Tucepi and the island of Korcula. I will be seeing the sea and the mountains along the breathtaking Dalmatian Coast for rafting, kayaking, biking and something called buggy hiking.
After all that, I will spend a few days on the island of Hvar, a place I have heard about for a while as a top nightlife destination.
This will take place in mid to late May and I’m thrilled to be going to a new destination.
One of the great things about traveling to new places is that you don’t really know anything about it. You don’t know the lay of the land, you don’t know the transportation, don’t know if you can decipher a menu, ask for directions, read road signs or even what to wear so you don’t stand out as a fashion clueless tourist.
You also don’t really know what you are getting into until you get there. Does the place have good infrastructure, reliable WiFi, how much walking is involved, is there good public transportation and what are the people like and are they friendly (yes, generally, as long as you are friendly to them) are among the myriad of questions you can’t answer until you get your boots on the ground.
To some, this is intimidating but to me, it’s exciting. I love the thrill of not knowing and learning as I spend more time in a place. Figuring things out provides me with a great sense of accomplishment, even it’s as small as getting on the right tram or bus.
I really don’t know a lot about Croatia, other than it has the Croatia Yacht Week, a massive floating boat party each May thru August. I have long pictured it to be pretty much like Greece and the Greek Islands, where things are not as structured and rigid as they are here in the United States. A place where time has pretty much stood still for decades and if you go to back, things would pretty much the same year after year.
A place where people are not in a rush to get somewhere all the time, where the culture is to slow down and enjoy things. Where locals and tourists stroll around in the evenings and spend two hours eating dinner at 10 o’clock at night. A place where you fall into a kind of magical trance after a couple of days of the pace and lifestyle and never want to emerge from it.
That’s what I envision anyway. And right here on this blog, starting in mid-May, you will be able to read whether or not it is what I envision now, sitting at my desk overlooking the San Diego Gaslamp Quarter. Just don’t rush me.
Kevin Wilkerson is an award-winning journalist who has traveled to a dozen countries. PubClub.com is a boots-on-the-ground blog that was created as a result of those travels.