Croatia

Croatia was a trip I was both excited and nervous about before I went. It was the first time I had travelled around a destination completely on my own, so there was a part of me that was wondering how I would manage. I knew I would have to rely on myself for everything, from getting buses and finding somewhere to eat to figuring out what I wanted to do each day. At the same time, that was exactly what excited me about it. I wanted to push myself, meet new people and see what it was like to have complete freedom over my own plans.

I started the trip in Zadar, arriving early in the morning on 10th July. I had the day to myself before my bus to Split, so I spent it walking around the waterfront and exploring the old town. The waterfront was probably the first thing that really caught my attention. The colour of the sea was incredible, that clear blue that almost does not look real when you see it in person.

One of the things I really liked was the Sea Organ, where the waves moving through the pipes create different sounds. I remember standing there listening to it and thinking how clever it was. It was one of those things that you probably cannot fully appreciate from a photograph. You need to actually stand there and hear it.

Zadar felt like a good introduction to Croatia, although I think one day was probably enough for me. I did have a bit of trouble finding somewhere to eat because there seemed to be so many seafood restaurants, which was not exactly ideal for me. Eventually I found a little place called Mr. Mickey. They looked after me and even let me charge my phone, which was a small thing but one of those moments you remember when you are travelling on your own.

Later that day I got the bus to Split, which was the first real moment where I felt like I was properly doing this on my own. There was something quite satisfying about figuring out where I needed to be, getting on the bus and knowing that there was nobody else there to rely on. It was a little nerve wracking, but also quite freeing.

Split was very different from Zadar. There was history everywhere. The buildings were beautiful and there was so much to see, but personally I found Split quite overwhelming. There were tourists everywhere and it felt like everything you might want to do came with a fairly ridiculous price attached to it. I found myself looking at some of the attractions and thinking that they were interesting, but not interesting enough for me to spend that much money on.

I did go to the art museum, which I enjoyed, and I also spent some time exploring the beaches around the city. Those were probably some of my favourite parts of Split. There was something nice about being able to escape the crowds for a while and just sit by the sea.

Food was another part of figuring out life on my own. I found a little stall near where I was staying called Fast Food Sunset 1, which became a convenient option when I wanted something quick. I also discovered the Tommy supermarkets, which were honestly a blessing. There were days when I had been out in the sun for so long that the last thing I wanted to do was go back out to find food. One evening I was completely sun stroked and ended up ordering food through the local equivalent of Uber Eats rather than leaving the apartment. It was not exactly glamorous, but it was real life.

One of the unexpected highlights of Split was meeting people at the hostel. A lot of them were there for an EDM music festival, so there was a real mix of nationalities. It was nice sitting around talking to people from different countries, although football seemed to be the easiest conversation to fall back on. It reminded me that one of the things I had been looking forward to about travelling alone was meeting people, and that part of it really did happen.

Another memory that stands out was going to an outdoor cinema at night to watch the F1 movie. After spending so much time walking around in the heat and dealing with the crowds, sitting outside at night watching a film felt completely different. It was one of those simple experiences that ended up being more memorable than some of the things I had planned.

Then came Dubrovnik.

I got up incredibly early on 13th July to catch the bus from Split, knowing I had to make the most of the day before getting the bus back that night. Dubrovnik ended up being the highlight of the entire trip.

I started by walking around the city walls, and although the heat was absolutely scorching, the views made it worth it. Looking out over the sea and across the old city was incredible. There was something about seeing Dubrovnik from above that made everything click for me. I could understand why so many people love the place.

I also enjoyed seeing some of the locations that had been used for Game of Thrones. It was quite surreal recognising places from the show and then suddenly standing in them in real life.

But my favourite part of Dubrovnik was something I had not planned at all. While exploring, I found a little opening in the side of the fort wall that led to a bar built into the rock on the outside. People were sitting around relaxing, looking out over the water, and some were jumping straight into the sea. After walking around Dubrovnik in the heat, finding that little spot felt like discovering a secret. I could have stayed there for hours.

Eventually, I had to leave Dubrovnik and get the bus back to Split. The following day I made my way back to Zadar before flying home. It was strange knowing that the trip was coming to an end because, in some ways, I felt like I had only just got used to doing everything myself.

Looking back, I am really glad I did the trip. Travelling around Croatia on my own gave me a sense of independence that I had not experienced before. I enjoyed having the freedom to decide what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go and when I wanted to do it. I also enjoyed pushing myself to speak to new people and figure things out without someone else there to help me.

But I also came away from the trip realising something I did not necessarily expect.

I actually prefer travelling with someone.

There are parts of travelling alone that I really enjoy, but there are also gaps. The moments when you are waiting around, when you get a little lost, when you see something amazing and have nobody beside you to immediately say, "Look at that." Sometimes you just want someone there to share the experience with.

I do not think that takes anything away from the trip. If anything, it was one of the most useful things I learned about myself. I know now that I can travel alone. I can navigate somewhere unfamiliar, meet new people, make my own decisions and have a great time doing it. But I also know that when I travel again, I will probably want someone beside me.

Croatia gave me the confidence to know I can do it alone, but it also made me realise how much I enjoy experiencing things with someone else. And I think that is probably just as valuable a thing to learn.