Memories By The Thousand 💫

Dear Reader,

I come to you from a sunny morning in Curepipe. Slowly feeling my body awake after my coffee. Hearing the chirps of the birds, the rumble of engines. 

I think about my time, only a few weeks ago. A time to reflect. In my little blue car. Navigating the windy roads of Croatia. 

Yes. 

I had wanted to visit this country for some time. To see where they filmed Game of Thrones, to witness the breathtaking views of the Adriatic coastline, to swim in a sea I have not touched in a decade. 

My first impression was that it's very Eastern Europe. Beautifully presented people, dry heat in the afternoons, glistening sea. 

I didn't enjoy Zagreb, as you know. However my next stop was Makarska, which was a dream. 

I had a great little apartment. I was able to find a quaint cafe with a friendly waitress, who served me a chai, made with love. 

Its narrow streets, uncrowded and inviting. The blue waters creating a peaceful border to a beautiful picture. 

Contrary to Dubrovnik, where it took 1 hour and 4 wrong turns to even enter the city...

The people milling around, dazed by the stifling heat, which bounced off the city walls. Billions of steps in every direction. I had waited so long to get here, but I soon left, happy to spend my time where it feels good. 

And it felt good in Mlini. 

My place was fine, though I missed the Makarska studio. But the view. Wow. Mountains to the left, sea to the right. And the lack of afternoon sun on my balcony meant that I could work outside. Perfect. 

Furthermore, the fact there was a bakery three minutes away serving pistachio croissants... That rendered it the best place in Croatia. 

I finally visited the sea. It was like I was cheating on my Ocean. But it was glorious in the end. My own little cove, accessible only by climbing down the cliff and invading the personal space of an old couple. 

Sinking into the stony beach, feeling the textures of the pebbles, each one a different colour, shape and carrying its own story. Drying off on a slab of rock, like a misplaced mermaid. What a way to spend the morning before work! This is called making the most of life. Exactly why I was there in that very moment. 

I would have written to you when I was there, if it weren't for the fact that it was so hot, my phone would likely have ignited in flames. 

I remember driving along the breathtaking roads and thinking, "Wow, the scene is literally twinkling before my eyes". I wanted to stop so many times, but to do so would have resulted in me joining the fish. 

Of course, I could have just spent my last day avoiding parking fines and dipping into the sea. But I had other plans. 

I had to visit my 6th country in a week, my 4th country in 5 days. I had to push that random limit to see how that felt. Probably won't do that again though. 

Bosnia. Well, in fact, Herzegovina. The Serbian, Orthodox side of the country. 

Crossing the border felt very different from entering Montenegro. 

The size of the men in the booth for one. Yelling at me in what I assume was Croatian, but with a Serbian accent. 

They let me through easily, but instantly, I started thinking about landmines. 

Yes, you heard correctly. I heard both my friend George, and his father, saying the exact same thing in their eloquent English accent, "Oh you're going to Bosnia and Herzegovina... Plenty of unexploded landmines there". 

Well, I did try to learn more about the history and what lead to these mines be placed and the horrendous genocide. However, entering the museum proved to be impossible, so instead, I just walked about Trebinje all day, feeling very lost and a little confused. 

I enjoyed working from the cafe I chose, and people were pleasant. But there was something in the air which just felt, ominous. It didn't seem unsafe and was nice in its own way. But the air felt like it was penetrated by a history that I didn't fully grasp and a complex culture that hasn't quite found its calm. 

I ended up visiting a very small monastery, which felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. 

I also passed a mansion or palace, or something which was labelled "Private Property". And when I say that I have never seen anything like it, I mean that. 

It was like the bloody Taj Mahal. Just this great big "f*** off" building plonked in the arid land of southern Herzegovina. Scarface lives there? Maybe some long lost Soviet war hero? I have no idea. But I knew that if I allowed my peaking interest to continue, I would end up in detention. 

Which I almost did. Yea. 

Because why just drive to the boarder? Of course when I see "Hum"on a sign, I follow that, to honour the private joke between me and my work colleague, Leah. 

Well where does this narrow, winding, stopless route lead? None other than a freaking off-site army base, with barbed wire everywhere and an eery quiet which lead me to do a 19-point turn to get the heck out of there, at 100kph.

It felt like I'd never leave this strange place where time stood still, but eventually, I crossed the boarder, after No Man's Land, back to Hrvatska. And I have never been so happy to see that flag. 

I don't know why I was unsettled. Whilst it was s good day trip, I would probably not recommend it, but rather visiting somewhere like Sarajevo, where there's more to do. 

❤️

And before I knew it, the adventure was over. 

After a late flight from Dubrovnik, I landed in London. I spent the night in a hotel which was way too far from the airport, but I made the most of my time and watched Ballerina, before taking my flight back to Ile de Maurice. 

...

I am glad that I travel. I am happy that I don't settle for easy. I accept challenges and I stay calm when things go wrong. 

This is who I am. 

And even when I find myself curled up on the grey sofa, in dreary Curepipe, I can close my eyes and feel the gratitude of a thousand wonderful memories. Things that I made happen for my life. 

And I take that with me, through everything I do, every single day. As I feel the energy slowly creeping up my spine. 

Who are you, Dear Reader?