Hey!
Ive been doing a whole lot of reading here, from Anna Karena to The Narcissm Epidemic, and I just finsihed another book and I am sort of in that wonderful dreamy afterglow of finishing a great book. It was The Cowards by Josef Skvorecky and I feel all busted open and mixed up and dazzled by how good it was. It is all about a small town in the Czech Republic during the end of World War Two and a group of boys in a jazz band. They are young innocent idealistic and obsessed with girls. It was just lovely and God I love a good book. Also, I am meeting Evan in Prague in just 4 days, so it was extra exciting.
So, this weekend I went to Split, which is the second biggest city in Croatia and a huge tourist spot on the Croatian Coast. It was stunning, imagine the Jersey Shore mixed with the South of France.
Getting there was a huge hassel, especially since I jumped on the wrong train on my way to Zagreb which delayed me about 2 hours. Altogether it was about 12 hours of travel. I felt a bit souless when I finally did arrive at Splits bus station. I jumped in a cab, made my way to my hostel and then headed out to the main part of town for dinner.
This weekend was the first time I have ever traveled truly by myself and it was an interesting experience. I had some very pure moments where I felt so independent and happy, but I also felt a bit lonely at times. Ive been away for a very long time at this point, and I really miss my boyfriend and my family.
The waterfront of Split is amazing, it looks out into the harbor where massive yahts float and tiny water taxis buzz around. I wandered around and ate a crepe, then headed back to the hostel. It was thunderstorming that night, so I just stayed in and went to bed pretty early. It was great to get a good nights sleep and I woke up at 830 am ready to go.
Saturday was a fantastic day. I made my way to the old town of Split and people watched while sipping my cappucino. I saw so many Italian and British families, which really made me miss my own family. I remember watching this one family, a mom a dad and a teenage girl. She had her ipod on while they were eating breakfast and I looked at her and felt so mad. If I was with my mom there was no way I would be listening to music at the breakfast table! I felt jealous.
The old town of Split is amazing. It is bult around the old palace of the ancient rulers of Split, Diocletans Palace. Everything is made of white marble, the floor, the walls the buildings. It seems like you are walking into this hot dusty winter wonderland, it is all so white. It is filled with charming little alleyways, romantic arches, and tourists. The juxstaposition of desginer stores and old apartment buildings with laundry flapping magesticly on the porch was excellent. I wandered around all mornign, with a grin plastered on my face soaking it all in.
I had decided to check out the beaches of Split in the afternoon. I got a bit lost on my way there and ended up in the docks, where baffled tourists were boarding cruise ships that would take them to see the famous isalnds of Croatia
I finally made it to the beaches and ate pizza alone by the water. The water is a really great shade of blue grey green here. I wandered further down the coast, and finally settled down on the farthest beach, which was lined with immense rocks rounded by the crashing waves. I sat on a paticularly flat one and read my new book, feeling alone and small and a bit awed by the sea. Later on a girl about my age sprawled out her towel on the concrete behind me. She was on holiday here. She was a model from Sweden and quizzed me for insider details about New York City. I told her I could totally give her the low down on Rockland Lake, but she would probably get more accurate information from a Wikipedia search than me. Im an upstate girl. She told me about modeling in Dubai and I told her about the ways the leaves change in autumn in NY. I miss home, I miss New York.
We parted ways and I wandered to yet another deserted beach, where I layed in the pebbles and read. It was hot, and the water felt so sweet. I started to wonder how much better this would be if my sister or Evan were there, if I had someone to share this beauty with. I stopped myself though and repeated my mantra fro the weekend: Stop striving and just enjoy. It was one of the best hours of my whole trip here.
I trudged back to my hostel at 6, feelign pleasantly exhausted. I had walked at least 6 miles that day while exploring and I felt good and achy and sandy, the way I always do after a long day on LBI with my family. I met a girl from New Zealand in the hostel lobby and she invited me to dinner with her and her friend. We clicked instantly and I agreed to meet them.
I really connected with my two new friends from New Zealand over a luxiouriously long dinner in an adorable restaurant overlooking the bay. We ordered a huge bottle of wine, and spent nearly 3 hours comparing cultures, traveling experiences, and school plans. We talked about boys and realationships and I felt the familiar intimacy of girl talk that I had missed so much. One of them is traveling through the US and Canada for 4 months after she is done backpackign around Europe and I think I will meet her in NYC for a weekend or so. The other girl told me about how she is becoming an au pair in Paris for a year. It seemed so brave and wonderful that these two girls my age were traveling so much and with so much zest. I really liked them a lot.
The next morming I woke up and tried to figure out train schedules. It seemed I would have to leave at 530 pm and not arrive in Sulkovci until around 430 am. There didnt really seem to be any other options because the train to my village runs so infrequently. I checked out, determined to enjoy my last few hours in Split. I meandered to the old tow, but inside I couldnt quell my anxiety over such a crazy amount of travel. I shopped for a bit, picking up a beautiful prsent for Evan and a good one for my brother as well.
It was 130, and I on a whim stopped at this tiny restaurant Posiedon hidden in an alleyway. I sat down and ordered cuttlefish risotto with mussles and a big glass of wine. As I sat and stared at the beautiful ivy covered arches gracing the cramped corners of that white washed alley way, I finally felt at peace. It was hands down the most delicious food I have had here yet and I felt much more relaxed. After my lunch, I sat down on the edge of the dock with my legs dangling close to the water and stared out inot the water. I really loved Split. I want to go back,tow days simply wasnt enough. Next time, I want to try to do some of the islands as well, and maybe even take a ferry to Italy.
At 530 O got on my bus and started my long journey back. Thankfully Pasco was able to pick me up in Nova Kapela so I arrived home more around 230 am. It was a great weekend and I feel really proud of myself for just going it alone.
Also, Marko has been really nice to me lately. The other day Pasco was using the bike so I walked to school in Pleternitza which take about 45 minutes. I was sittign in a cafe planning my lessons when Marko showed up. He rode my bike down to the school so I wouldnt have to walk back and then had his friend take him home with his moped. It was a really sweet gesture. Also, hes lately been offering to watch movies with me. Hes really into scary movies and thrillers, which are not exactly my cup of teac, but I appreciate the gesture.
Today is my last day in Sulkovci, and I am so excited to meet Evan in Prague in just 3 days. I havent seen him for two months and we havent been able to talk on the phone for two weeks, so its been really hard. I know Prague is going to wonderful, but I am sad this program is finally over. I loved so many things about it, and I feel like Ive grown up so much.
I ate more tomatos in Romania than I could imagine and more zucchinis than I thought possible in Croatia. Ive been eternally curious as to why no one in either country seems very bothered about refrigerating milk. Ive eaten a lot of weird stuff, and liked the majority of it. Ive fallen in love with my students and felt the deep satisfaction of knowing that I actually got through to them. Ive met people who have challenged my beliefs, my assumptions and simply made me think. Ive met people who do crazy things, who embrace travel as a lifestyle, and been inspired to push myself and my ambitions further because of their example. Ive caught the travel bug and I want to see the rest of the world. Ive decided I really want to go to Africa. Ive accidentally gone to Slovenia. Ive been humbled by the kindness complete strangers have shown me. Ive felt discouraged, frustrated, and homesick, but never lost faith in the program. Ive been convinced that education really is the best tool for developement and that children everywhere are equally adorable, annoying, wonderful and lovable. Ive learned to lesson plan, Ive made a fool of myself in front of 7 year olds and loved every minute of it. Ive met two families who have opened their doors to me with such warmth and hospitality. Their kindness inspires me. I know now that I have two more places to call home in the world. Ive realized that no matter how many trains I miss, with patience I will get where I need to go. Ive noticed that rushing and worrying is not quite as useful as I thought, and sometimes I just have to take adeep breath and figure it out calmly. Ive tried to go with flow, be open to culture of my host families, and been pleasantly surprised by the results. Ive tried not to judge (and not always succeeded) and been hurt when other people judge me according to their assumptions about Americans. Ive learned that I can travel alone, eat in restaurants alone, and simply just be alone and feel happy. Ive realized that humanity and kindness are not bound by any culture, and well we are all generally a whole lot more alike than different. Ive grown up a lot. I came here to teach, but I ended up learning so much. This experience has been lifechanging, and I know I am not the same girl who got on a plane to Budapest with a big suitcase and a whole lot of fear and hope 6 and half weeks ago. I feel more blessed, more aware of the world. In short, Ive had the time of my life.
Now its time for my last class.
I love you all so much. Ill be home in a week and a half, so Ill see you soon!
Emma
No comments:
Post a Comment