The path was unmarked—and we weren’t sure if we were trespassing—but the sound of the sea beckoned us and we kept moving forward. The secluded path that we stumbled upon on our first night in Croatia was a gift after the long day of travel and the emotions of leaving our daughter at home for the first time.
As we walked along the jagged cliff path that hugged the Adriatic Sea, we noticed there were places where the sea had carved away at the rock, where you could literally dip your toes in the refreshing water. Watching the sun sink in the sky—with the cerulean sea crashing on the jagged rocks—was exactly what we had imagined when planning our getaway. It was postcard-perfect. The breeze, the warm air, and the pink sky instantly untangled our knotted muscles and anxieties.
When babysitting became available—in the form of enthusiastic grandparents—my spouse and I jumped at the chance for a holiday sans baby. After much deliberation and hours of clicking away online, we decided on Croatia. Secretly, we hoped that it was still undiscovered. It would have been nice to brag to our American friends, “Hey we just came back from this exotic little spot called Croatia,” and they’d respond, “Oh my! We’ve never even heard of Croatia.” But, they have heard of it, because let’s face it, anywhere I’m comfortable going these days is pretty much discovered. It would have been even nicer to say to each other, “Hey, we’re going to Croatia and it’s costing us next to nothing!” Sigh … that would have been nice too.
Our research led us to the romantic city of Dubrovnik instead of the bustling port of Split. Perusing the images of the walled Old Town of Dubrovnik set against the azure backdrop of the Adriatic Sea, I imagined luxurious evenings filled with slow decadent dinners and pretty cocktails. I would be dressed in a flowing white sundress, the sea breeze playing with my long silky blonde hair, and my sun-kissed husband would wear a crisp white shirt and linen pants. But then, searching for a hotel in Dubrovnik proved difficult and expensive; and white is really not practical for cocktails or dinner; and well … my hair is chin-length brown.
