The Games People Play: A Croatian Vacation
Back in September of 2023, I traveled on my first international flight to Croatia with Michael, his siblings, and their significant others. It was an amazing experience that brought a renewed sense of wonder in my mind about the world. I had never been across the Atlantic Ocean in my short life; and it was certainly an unnerving experience being on an international plane ride for over six hours. Traveling to somewhere that was never on my radar but has historical ties to Rome, sitting directly across from Italy on the Adriatic Sea, had been interesting. Seeing a city with structures nearly 2,000 years old has been mystifying, especially after living in the United States of America that is not even 250 years old.
The lead up to the trip was quite hectic. We made sure to get updated passports, which took a bit longer than usual considering it was in the middle of the pandemic; purchased suitcases that adhered to international airline guidelines, though our lower backs did not appreciate the long-wheeled carry-on bags; double and triple-checked our itinerary of belongings as we narrowed what to bring overseas and what was superfluous; researched different excursions to plan while in Split and Bol, Croatia; reviewed historical weather patterns to guesstimate what clothes to bring on the trip; and stopped by the bank to exchange currencies to have physical Euros in our wallets before the trip.
Once we reached Logan Airport and boarded the plane for the first leg of the journey to Spain, we were thoroughly depleted but excited. The comfort seating, even in the coach cabin, on the six-hour flight was better than I imagined. We had a decently sized touchscreen in view for watching movies or observing the trajectory of the flight. Michael and I watched Spoiler Alert, a film starring Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge based on the real-life experience of Ausiello and his husband, Kit Cowan, dealing with a cancer diagnosis. While the movie’s description elicits a melodramatic drama, it was a lovely way to show how two people, namely Michael and Kit’s parents, become closer as they dealt with the emotional trauma of the cancer diagnosis. It brought a stirring reflection of my own budding relationship with my now mother-in-law. While we don’t agree on the validity of Michael and my marriage, she appreciates and loves me as a person, as do I to her.
Reaching the Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport was abruptly terrifying and fully of overwhelming anxieties. The weather, as we approached that area of Europe, was becoming chaotic, with rain clouds all around. It led to a bumpy landing and an erratic departure that led to all of us, literally, running to our connecting flight to Split, Croatia. Due to the flight delays and weather, we only had an hour to depart our flight, head across the airport, and board before take-off. Not to mention the slight language barrier in a new country. Thankfully, we made it safely and were on the way to our final destination.
Split Saint Jerome Airport was definitely the smallest airport I have ever been to, especially given that we departed the plane on the runway. Definitely a new experience for me, and I was happy that we ventured into Croatia on a warm, brisk day. After retrieving our luggage, the journey had not ended. We navigated to the departure zone for the small boat that will escort us, as well as many others, to the island of Bol, a few miles off the coast of Split. My brother-in-law, Gabriel, secured an incredible villa with three bedrooms and a pool. The downside? The villa had a 300-foot incline from the shores of the island.
As we reached the villa, we were both ecstatic and very exhausted after a nearly day-long journey from Glens Falls, NY to Logan Airport in Boston, MA and beyond. After a quick tour with the villa owner and learning the rules and expectations, all of us immediately put away perishables in the fridges and collapsed in our beds. Due to my excitement, I spent an hour or two after everyone went to sleep taking out our clothes and organizing them in the closest, wrote a journey entry about the trip, and cracked open a Croatian lager while I sat overlooking the gorgeous view before heading to bed.
The next two weeks were a blur of traversing the island to the beach, hiking the incredible mountains, exploring the coastal promenade, relaxing in the pool, cooking delicious meals in the villa, venturing to exotic restaurants, catching up on recreational reading, and spending quality time together. It was a fantastic and relaxing time, getting to know Michael’s siblings, significant others, and our two nephews.
But it was not the end; the last weekend in Croatia, we packed up and ventured back across the sea to the palaces of Split to stay overnight and continue the exploration. While the serene locations in Bol were divine, the palaces of Split were incredible. The scale and age of the ancient city was beyond anything I could have imagined, especially considering a lot of it was the backdrop of HBO’s Game of Thrones series. When I first met Michael, he introduced me to series. Though I haven’t ventured into the book version yet, the HBO’s television drama is spectacular. And now I can say I was in the place where it happened (or at least certain scenes).
Stepping into the small museum filled with their costumes and some small props was incredible. The immense detail and craft that went into the creation of the Games of Thrones series is magnificent and awe-inspiring. Reading the snippets of behind the scenes on the museum’s exhibit texts was illuminating, for sure.
One of the humorous sights in the city was a couple small, retail shops dedicated to selling rubber ducks in all shapes, sizes, and personalities. It was quite something to behold. As we admired the incredible architecture of the old city, a store with a prominent rubber duck appeared around the corner. It was surreal, to say the least, but certainly a funny anecdote; we bought two, of course, with great personalities and style.
After a couple days in Split, our long vacation overseas had reached an end, with our return flight dates coming closer. Returning back to the United States was a whirlwind of activity, from hailing a taxi to the airport to sleeping overnight at the Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport to staying over at Gabriel’s home while my car was fixed after a breakdown as we attempted to head back to Glens Falls. But after two and half weeks, we survived a trip overseas, learned about new cultures, explored the old city of Split, imagined the filmmakers of Games of Thrones traversing the landscape for the perfect shot, and bonded with each other.
It was a fantastic first venture overseas, away from the relatively new United States; seeing a side of humanity that I had only read about in books or watched in movies and television shows. As a budding world traveler, I am excited to save up for another international adventure and continue exploring the world, one place at a time.
