I wake up every morning to the sound of the Adriatic Sea brushing against the stone walls of my small apartment in Split. What was meant to be a one-year assignment quietly turned into a life I never planned, but one I can no longer imagine leaving. I’m Rachel, a travel expert living in Croatia, and this country has taught me that the best journeys don’t rush to be understood.

Most of my days don’t happen behind a desk. One morning I might be wandering through the narrow streets of Trogir with a couple who just arrived, explaining why locals can sit for hours over a single cup of coffee. Another day I’m driving inland toward Slavonia, where the roads feel endless and strangers invite you in like family. I’ve learned that guidebooks show places, but people reveal them.

Living here changed how I see time. Ferries leave when they’re ready, plans bend with the wind, and lunch is never just lunch. At first it frustrated me. Now it shapes everything I design for my clients. I don’t build itineraries around sights—I build them around moments. I help people slow down enough to notice where they are.

In the evenings, I sit along the Riva with a notebook, watching the light fade over the harbor. Faces change every day, but the city remains, layered with history and quiet confidence. I could live anywhere in the world, but Croatia made me stay. Not because it asked me to, but because it taught me how to belong.