1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,600 All right, well, welcome back to the podcast, everybody. 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,880 In this episode, we have special guest, Sarah Dyson. 3 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:09,200 Sarah is the founder of the website, Expat in Croatia, 4 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,440 which helps, you guessed it, expats in Croatia 5 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:16,520 with things like citizenship, health care, and daily life. 6 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:18,000 In this episode, we're going to hear 7 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:20,160 why she moved to Croatia from the US 8 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:23,400 without any Croatian heritage and what her experience has 9 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:26,120 been like after more than a decade of living here. 10 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:28,800 Sarah, thanks for coming on the podcast. 11 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:29,400 Hi, Stanko. 12 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:30,000 Good morning. 13 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:31,160 Thank you for having me. 14 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:31,840 Yeah, of course. 15 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:33,080 Really excited to have you on. 16 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:36,640 I think you're sort of a, I don't know if I'll say a legend 17 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:40,200 in the, maybe I will say a legend in the Croatian expat 18 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:43,160 community. 19 00:00:43,160 --> 00:00:47,440 Oh, that's crazy to hear. 20 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:49,120 I mean, yeah, I've seen you all over. 21 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:50,880 You're all over social media and everything. 22 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,120 And I know you do a lot for the Croatian expats. 23 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:54,440 And I'm sure you get this. 24 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:56,720 I'll ask you this question first right off the bat 25 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:58,840 because I'm sure you get this all the time, 26 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:02,760 both from expats and Croatians living here. 27 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:04,520 But why did you move to Croatia? 28 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:06,720 I mean, you have no Croatian heritage. 29 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:09,400 You were living in the US. 30 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:11,920 Tell me a little bit about life before Croatia 31 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:14,960 and what led up to you coming here. 32 00:01:14,960 --> 00:01:17,000 OK. 33 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,800 Well, from the time I was a small child, 34 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:22,600 I always wanted to live in Europe. 35 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,240 I didn't have a particular country in mind. 36 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:29,040 I just felt like this was the continent 37 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:30,320 I was supposed to live on. 38 00:01:30,320 --> 00:01:31,280 That's what I thought. 39 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:36,400 And when I first left Texas, which when you leave Texas, 40 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:37,640 it's like leaving the country. 41 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,400 That's kind of how it is. 42 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,080 It's almost like you're a little bit of a traitor 43 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:45,360 when you leave Texas. 44 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:47,400 It has a really super strong culture, 45 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:49,480 which is I was thinking about. 46 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:51,840 I was just in Texas for three weeks. 47 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,080 And it's almost like the culture of Texas 48 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:57,280 is just as strong as the culture of Croatia. 49 00:01:57,280 --> 00:01:59,440 It's almost like they can exist in the same universe 50 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:01,400 at the same time. 51 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:02,320 It's pretty strange. 52 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:04,520 But I left Texas when I was 23. 53 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:08,040 I moved to New York to go to culinary school. 54 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:09,640 I'd already gotten a degree in Texas, 55 00:02:09,640 --> 00:02:13,160 but I wanted to switch gears and become a pastry chef, 56 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:15,200 which I did for a little while. 57 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:17,360 And then I moved to the Netherlands. 58 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:18,560 I moved to Amsterdam. 59 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:20,880 And I was there for as long as they would allow me 60 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:23,800 to be there as an American, which was only about a year. 61 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:27,920 And then they told me kindly in a letter that I had to leave. 62 00:02:27,920 --> 00:02:30,240 So I went back to the States. 63 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:32,040 I went to California for a few years. 64 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:34,000 And I really wanted to go back to Europe. 65 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,880 And well, specifically, I wanted to go back to Amsterdam. 66 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:38,800 I really loved it there. 67 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:40,120 And I was trying to find a job. 68 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,040 I couldn't find any company that would sponsor me. 69 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,720 And it's just the cost of living had kind of gotten out 70 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:46,480 of control. 71 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:51,880 And at the same time, I was planning a trip to go to Italy. 72 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,080 And in that research, Croatia got on my radar. 73 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:55,880 And I didn't know anything about Croatia. 74 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:58,400 I will fully admit that. 75 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:00,240 The education I got in Texas was like, 76 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,720 you really only learn whatever has to do 77 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:05,840 with the creation of Texas. 78 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:09,040 If that country was not involved in the birth of Texas, 79 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:10,360 you did not learn about it. 80 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:12,320 So I didn't know about Croatia. 81 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:17,360 And the more I looked into it, the more intriguing it appeared. 82 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:19,320 And so I didn't go to Italy at all. 83 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:22,440 I just went to Croatia for a holiday in 2011. 84 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:24,280 And I liked it. 85 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:26,520 And when it was clear that Amsterdam 86 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:28,640 wasn't going to work out, I was like, OK, what 87 00:03:28,640 --> 00:03:30,760 if I just go to Croatia? 88 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:34,120 And I'll start freelancing, doing my own business, 89 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:35,560 and see if it works out. 90 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,800 And if it doesn't, then I'll retreat back to the States 91 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:40,560 and figure out something else. 92 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:42,680 And if it does, awesome. 93 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,840 And within six months, I just absolutely fell in love 94 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:46,640 with Croatia. 95 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:48,440 I didn't ever want to leave. 96 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:49,880 Obviously, it's not up to me. 97 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:51,400 It's up to the Croatian government 98 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:52,480 and how long I could stay. 99 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:55,040 But I did everything that they asked of me. 100 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:57,200 And I wouldn't say it was easy. 101 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:01,000 There were lots of stumbles and hoops of fire and stuff. 102 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,120 But now I'm here 11 years. 103 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,400 And I can stay as long as I want. 104 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:08,200 So yay. 105 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:11,320 That's essentially my Croatia origin story. 106 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,080 Well, what did friends and family say when, I mean, 107 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:17,280 I guess, coming to Europe in general, 108 00:04:17,280 --> 00:04:20,560 moving from Texas, from the US, moving to Europe, 109 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:22,840 were they supportive of that? 110 00:04:22,840 --> 00:04:25,560 Did that come as a shock to them? 111 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:26,520 It did. 112 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:27,120 It did. 113 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,440 I mean, some of them are still trying 114 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:31,400 to wrap their minds around it. 115 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:33,440 I mean, I wasn't kidding when I said, 116 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,880 like, when you leave Texas, it's not a good thing. 117 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,040 It's really hard to sell the idea of why anyone 118 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:51,240 would want to leave, and especially to go abroad. 119 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,880 It's just not a thing that really happens. 120 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:58,800 I mean, even in my friend group growing up, 121 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:01,800 one person maybe did a long study abroad for about a year. 122 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,280 But I'm kind of the only person who really went off 123 00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:09,760 and left the continent. 124 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:11,280 So it's a hard sell. 125 00:05:11,280 --> 00:05:15,160 It's hard for people, especially the older members of my family, 126 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:18,760 to really understand why to do this. 127 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:21,080 And it's hard to explain it. 128 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:23,000 I think Croatia is really special. 129 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:25,640 I think we can all agree that Croatia is super special. 130 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:29,560 It has this energy that you just can't really describe. 131 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:35,040 And I want to so much capture that for people 132 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:38,440 who haven't experienced it and try to explain, well, 133 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:40,120 what is it that you love about Croatia? 134 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:41,520 Like, oh, well, I can go down the list. 135 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:43,760 And I can say, oh, I love the strong community. 136 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:44,800 I love the culture. 137 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:45,760 I love the rocky. 138 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:46,640 I love the sea. 139 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:47,400 I love the nature. 140 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:49,680 I love all these different things, the quality of life. 141 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:53,720 But you say those, and you don't really 142 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:55,320 people can't really understand it 143 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:57,880 until they've experienced it. 144 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:02,160 So it's hard for me to communicate it 145 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:03,920 when someone hasn't seen it. 146 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,760 So because of that, it's still not completely understood. 147 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:10,560 But I will say, after all this time, I was just at home. 148 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:12,280 And so I was with a lot of my relatives. 149 00:06:12,280 --> 00:06:13,840 I think they're starting to get it, 150 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:16,880 not because they still understand 151 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:19,400 the concept of going away and doing this thing. 152 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:23,640 But they see how happy I am here and how 153 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:26,720 I've been able to build this thing that I'm so proud of. 154 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:30,600 And that, ultimately, is what matters to them. 155 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:31,240 Wow. 156 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:32,080 Well, that's good to hear. 157 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:32,280 Yeah. 158 00:06:32,280 --> 00:06:35,280 And I want to talk about what you built and expats in Croatia 159 00:06:35,280 --> 00:06:36,680 in a little bit. 160 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:38,360 But before that, I have one more question 161 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:39,960 about coming over here. 162 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:42,000 What were some of your expectations 163 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:43,040 coming to Croatia? 164 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:45,720 And did everything go according to plan? 165 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:47,200 Was everything as you expected? 166 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:49,440 Or were there any curveballs or things 167 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:52,280 you weren't ready for when you came here? 168 00:06:52,280 --> 00:06:54,560 I didn't have any expectations. 169 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:55,320 I knew nothing. 170 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:58,320 I literally knew nothing. 171 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,880 I mean, I didn't know the language. 172 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:02,280 I didn't know any of the people. 173 00:07:02,280 --> 00:07:03,160 I didn't know the history. 174 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:05,400 I didn't know the culture. 175 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:06,440 Really, truly nothing. 176 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:09,000 When I came here in 2011 on holiday, 177 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,360 I spent 23 hours in soccer. 178 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:15,640 I spent four days in Split, two days on Par, 179 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:17,840 two days in Zabrovnik. 180 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:18,880 And that was it. 181 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:21,840 And that's not enough to get any kind of sense of anything. 182 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:24,640 I didn't know what my requirements were 183 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:26,080 to even stay here weekly. 184 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:30,760 I found that out from our real estate broker. 185 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:33,360 She was the one who said, you need to get an OI. 186 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:36,080 But I don't know what an OI is. 187 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:39,800 But I'll go along for the ride, and I'll sign whatever it is. 188 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:43,960 To me, I just wanted to be here. 189 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:47,960 So I did everything that I could to do that. 190 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:49,520 I went along the path. 191 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:51,920 And it was really hard to find that information. 192 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:54,680 But the creations around me really 193 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:57,560 helped me figure that all out. 194 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:03,120 So I didn't have, like I said, if I went into it, 195 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:06,240 the only expectation I had going into it was, 196 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:10,600 if this doesn't work out, it's OK. 197 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:14,680 I will go back home, and I will try again, and it'll be fine. 198 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:18,720 So I like going into things without any expectations, 199 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:21,920 because that way, you're not disappointed. 200 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:25,680 You're just surprised with whatever it is that you find. 201 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:33,120 In terms of things being hard or challenging, I found it wasn't. 202 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:37,040 The only culture shock I had was it just 203 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:39,480 felt so different from what I was used to, 204 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:41,440 but in a positive way. 205 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:44,560 People were so kind and generous and welcoming. 206 00:08:44,560 --> 00:08:47,080 And that was like, as an American, 207 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:51,160 I was suspicious because that's just how 208 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:53,320 you're raised to be suspicious. 209 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:55,680 At least I was. 210 00:08:55,680 --> 00:08:57,440 Growing up in the 80s and 90s, you're always 211 00:08:57,440 --> 00:08:59,840 taught that everyone's a stranger. 212 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:02,800 Everyone's had to get you or kidnap you. 213 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:06,440 And so at the beginning, when people were so nice, 214 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:09,840 it was like, what? 215 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:11,080 It was very surprising. 216 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:14,440 But it was obvious that it was so genuine. 217 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:16,320 And being here now all this time, 218 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:19,400 that's just kind of a reflex of the culture. 219 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:23,080 And because of that, it just made it so much easier 220 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:26,400 to acclimate than I thought it would. 221 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:28,840 Creation's made it easier here for me. 222 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:32,200 And that was so nice. 223 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:36,280 It was part of what pulled me in. 224 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:38,120 Well, you mentioned getting your OIB 225 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:42,560 and all the paperwork stuff and the documents, which 226 00:09:42,560 --> 00:09:45,440 is something everyone struggles with coming here. 227 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:48,400 And that leads me to expats in Croatia. 228 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:50,360 When did you start that and why? 229 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:53,680 What was the purpose behind it? 230 00:09:53,680 --> 00:09:57,280 So I moved here in May 2012. 231 00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:03,800 And I registered the domain in July of that same year. 232 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:09,360 So I knew I wanted to write something. 233 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:13,520 And I thought it'd be an interesting idea 234 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:18,520 to document my experience with the bureaucracy. 235 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:22,120 Because there were barely any resources if you just 236 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:23,880 wanted to travel in Croatia. 237 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,480 A lot of the tourist boards still had Croatian sites. 238 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:29,560 They didn't have anything in English. 239 00:10:29,560 --> 00:10:33,760 So as I got an OIB, I wrote a post. 240 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:34,800 What an OIB is. 241 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:36,920 This is how you get your OIB. 242 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:40,080 And so as I went through procedures myself, 243 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:42,760 I started documenting that information 244 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,280 and then tried to find other topics that 245 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:49,720 would help anyone who wanted to live here after me. 246 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:54,160 And it was a blog for, I mean, it's always 247 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:55,320 got that blog element. 248 00:10:55,320 --> 00:11:00,400 But it was just a blog that I did outside of my day job 249 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:03,400 for at least five years, I guess. 250 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:04,920 And at a certain point, I started 251 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:07,080 meeting some Croatians along the way here in Split 252 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:10,680 that would help me do research. 253 00:11:10,680 --> 00:11:15,160 And then I got to a point here where 254 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:18,560 I had the opportunity to apply for permanent residence. 255 00:11:18,560 --> 00:11:20,920 And when that happened, Mok said that I 256 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:22,640 had to have a Croatian salary. 257 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:27,440 So the only way to do that was to open up a company. 258 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:29,120 And so I was going to open up a company 259 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:31,600 and obligate myself to everything that that entails. 260 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:34,160 I wanted to make sure that it was a real company. 261 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:37,080 So that's when I thought about, OK, 262 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:38,720 can I actually turn expat and Croatian 263 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:42,560 into an actual functioning business that can pay my salary 264 00:11:42,560 --> 00:11:44,200 and pay my contributions? 265 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:47,240 And I felt like it was. 266 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:51,560 And so I registered the company in 2018. 267 00:11:51,560 --> 00:11:54,080 And now it is a business. 268 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,280 It took a couple of years to really get it on its feet. 269 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:00,160 But I brought on our first employee in 2020. 270 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:03,800 And now we have a total of 10 people, including me. 271 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:07,720 So that's essentially the timeline. 272 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:08,240 Wow. 273 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:11,280 So is that really when it started to blow up in 2020? 274 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,880 Did that coincide with more, I mean, 275 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:16,640 I'm going to say more tourists coming here. 276 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:19,080 But I guess that's not so much for tourists 277 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:21,080 as for people moving back here. 278 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:22,840 I'm just wondering why 2020? 279 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:25,920 I wonder, was there certain events? 280 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:29,160 I know the digital nomad visa was a little bit after that, 281 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:29,720 I think. 282 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:30,240 I'm not sure. 283 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:31,920 I'll let you talk about that. 284 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:32,880 Yeah. 285 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:35,840 The digital nomad permit came along in 2021. 286 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:38,480 So it was launched in March of 2021. 287 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:40,280 So this was a bit before that. 288 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:41,640 But there are factors. 289 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:43,680 There are a number of factors that created 290 00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:45,760 this kind of perfect storm. 291 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:48,360 So one was, OK, so I had this company. 292 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:52,560 But I still was doing my day job of web development. 293 00:12:52,560 --> 00:12:53,920 I had a web development business. 294 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:57,240 And it was going very well. 295 00:12:57,240 --> 00:12:59,000 And because it was going very well, 296 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:04,720 I just didn't have the time to really invest 297 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:07,000 in building Expat in Croatia properly. 298 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,840 It was as I had time. 299 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:14,200 And I needed, I really just needed time. 300 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:15,720 And then the pandemic happened. 301 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:18,960 We had that first lockdown that was, oh, gosh, 302 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:21,920 I don't know what accent just came out of me. 303 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:27,240 That first April, March, April, and I was like, oh, my God. 304 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:29,840 I mean, I love going on long coffees. 305 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:32,200 But they do take up quite a bit of time. 306 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:35,600 So in March and April, we had this long extended lockdown 307 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:38,040 where I had no social commitments. 308 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:39,800 Nothing was happening. 309 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:43,000 So I could just work like an animal. 310 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:46,400 And there was no judgment from anybody. 311 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:48,720 And I finally got that dedicated time 312 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:52,160 where I could really map this out and figure out 313 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:53,520 how we were going to soar. 314 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:56,520 And then in combination with that, 315 00:13:56,520 --> 00:14:02,720 you had all these people who, there 316 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:04,640 were people that were tourists in Croatia 317 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:06,760 that got stuck in Croatia. 318 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:08,640 And then because they got stuck in Croatia, 319 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:12,080 they were like, oh, my God, we want to live here. 320 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:14,040 And that happened. 321 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:17,040 And then also a byproduct of the pandemic 322 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:18,960 is you had all these people around the world 323 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:21,160 that at the same time got up and they were like, 324 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:23,880 we don't want to live this life anymore. 325 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:25,120 We want to go somewhere else. 326 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:27,280 We want to do something else. 327 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:31,920 And a lot of people wanted to come to Croatia. 328 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:33,160 And that was part of it. 329 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:36,960 And then in January 2020, the Croatian government 330 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:39,520 overhauled the Citizenship Act. 331 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:41,640 And I don't want to say they made it easier 332 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:42,520 to get citizenship. 333 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:43,360 That's not accurate. 334 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:46,920 But they changed the laws to open up citizenship 335 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:48,600 to more diaspora. 336 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:50,960 They removed the limit on how many generations back 337 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:51,880 you could go. 338 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:56,720 Spouses could get citizenship at the same time. 339 00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:59,480 There are a few other things that they did to open it. 340 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:02,680 Oh, they waived the language test, the language 341 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:04,160 and history and culture test. 342 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:07,840 So that opened Croatia up to even more diaspora. 343 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:12,080 So all these things happened at the exact same time. 344 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:16,320 So we already had, at that point in 2020, 345 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:20,200 I'd already had the blog for seven years. 346 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:22,440 So there was already an audience built in. 347 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:27,120 There was already all this huge cache of content. 348 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,040 So when everyone started looking at Croatia, 349 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:32,840 we were ready for it. 350 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:36,600 And after that, it just happened really quick. 351 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,640 We hired a second person in 2021. 352 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:42,440 And then we hired three or four more that year. 353 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:45,120 And it just kept going. 354 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:47,800 The avalanche is still rolling down the hill. 355 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:52,400 Do you ever feel like the world is becoming 356 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:53,840 a more uncertain place? 357 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:56,320 With political and economic instability on the rise, 358 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:58,880 it's more important than ever to have a backup plan. 359 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:02,200 That's why you should consider becoming a citizen of Croatia. 360 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:05,200 With CitizenHR, the Croatian citizenship app, 361 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:06,760 you can take control of your future 362 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:08,880 and ensure that you and your family are protected 363 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:10,120 no matter what happens. 364 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:11,800 As a Croatian citizen, you'll have 365 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:13,680 access to a stable and secure country 366 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:16,240 with a growing economy and a high standard of living. 367 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:17,920 But the process of becoming a citizen 368 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:19,800 can be confusing and overwhelming. 369 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:22,360 That's why CitizenHR is here to help. 370 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:24,920 With our wide range of expert guidance and support, 371 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:26,200 you'll have everything you'll need 372 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:27,880 to apply for your citizenship. 373 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:30,960 One user, Marjana, says, I'm so glad I applied 374 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:33,000 for Croatian citizenship when I did. 375 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,640 I'm concerned about my family's future in Australia. 376 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:38,080 I can't wait for us all to move to Croatia. 377 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,200 CitizenHR made it all a breeze. 378 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:42,600 So if you're ready to take control of your future 379 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:45,080 and ensure that you and your family are protected, 380 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:47,040 download CitizenHR today. 381 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:50,280 Because at CitizenHR, we believe that citizenship is not 382 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:51,480 just a legal status. 383 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:53,840 It's a huge leap for safety and security. 384 00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:55,080 So what are you waiting for? 385 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:59,520 Head over to www.citizenhr.app today. 386 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:02,440 Use the code ALLTHINGSCHROASIA for 50% off 387 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:04,360 any biography translations you order. 388 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:11,040 Yeah, well, you know, you reminded me of my own reason 389 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:14,240 for coming here, which was, I guess, 2021. 390 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:16,600 But also, you know, during COVID, during the lockdowns, 391 00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:20,160 and I felt like I had always wanted to move 392 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:22,920 or at least come to Croatia for an extended period of time. 393 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:25,480 And at that point, it just felt like the perfect storm, 394 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:26,440 the perfect time. 395 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:28,120 Nothing else is going on. 396 00:17:28,120 --> 00:17:30,000 Let's go to a different part of the world. 397 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,040 And then, yeah, now, so I've been here for two years 398 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:35,000 since then after thinking I was only 399 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:38,880 going to be here a few months, three, four months. 400 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:42,360 But what are some of the things that expats are struggling 401 00:17:42,360 --> 00:17:45,120 with most here or things that you're helping people with most? 402 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:51,080 Well, that's a good question. 403 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:55,920 Well, OK. 404 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:59,880 I find that now that Croatia's been in the spotlight, 405 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:02,040 there are a lot of voices out there. 406 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:05,320 And the expat groups on Facebook have 407 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:10,600 become a huge hub for activity, for questions, 408 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:12,040 for fact finding. 409 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:16,200 Well, information finding, let's put it that way. 410 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:21,160 And because of that, it started to do a little bit 411 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:23,920 of a disservice, both to the people who 412 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:30,120 are coming to Croatia and also the bureaucracy itself. 413 00:18:30,120 --> 00:18:33,920 There's this assumption or predisposition 414 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:37,800 to not trust the government, that they are never 415 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:40,680 on our side, that they can't do anything right, 416 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,000 that they're understaffed, that the people who are there 417 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:47,160 aren't trained, that they just got the job 418 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:49,480 because they have an uncle who works there, 419 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:50,440 or something like that. 420 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:55,920 And I'm not saying that that's not true in some ways. 421 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:58,920 But we've been working with the government 422 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:02,640 to get information for the last 10 years. 423 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:06,840 And we see that that's not an absolute. 424 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:11,040 We see that some of them do know what they're doing. 425 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:17,240 Some of them are genuinely trying to help you. 426 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:21,720 And some of them have limited resources. 427 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:25,280 And so one of the things that we're trying to achieve 428 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:29,880 is better educating the people who are coming into Croatia 429 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:33,280 so that they're more prepared when they go to the bureaucracy, 430 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:36,040 which makes it a whole lot easier for the bureaucracy 431 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:39,040 to handle whatever their request is. 432 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:40,880 Because you've got these two people coming 433 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:44,640 from completely different worlds that are speaking sometimes 434 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:48,240 not the same language, but not just the same language 435 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,360 in the sense of English versus Croatian, 436 00:19:51,360 --> 00:19:54,760 but the same language in terms of the people from the outside 437 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:56,680 have a different perception of bureaucracy 438 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:58,600 and how it should work. 439 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:00,400 And then you have these people who 440 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:03,480 are working in Mokra and Croatia who've lived in Croatia 441 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:04,360 their entire lives. 442 00:20:04,360 --> 00:20:06,560 And they've been dealing with the Croatian system. 443 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:11,080 So how do you make those two things work? 444 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:12,520 How can you achieve success? 445 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:15,080 And the way that you achieve success 446 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:17,960 is informing people as much as you possibly 447 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:22,280 can so that they go in there with a mind for success 448 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:24,280 and being humble and kind. 449 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:28,600 And then that results in a positive reaction 450 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:29,440 from the police. 451 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:32,320 And obviously not in all situations, 452 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:33,440 but in most situations. 453 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:34,400 And we've seen it. 454 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:39,800 We've had Mok tell us, we're thankful for your organization 455 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:44,040 because we have seen concretely how people are more prepared 456 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:47,720 and you are taking the burden off of us. 457 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:50,600 And that is what we are trying to achieve. 458 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:53,240 Make everything easier on the people that are coming. 459 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:55,680 The people are here trying to help them 460 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:59,680 because that is their look is their first point of entry 461 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:00,920 into Croatia. 462 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:04,200 So if they have a bad experience from that point, 463 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,680 it's going to mar everything else and everything 464 00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:12,440 we want to do no matter what new project or post 465 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:15,000 that we want to execute or put out. 466 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:18,040 It's all with the mind of what can we 467 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:23,040 do to give back to Croatia, to help Croatia. 468 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:26,320 And the only way we can do that is that the people coming in 469 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:28,840 are assimilating, are loving Croatia the way 470 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:30,560 that we love Croatia. 471 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:34,360 So they're taking all of it in. 472 00:21:34,360 --> 00:21:36,960 They're not coming in here and trashing it, 473 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:40,800 taking advantage of it, giving back. 474 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:42,480 We want people to give back. 475 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:44,480 We want people to cherish this place. 476 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:46,560 And so it starts from the very beginning 477 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:50,040 when they get the idea, oh, I want to come to Croatia. 478 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:52,960 We create resources so that we can take them 479 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:55,600 that entire length of like, OK, if you 480 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:57,480 want to come to Croatia, you start here. 481 00:21:57,480 --> 00:21:58,440 And then you go to this step. 482 00:21:58,440 --> 00:21:59,320 And then you go to this step. 483 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:00,240 And then you go to this step. 484 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:01,280 And these are all the things you need 485 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:02,680 to keep in mind along the way. 486 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:04,440 And OK, you've gotten your permit, great. 487 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:06,320 Here are ways that you can volunteer. 488 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:08,760 Here are ways that you can meet the Croatian community. 489 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:11,680 Here are ways that you can learn the language, 490 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:14,240 because without knowing any of the language at all, 491 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:16,560 it doesn't take very much Croatian for you 492 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:22,360 to get a Croatian to open up and welcome you into their world. 493 00:22:22,360 --> 00:22:27,360 And you can't fully see why Croatia is so special 494 00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:31,160 unless you are inside of the Croatian community. 495 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:34,120 So we try and go that entire lifecycle 496 00:22:34,120 --> 00:22:36,400 so that everyone has the best experience possible. 497 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:39,400 And obviously, that's a big dream. 498 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:43,960 But we're trying to chip away at it a little bit at a time. 499 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:46,080 You know, that was an interesting perspective 500 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:48,240 you had on working with the government, 501 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:50,600 on that being a two-way street, making things easier, 502 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:54,440 both for the Croatian government and everyone working there 503 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:56,280 and doing the documents, as well as 504 00:22:56,280 --> 00:23:01,080 for expats and people wanting their documents done. 505 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:02,880 Also, you mentioned the language just now. 506 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:05,920 And I wanted to ask, have you been learning Croatian at all? 507 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:06,720 Have you learned? 508 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:07,960 You've been here 11 years. 509 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:10,640 How is your Croatian going? 510 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:14,520 It is going to be a lifetime journey. 511 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:17,800 Excuse me. 512 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:20,480 I currently am with my fourth teacher. 513 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:25,200 I'm doing a teacher from the Croatian Language School 514 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:27,480 out of Zagreb in London and Mali Lusheen. 515 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:28,160 And I love it. 516 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:31,720 This is, by far, my best, my most favorite era 517 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:34,600 for learning Croatian. 518 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:37,160 I'm somewhere between B1 and B2. 519 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:38,520 I wish I was farther. 520 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:42,040 I've spoken very publicly about my struggles 521 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:43,120 learning Croatian. 522 00:23:43,120 --> 00:23:45,440 I have a really hard time with it. 523 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:48,880 And I think part of that, I just don't 524 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:50,680 have a mind for second languages. 525 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:51,440 I just don't. 526 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:52,640 Not everyone does. 527 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:55,480 I think there's this assumption that we can just all do it. 528 00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:57,000 And it's like, no, we all can't. 529 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:01,200 It's all about how everyone learns differently. 530 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:03,240 I have an uphill battle because I don't 531 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:05,080 have a Croatian partner. 532 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:09,360 I work in my home office predominantly. 533 00:24:09,360 --> 00:24:13,720 I mean, speaking in English all day long for work. 534 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:17,440 But it's something that every single day of my life 535 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:20,000 I am dedicated to, every single day. 536 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:21,880 Every opportunity to speak Croatian, 537 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:26,160 to roll conversations in my head, to read it, 538 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:27,880 that's what I'm doing. 539 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:32,720 So it's going to be tough to get to fluency for me. 540 00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:36,360 But I'm always working at it constantly 541 00:24:36,360 --> 00:24:38,880 and always encouraging everyone to do anything 542 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:42,080 they can to learn as much Croatian as they possibly can. 543 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:46,080 I never say you've got to be fluent because that's not fair. 544 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:48,360 Not everyone can do that. 545 00:24:48,360 --> 00:24:49,680 I mean, I don't have kids. 546 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:53,000 I can't imagine what it would be like to learn Croatian 547 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:56,440 if I had kids I had to take care of. 548 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:57,720 It's just me. 549 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:00,640 And I struggle to find that kind of concrete time 550 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:02,320 to sit down and dedicate to it. 551 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:07,760 But that's why you have to, if you want to learn any of it, 552 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:12,080 you can't just wait for that big block of time to do it. 553 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:15,520 You have to do these little things along the way. 554 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:19,240 I really like watching Netflix with Croatian subtitles. 555 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:23,960 It helps me kind of translate American English 556 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:27,240 into Croatian on some kind of level. 557 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:29,080 So you'll watch like a Hollywood movie 558 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:31,360 but with Croatian subtitles. 559 00:25:31,360 --> 00:25:31,960 Yeah. 560 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:32,800 That's a good idea. 561 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:33,320 Yeah. 562 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:37,560 It's definitely a day by day sort of deal, like you said. 563 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:40,200 And it is a really difficult language, especially coming 564 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:44,680 from English, not a Slavic language background, which 565 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:48,080 makes it easier with the Pateži and the grammar 566 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:50,480 and everything and the constructions. 567 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:53,440 But yeah, it's definitely, for me, it's worthwhile, I think, 568 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:56,880 to learn and to study and to at least try. 569 00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:59,360 And that's the most important thing. 570 00:25:59,360 --> 00:26:03,160 Sarah, as we come down sort of to the end of the episode here, 571 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:07,520 I want to ask, what do you miss about Texas or about the US? 572 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:12,600 Or do you feel that life here in Croatia is lacking something? 573 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:17,080 Or are there ever times that you miss something? 574 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:21,560 Oh, I never really, no one's ever asked me the question, 575 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:23,640 do I feel like Croatia is lacking anything? 576 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:25,640 Yeah, I just said that off the top of my head, 577 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:28,560 but it sounded pretty intense, actually, after I said that. 578 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:40,200 Well, people ask me if I miss Texas a lot. 579 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:45,080 But it's interesting because I just had this trip, 580 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:47,560 and it was the most positive trip that I had. 581 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:50,760 And I won't go into the roots of why that is. 582 00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:53,880 But there was a dynamic that kind of shifted for me 583 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:58,160 because there are some negative things for me 584 00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:01,600 about going back home that really discouraged me 585 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:02,400 from doing that. 586 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:05,360 And those elements were kind of not there on this last trip. 587 00:27:05,360 --> 00:27:12,080 So I was able to really enjoy my time there for the first time 588 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:12,600 ever. 589 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:18,000 And oh, I fell into Texas culture just, oh, 590 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:22,280 just head first. 591 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:23,920 I drank the Kool-Aid. 592 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:27,480 My accent came back. 593 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:29,800 I did the full Texas thing. 594 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:31,640 And that was really nice. 595 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:34,840 I felt like I missed Texas, actually, 596 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:37,920 for the first time since leaving. 597 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:42,040 And it wasn't like, oh, well, I've made a huge mistake. 598 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:43,280 It wasn't like that at all. 599 00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:48,800 But it was really nice to be able to kind of remind 600 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:52,440 myself of the reasons why Texas is special, 601 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:54,040 because Texas is special. 602 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:56,640 It's a very different place than any other state 603 00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:57,560 in the United States. 604 00:27:57,560 --> 00:27:59,200 It was a country for nine years. 605 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:01,320 It was the only state that was its own country. 606 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:03,240 And because of that, we have a mentality 607 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:06,440 that it is its own country, just like Dalmatia has a mentality 608 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:07,760 like it's its own country. 609 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:10,320 De Provenic has a mentality like it's its own country, 610 00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:12,920 because it was. 611 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:14,560 So those are things that I understand. 612 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:18,800 So what I'd say I miss, I do miss my friends. 613 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:19,960 I miss my family. 614 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:25,120 I miss the food quite a bit. 615 00:28:25,120 --> 00:28:29,040 And one thing I didn't realize, I miss so much. 616 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:31,840 But I managed to be there at the right time. 617 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:33,760 We have wildflowers. 618 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:35,360 The state flower is this wildflower 619 00:28:35,360 --> 00:28:36,200 called the blue bonnet. 620 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:38,120 And they're so, so beautiful. 621 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:41,160 And every child born in Texas has their photo 622 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:45,400 taken in an ocean of blue bonnets. 623 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:46,040 Everyone. 624 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:48,600 I have several of them that were taken. 625 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:51,880 And so when I was there was peak blue bonnet season. 626 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:55,400 And I did this day trip down to Austin 627 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:57,960 to get a document for Croatia. 628 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:01,080 And I saw this huge sea of them on the side of the highway. 629 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:04,920 And I was like, I said to my friend, we're pulling over. 630 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:07,040 I have to have my picture taken of blue bonnet. 631 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:11,000 So it's really nice. 632 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:13,240 I mean, I love Croatia. 633 00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:18,520 And I don't feel like it's missing anything. 634 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:21,960 You know, at one time I felt like, oh, I 635 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:24,040 want to convince all of my friends to move here. 636 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:25,600 I want all my family to move here. 637 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:27,360 That way I can have everybody that I love 638 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:29,680 in the place that I love. 639 00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:32,520 But there is something to be said for keeping 640 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:34,600 those worlds apart. 641 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:38,120 Because people may not fit in those other worlds. 642 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:40,400 And I know that when I go home to visit a lot of times, 643 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:42,680 I don't feel like I'm in the right place. 644 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:44,560 I feel a little bit like an alien. 645 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:51,600 But I think it's actually one benefit of having this life 646 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:55,960 is if I was living in Texas and had ready access to all 647 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:58,080 of my friends and family that I miss, 648 00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:00,840 I don't know that we would all appreciate each other the way 649 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:04,840 that we would versus me going to visit there every two years. 650 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:08,080 Because then I have this really concentrated quality time 651 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:10,080 with them that I don't know that I otherwise 652 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:10,760 would have had. 653 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:15,280 So now I see kind of the silver linings 654 00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:16,600 to those kinds of situations. 655 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:18,120 I don't know if I've answered your question or not. 656 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:19,520 I feel like I went on a tangent. 657 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:21,600 But I was just going to say that's a great answer 658 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:24,760 to a strongly worded question. 659 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:27,600 No apparent reason, an intense question. 660 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:28,640 No, it's food. 661 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:30,920 I love intense questions. 662 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:33,840 That's just the way it came off the top of my brain here. 663 00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:36,840 As I'm still waking up here in the morning, it's already 10. 664 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:40,920 But you mentioned food, and Texas, of course, 665 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:42,560 has a great food culture. 666 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:43,920 And so does Croatia. 667 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:46,240 And before I ask about that, because that 668 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:48,680 will be our last question here, but I 669 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:50,320 want to give you a chance to shout out 670 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:53,560 your website and social media is where can people find you. 671 00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:57,040 Can people find Expat in Croatia? 672 00:30:57,040 --> 00:30:57,880 Sure. 673 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:01,960 So our website is expatincroasia.com. 674 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:06,000 And you can find us on all the big social medias. 675 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:08,720 Our handle is also expatincroasia.com. 676 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:10,040 It's pretty easy. 677 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:13,520 We have a newsletter that comes out on Tuesdays that 678 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:17,320 has all of our new posts, our updated posts, 679 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:19,520 a language lesson with audio that you 680 00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:21,760 can hear from one of our Croatian team members. 681 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:25,800 And also we include actionable news from Croatian News 682 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:27,120 that we summarize in English. 683 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:29,520 So that way you know the things that are actually going on 684 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:31,520 there impact your daily life. 685 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:34,200 So that is how to find us. 686 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:36,200 Awesome, well thank you for that, Sarah. 687 00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:38,160 And as we get ready to go here, I 688 00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:41,320 want to ask you about food because of course Croatia also 689 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:42,960 has a great culture of food. 690 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:46,840 And Dalmesia in particular, where you are, you're in Split. 691 00:31:46,840 --> 00:31:49,520 What are your favorite foods, favorite things 692 00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:51,800 to eat here in Croatia? 693 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:52,480 Sure. 694 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:55,520 Paxicata is my top. 695 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:57,320 Love, love, love, love it. 696 00:31:57,320 --> 00:32:02,160 And my favorite one is at the Krolo Winery near Cil. 697 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:04,120 It's amazing. 698 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:07,000 My wife makes it and it's just, it'll 699 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:09,560 blow my mind every single time I have it. 700 00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:13,480 My second is San Eusia, so black risotto. 701 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:14,520 I love black risotto. 702 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:18,480 A buddy of mine, Michael Freer, him and I, 703 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:21,240 we switch off trying to find black risotto. 704 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:23,480 So he'll find one and then we'll go have lunch. 705 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:25,080 And then the next month I'll find one 706 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:26,000 and we'll go have lunch. 707 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:28,280 So we've been doing that for well over a year now. 708 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:32,400 I think we've done about 10 risottos. 709 00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:34,840 So that for sure, I think there's 710 00:32:34,840 --> 00:32:37,440 something else that kind of springs to mind. 711 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:40,880 I mean, I love gelato and I'm always 712 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:43,680 on the hunt for the best gelato place. 713 00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:47,080 But I really enjoyed Croatian food quite a bit. 714 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:50,280 Oh, I'll tell you one more thing. 715 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:52,400 My favorite restaurant on the face of the planet 716 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:57,600 is in Istra called Starry Podes Room. 717 00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:01,520 And I've been going there every year since the beginning. 718 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:04,680 And they're kind of like family now. 719 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:05,800 It's the highlight of my year. 720 00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:07,080 I go in the fall. 721 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:11,080 But they have this dish that is an omelet, 722 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:15,640 so lightly scrambled eggs drizzled with olive oil 723 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:19,480 and then just covered in black truffles. 724 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:24,440 And I remember having it the first time and I was like, 725 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:28,240 how is this a thing that I get to eat that exists? 726 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:34,480 It just felt like so opulent, just so opulent. 727 00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:38,080 But it's just an unbelievable combination of flavors. 728 00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:41,920 And I just I look forward to having it every single year. 729 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:42,880 I love it. 730 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:44,640 Yeah, I'm going to have to write that down, 731 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:45,800 the name of that restaurant. 732 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:49,360 I'm not a big, I've never been a big mushroom or truffles fan. 733 00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:53,920 But I've had the strukli with truffles here in Zagreb. 734 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:56,400 And that was my first time trying truffles. 735 00:33:56,400 --> 00:33:57,320 And so I thought it was good. 736 00:33:57,320 --> 00:33:58,160 So I've tried it. 737 00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:01,480 That sounds good, an omelet with truffles. 738 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:02,280 Oh, it's good. 739 00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:03,880 It's very nice. 740 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:05,080 I'll definitely have to try that. 741 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:07,560 Well, Sarah, thank you so much for coming here on the All 742 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:08,760 Things Croatia podcast. 743 00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:10,920 I really appreciate what you're doing for the community, 744 00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:14,400 for the expat community here in Croatia. 745 00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:16,200 I'll drop links so everyone can click 746 00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:17,880 on your website and your socials. 747 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:19,600 But really, thank you for taking the time 748 00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:21,760 to come on the podcast here. 749 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:23,160 Well, thank you so much, Stanko. 750 00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:24,440 It was a pleasure talking with you. 751 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:25,680 I appreciate the opportunity. 752 00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:26,280 Thank you.