It was right after the holidays when Leila got back from her cruise and told me that we should plan a “European adventure” because she was having a quarter life crisis and needed to make some major changes. I’ve always wanted to go to Europe - hell, I’ve always wanted to go anywhere outside of the country. I was desperately itching for a real vacation. So naturally, I was on board.

We each picked our top three European dream spots and decided to meet in the middle - hello Croatia! We spent the next three months planning everything from what cities to visit, what restaurants to eat at, and how to pack “lightly”. We finally decided to spend most of our time in the city of Split and end our trip with two days in the country’s capital, Zagreb. I just wasn’t prepared to fall so deeply in love with Split, and to return again just one month after leaving.

Oh, Split. A part of me will always be in Split. We fell in love with this city, the people in it, and all the humble beauty this place has to offer. We made some lifelong friends with some of the locals and I don’t know if I have ever felt so “at home” in another city as I did here.

Split is located on the coast of Croatia, surrounded by the Adriatic Sea - I promise you, the color of the sea, the warmth of the water, the views of the mountains in the distance behind the yachts, the peacefulness of finding a secluded spot on the rocky beaches and just taking it all in, this must be what heaven feels like.

But what’s heaven without food? The freshness of every meal we had was indescribable. And as crazy as it sounds, the potatoes may have been my favorite part! I mean, all my life I was made to believe that Idaho potatoes were the best. Wrong. Croatia has the best potatoes! But honestly, every meal was incredible. The pasta, the sandwiches, the pizza, the coffee - okay, coffee isn’t technically a meal but it has been a really difficult transition back to Starbucks coffee after tasting European coffee.

And you know what? We never felt that guilty about indulging in all the deliciousness Split had to offer because these people walk EVERYWHERE! Before our trip, I maybe logged 5,000 steps a day. That’s half of the American Heart Association’s suggestion. Our first day in Croatia I logged almost 20,000 steps. That’s almost double the suggested daily steps! Honestly, coming back made me realize how much I absolutely hate being in a car. Granted, it is necessary in order to get from place to place here in the States, but goodness it felt good to walk for a while.

Split has become a second home, the friends we left behind have become family. My heart aches a little being away from it all, but I was lucky enough to spend a little over a month in Europe’s “best kept secret”. Split, thank you for the memories. I love you and I will always return to you.